Terminator genes...a threat to global agriculture?

Published on September 19, 2005 By dharmagrl In Current Events

I never even knew these exosted until this morning.

I was reading through my husband's copy of 'The Backwoodsman' and i came across an article about 'heritage' gardens, where people pass on seeds from their plants and thereby keep a certain stock of plant alive.

In the article, the author mentioned that he had heard that seeds with a 'terminator' gene in them had been shipped to iraq by the US government. These seeds have been genetically modified with a so-called 'terminator' gene that prevents the plant from germination...effectively rendering it sterile and making the farmer that bought it depended on the seed company for his crop the next year.

Whilst I cannot find any reputable information regarding his claim about the seeds sent to Iraq, I HAVE found information supporting a planned release of cotton seeds with a terminator gene in them.

I think that this is a Pandora's box. It's bad enough that the majority of us are unwittingly eating genetically modified produce every day, but this takes the genetic modification to a whole new level. It's one thing to modify a seed to produce a crop that's pest and disease resistant, but to make it so that the crop doesn't germinate and reproduce...so that the farmers who are producing the crop become dependent on the seed companies?

That's just too much.

Comments

Danny Bassette

on Sep 19, 2005

Good idea that one, lets make our food self extincting. As if there arn't enough troubles out there...

dharmagrl

on Sep 19, 2005

lets make our food self extincting

There have been concerns voiced by the ag. community that somehow, by some freak of nature, the gene will somehow escape and contaminate regular crops. They scientists involved say it isn't possible......it's not like genes have a mind of their own and can just take off any time they want to, but.....can we take that risk? And, is it ethical to produce crops that are self-terminating?

Moderateman

on Sep 19, 2005

capitolisim at its fineset {sic}

Furry Canary

on Sep 19, 2005

A major factor in the development of such GM foodstuffs was the desire to keep raking in cash from the third world. After all, why charge them ONCE for grain, when you can do it year after year after year? Once again, the environment (not to mention any sense whatsoever of social justice) plays second fiddle to the irresistible smell of the largest profit imaginable. And it's not exactly science's finest hour either.

There was a time when the West at least TALKED in terms of providing education and fostering independence in Africa and Asia. This is apparently considered necessary no longer. Why teach people HOW to fish? The biggest profit is in withholding that information and SELLING them fish - over and over and over again.

momijiki

on Sep 19, 2005

Reminds me of Eurasian water milfoil. My understanding (unless urban legend then I will probably find out) was that US developed it to release in Vietnam to screw up water system. But somehow, it came back on equipment or something and was spread to lakes in North America.

Whether that is true or not, I don't know. I do know this. If you are a boater in Canada, you are requird to wash your boat off if the lake has Eurasian water milfoil. If you do not, you can get fined because failure to do so spreads the plant which chokes out local plant life.

Spc Nobody Special

on Sep 19, 2005

They do something similar with a lot of the roach poisons now. They'll have normal poison, but they have hormones in them that keep the roaches that survive (and there's always a few) from reproducing.

dharmagrl

on Sep 19, 2005

Myrr, fuck off. When you have somethign relevant to the thread to say, then I'll listen. Until then.....fuck off.

dharmagrl

on Sep 19, 2005

capitolisim at its fineset

Yep.

Why teach people HOW to fish? The biggest profit is in withholding that information and SELLING them fish - over and over and over again.

EXACTLY. I too recall when the global community at least talked about making Africa self-sufficient. What happened to that?

But somehow, it came back on equipment or something and was spread to lakes in North America.

I think that's what the fear is with these GM seeds. Things that humanity has fucked with have a habit of blowing up in our faces sooner or later...why should this be any different?

They'll have normal poison, but they have hormones in them that keep the roaches that survive (and there's always a few) from reproducing.

The gene that's inserted does one of two things: it either stops the seed from germinating or it kills off the embryo. Sounds like the roach poison does the former.

Chakgogka

on Sep 19, 2005

It's bad enough that the majority of us are unwittingly eating genetically modified produce every day,...

I'm really interested in that. Although I'm not sure whether GM Food is a good idea or not, I certainly believe consumers should know what they're getting. In Europe, after an initial stiff resistance to all GM products, the EU finally allowed them in, but with strict labelling laws which apparently greatly upset the US.

dharmagrl

on Sep 19, 2005

Although I'm not sure whether GM Food is a good idea or not, I certainly believe consumers should know what they're getting

I can understand the attraction. Having grown my own and experienced first hand the pests and viruses that plants can succumb to I totally understand the need for GM foods.

However, as you said, I want to know what I'm getting, and what I'm eating. I want to make the choice to eat or not eat GM food or products that contain genetically modified food. I reserve the right to decide what I put into my body, and I want to control that as much as I can.

lifehappens

on Sep 20, 2005

I've always thought that the thought of a profit would drive companies to do unethical stuff....but after the initial shock, I can't say that I'm all that surprized.. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!