Terminator Technology- Suicide Seeds

 

Terminator technology refers to plants that have been genetically modified to render sterile seeds at harvest – it is also called Genetic Use Restriction Technology or GURTS. Terminator technology was developed by the multinational seed/agrochemical industry and the United States government to prevent farmers from saving and re-planting harvested seed.

 

Plants created using Terminator technology will produce sterile seeds, creating a monopoly and unnatural control of the seeds. Farmers will not be able to use seeds from such plants for the following season’s cultivation. The seeds will rot in the soil without producing new plants. If this technology is introduced in crops such as soya, wheat, canola and cotton it will force farmers to buy new seeds every year from the same company.

 

Terminator is a major violation of the rights of farmers to save and reuse their own seeds. Through pollen movement in the first generation, Terminator genes could contaminate farmers’ crops – farmers might then unknowingly save and reuse seeds that are contaminated and will not germinate. This could also happen if imported grain contains Terminator genes.

 

“Terminator is a direct assault on farmers and indigenous cultures and on food sovereignty. It threatens the well-being of all rural people, primarily the very poorest.”
- Rafael Alegría of Via Campesina, an organization representing over 10 million peasant farmers worldwide.

 

 

Escaped genes from GE plants are causing contamination and pose threats to agricultural biodiversity and the livelihoods of farmers. For example, Saskatchewan organic canola farmers are suing Monsanto and Bayer for GE contamination (www.saskorganic.com/oapf).

 

Industry argues that engineered sterility would offer a built-in safety feature for GE plants because if genes from a Terminator crop cross-pollinate with related plants nearby, the seed produced from unwanted pollination will be sterile – it will not germinate. But Terminator technology is a complex system involving multiple inserted genes that all work together in a sequence. Scientists warn that Terminator will not be 100% effective. The likelihood of system failure means it could never be a reliable tool for “biocontainment”. If Terminator is used for “biocontainment” and fails, it would introduce new, dangerous biosafety risks.

 

Here  is a link to http://www.banterminator.org/The-Issues/Introduction

 Ban Terminator.org. They have up to date information on this issue and links to others who are fighting this technology.

 

Also check out Greenpeace.  They exposed the patent that was applied for and obtained by Delta-Pine for this technology in 2005. Since that time Monsanto has obtained Delta-Pine Land (DPL) and their 3 patents.

 

UPDATE January 2007:

Victory! Global Moratorium Upheld!: In 2000, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity recommended that governments not approve Terminator for field tests or commercial use. This created what is now recognized as an international moratorium. It was upheld and strengthened in March 2006 thanks to pressure from Canadians and people across the world.

 

But the seed companies are still applying for patents on this technology which means they are still paying a lot to have research done. Which means they are still planning to go ahead in the future with some kind of terminator technology. They don’t spend the millions on the research if they don’t believe they will get a payoff later.

 

This video shows third world farmers who express their opinions on Terminator seeds. One other thing I want to say about third world farmers and life in general. These people by our standards are very poor. I have to remember that they don’t live by our standards. They don’t have luxuries like we do, and I sometimes wonder if they are not just as happy without what we call luxury. If they could just grow enough food, have some shelter, educate their kids, they really don’t need a lot. I don’t really need a lot, but I have grown accustomed to it. Most of the time I wonder, if we who live in the rich countries would let them be, how would their lives be? I can imagine how powerless they feel when they have unnecessary technology imposed on them against their will. I can at least identify with that. I am living with genetically modified food in the stores against my will. I don’t get a choice whether I want to eat it or not. I understand the unfairness, a little.

 

 

~ by Lorina Coble on April 22, 2008.