Terminator - Seeds With One Life and One Life Only

January 29, 1999 By : Edwin Wallace

I will be promoting RAFI - Rural Advancement Foundation International - on my web site http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/walle. This is the most qualified organization to lead an international protest against Monsanto's current act of darkness; the development of what RAFI has brilliantly named Terminator Seed Technology! Here it is in a nutshell: (This is from Time Magazine) 1. Borrowing a seed-killing toxin from another plant, genetic engineers insert it into the genome of a crop plant. In order to breed enough generations of the crop to produce a supply of seeds, the scientists also insert blocker DNA that suppresses the production of the toxin. 2. Before the seeds are sold they are emersed in a solution that induces the production of an enzyme that removes the blocker. 3. After the seeds are planted and the crop matures, the toxin is produced, killing the new seeds the plants carry. Farmers who want the same crop line the next year must thus buy new seed. Other things I have learned: - about 1.4 billion people in the world depend on keeping their own seed over for next year's crop! - there is concern that the Terminator genes may be transferred by pollen which may cause mutations that could spread to other plants than the intended crop! The technology is brilliant but really socially pathological. It perhaps suggests the biggest of questions: who will eventually control the very seeds of our lives? Place your own protest at http://www.rafi.ca/ I'm Edwin

Editor's Note: I am of course not a farmer and when one farmer explained to me the present chemical and genetic products on the market in use right now I was shocked but Edwin's short little bit on the Terminator was to me pushing the credibility envelop, but unfortunately this concept is way beyond academic discussion and below are some selected sources that might help you get a grasp on the topic.

A rather sensation article with a list of sites discussing genitically engineered crops. A sensible series of articles and references to links dealing with genetically engineered food. Though a bit alarmist this site hastwo articles about Monsanto's terminator technology one by Professor James Dow an anthrolpologist. An authorative article on how Monsanto obtained the Terminator genetic technology. A New Zealand story on Monsanto's history and operations discusses its success with RoundUp and Nutrasweet. An excellent article that explains the Terminator technology and the actions taken on the international scene to prevent its use. Here is how it works, this article with reference is written in laymans terms and discusses the Terminiator Technology process and some possible ramifications of its use.