"Yet, for modern farmers to feed the world, they regularly throw away their seed at the end of the planting season. Since companies and governments use worldwide data and reach to produce an annual hybrid seed for most crops, farmers have little use for 'saved seed.'"
If farmers in Africa can't afford this year's hybrid seed AND farmers in developing nations discard last year's seed (in anticipation for an improved model this year), it seems like an obvious proposition to send left-over "last year seed" to Africa instead of destroying it. I'm not saying that this should be entirely charitable, but it seems like African farmers have an interest in the improved genetics of last year's seed (over what they're growing now) and farmers in developed nations have an interest in monetizing their leftovers. Win-Win.
Do you have any idea if there's a company or other organization that's seeking to connect the two parties? CGIAR, perhaps?
That'd probably need to be allowed and driven from a Monsanto/company perspective - gather those "last year seeds" and sell them to other nations for an affordable price - as those are coming from the patented genetic lines. It's a good idea, though: I'd imagine the companies could offer a credit for X weight of seeds.
I’m not sure it works that way. I think there’s a decline in yield for the second generation. It’s complicated genetics (there’s a link in the article). If it did work that way, then when a farmer is satisfied with his yield, he could break the technology agreement and go with bin seed and deal with the legal consequences. I think the genetics don’t work out though so they wouldn’t work for African farmers either. Plus, the soil, climate and crop types are completely different for sub-Saharan Africa vs North America.
"Yet, for modern farmers to feed the world, they regularly throw away their seed at the end of the planting season. Since companies and governments use worldwide data and reach to produce an annual hybrid seed for most crops, farmers have little use for 'saved seed.'"
If farmers in Africa can't afford this year's hybrid seed AND farmers in developing nations discard last year's seed (in anticipation for an improved model this year), it seems like an obvious proposition to send left-over "last year seed" to Africa instead of destroying it. I'm not saying that this should be entirely charitable, but it seems like African farmers have an interest in the improved genetics of last year's seed (over what they're growing now) and farmers in developed nations have an interest in monetizing their leftovers. Win-Win.
Do you have any idea if there's a company or other organization that's seeking to connect the two parties? CGIAR, perhaps?
That'd probably need to be allowed and driven from a Monsanto/company perspective - gather those "last year seeds" and sell them to other nations for an affordable price - as those are coming from the patented genetic lines. It's a good idea, though: I'd imagine the companies could offer a credit for X weight of seeds.
I’m not sure it works that way. I think there’s a decline in yield for the second generation. It’s complicated genetics (there’s a link in the article). If it did work that way, then when a farmer is satisfied with his yield, he could break the technology agreement and go with bin seed and deal with the legal consequences. I think the genetics don’t work out though so they wouldn’t work for African farmers either. Plus, the soil, climate and crop types are completely different for sub-Saharan Africa vs North America.