Re: GMO in Developing Nations

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Oz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Bruce Sinclair <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Dean Hoffman 
>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>>>    I think hybrid seed corn came into use sometime in the 1930s.  Farmers
>>>have been buying fresh hybrid seed each year since then.  The yield of corn
>>>raised from the offspring of the hybrid seed stinks.
>>>  A farmer friend of mine used homegrown seed although he knew better.  He
>>>ran out or hybrid seed just before he finished planting.  He didn't want to
>>>spend the $100 U.S. or so for a bag of seed since he wouldn't use all of it.
>>>A bin full of last year's crop was right there so he used some of his home
>>>grown stuff.  The home grown seed didn't yield for crap compared to the
>>>fresh hybrid seed.   The yield difference encourages farmers to buy fresh
>>>seed each year.  A terminator gene in corn won't change much.

>>Theoretically true. In practice ? 

>The evidence is there before you.
>Yet your answer is:
>
>1) I can't understand it.

I understand it fine ... my trust level is lower (or perhaps my 
cynicism level higher ?) than yours. I agree there is a crisis in food 
"ownership" already ... I'm simply at a loss to explain how you think 
this justifies either letting it continue or enhancing it ?

>2) So I'm fearful.

Nope. I "fear" very little.

>Please try to think about what is written, because otherwise you cannot
>actually learn anything, and then become less fearful.

See above.

>>I guess it's the amount of trust you are prepared to put in large 
>>corporations. My number is small ... yours may be larger :)
>It has bugger all to do with trusting large corporations. 
>Read the answer above again and try and comprehend it.

<sigh> maybe we should just give up. Seems we're missing something in 
each others opinions :)

>>... and of course we are also ignoring the possibilty that a disease destroys 
>>the hybrids (or even the GE stuff). The effect of this would be large if our 
>>dependence was high. 
>Big deal, please don;t tell grandma how to suck eggs.
>I've seen at least four cases of this in the UK wheat crop alone in 35
>years. The world didn't stop. The cause was farmer planting use.

Cause is immaterial. The effect is/will be the problem.

Nuff said.

Bruce



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It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to 
think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone´s fault. 
If it was Us, what did that make Me ? After all, I´m one of Us. I must be. 
I´ve certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No-one ever thinks 
of themselves as one of Them. We´re always one of Us. It´s Them that do 
the bad things.         <=> Terry Pratchett. Jingo.