ORGANIC PRACTISES

[DanMoore]

Rod,

It is the multinationals who are dictating what is grown. They own major pieces of agriculture, processors and research. What they want is what they produce.

Look in this years seed catalogues for the varieties you grew last year. Many have been dropped. You now must decide on a new variety; bigger, better and just as, if not more expensive.

It is not organics but the orginal varieties (non-hybrid or fixed hybrid) must be maintained. If for no other reason than the biodiversity. Soon they will be crossing cousins, brothers & sisters, etc. Next in line is the potato on a tree or the melon-size peas.

Where does the buck stop?

[rodbradshaw]

Dan

I agree that there must be a gene bank maintained, otherwise we risk losing valuable genes that may contain the answers to a certain pest problem.
The major problem is human nature and the need to try something new or percieved to be new. We are growing a variety of carrot that we started with 10 years ago and have not found one that will totallly replace it. The other example is the Russet Burbank, over 100 years old and still the main stay of growers because people know the name and thats what MacDonalds wants.

[DanMoore]

Savings in a gene bank puts the future in the hands of multinationals. They have the money and technology. It is the original SEED that must be maintained which can be used by the grower; saved or hybridized.

With the freedom granted multinationals, what is to stop them from developing a GM variety for every crop. Then they would have total control. You would not have any choices. They are patenting every step, process and outcome. Your business is theirs; financially, without having to maintain the farm.

Speak out now before they gain total control. Even organic potential will be a non-concern/impossibility.

[Deb]

To me, the best things in life are free but to them, they are "worth nothing"!

[cakadu]

I sometimes get concerned when I see things like this because it seems to me we are talking about two separate things. The organic way of growing things is a process and a choice.

The conversation at some point turns into a backlash against the big multinational companies. Are the two even related? If you grow organically and preserve your own seed etc, how does that preclude others from doing with the seed what they want?

Please help me out here.

[rodbradshaw]

Cakadu
I agree with you it is a choice, just as being a vegetarian or eating meat is a choice. Unfortunately too many role it into a anti establishment, anti globalization back to nature type thing.

There will always be so called heritage varieties as plant breeders whether public or private realize the value of genetic material.

Companies such as Monsanto will only bring something to the market that will be saleable, it will have to have some agronomic or economic benefit for the farmer. If not farmers will go back to growing standard open pollinated varities that we have always used.

Dan mentioned about hybredizing, Gentic modification could be as simple as a hybredized variety. All genetic engineering has done is shorten the time from the first cross to commercialization from 10 years to matter of months. The price of progress, or the success of progress?
Rod