Conventional vs. organic

[cakadu]

I recently heard an organic speaker who made a statement to the effect of "people who have been growing crops that aren't organic have had a benefit over those growing organic crops because a large portion of the plant breeding was paid for."

I'm a little mystified by this comment and hope that you can enlighten me. After all, don't the organic people use a lot of the same seed you conventional people do, just they don't use all the sprays on it?

Call me curious.

[jensco]

I am no authority on the organic matter. But in answer to your question - no. Some of the seed used is produced on organic sites or has been saved from natural settings (original seed lines with no cross-breeding).

The organic industry (purists) what to preserve seed lines and keep them "clean" of modern technology.

You could equate it to the second hand smoke issue - to stretch an analogy.

[winston]

Sounds like bs to me. The seed we are buying now is paid for by the farmer. Research and breeding is done by the seed companies and farmers pay for it through seed prices or check-off's.

[DanMoore]

The hybrid vs heirloom topic may provide amore complete answer.

I have leanings towards heirloom in my home vegetable garden so that I can save the seed for the next season. The hybrid gardener/grower cannot. I also follow organic practices based on feeding the soil, intercropping (companion), and non-chemical pest controls.

Hybrid usually means having the buy the same seed annually.

More to follow

[DanMoore]

Sorry for the brevity; got called away.

Farmers are getting taken to the cleaners on seed. Compare the minor price for your store bought package. Weigh the seeds and work out the price for a kilogram. By the kilo, prices range from about $700 to as high as $78,000. Then look at the seed being a hybrid to understand why the multinationals are dropping the heirloom seeds.

Multinationals are buying up any agriculture related business just for the profits. Many of the hybrids are patented and large quantities are only sold by contracts leaning to the sellers benefit. Then you have to buy their fertilizers and pesticides, etc.

Think of the saving for an organic farmer in those costs alone. But it is not a short term project to go organic; 5 to 10 years is a norm.

Feed the soil and not the multinationals.

Go organic.

[DanMoore]

This appears a slow thread. Let us heat it up.

If left to the seed companies (multinationals) there will only be hybrid seed. With trends going the way they are, soon they will be patenting all the hybrids since will be crosses with GMOs. Then we will all be paying.

Heirloom seed has evolved a lot. Many have resistances now sought in hybrids. Most have the qualities now sought in breeding. They have been paid for long ago and should reflect so in lower prices.

On with discussion...