Comments on: Scientists are now required to treat plants ethically http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/05/05/scientists-are-now-required-to-treat-plants-ethically/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:49:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Niklaus_Pfirsig http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/05/05/scientists-are-now-required-to-treat-plants-ethically/#comment-18101 Niklaus_Pfirsig Tue, 06 May 2008 14:54:08 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=2538#comment-18101 On the surface it may seem silly. But consider this: agri-chemical companies have developed and deployed genetically modified seed grain that produces sterile plants. The purpose for this is very serious. In third world countries that practice traditional agriculture methods, some grain is allowd to mature to produce seed for the next year. The agri-chemical companies consider this a form of theft similar to software piracy, and the genetic modifications are viewed as a security measure similar to DRM for digital music and video. The modifications and seeds are protected by patents. There is an old saying, "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." Corporations read it as "Sell a man a fish, you make money. Teach a man to fish, you go bankrupt. But take total control the fisheries, and then sell the fish, you get fabulously rich. There is nothing wrong with honest competition or making a reasonable profit. However, we live in a time where the unreasonable profit of a few takes priority over the basic necessities of the many. Is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company concerned with the health and well-being of the poor in a third-world nation that can't afford to buy food and can no longer afford to grow their own? Not hardly. On the surface it may seem silly. But consider this: agri-chemical companies have developed and deployed genetically modified seed grain that produces sterile plants. The purpose for this is very serious. In third world countries that practice traditional agriculture methods, some grain is allowd to mature to produce seed for the next year. The agri-chemical companies consider this a form of theft similar to software piracy, and the genetic modifications are viewed as a security measure similar to DRM for digital music and video. The modifications and seeds are protected by patents.

There is an old saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” Corporations read it as “Sell a man a fish, you make money. Teach a man to fish, you go bankrupt. But take total control the fisheries, and then sell the fish, you get fabulously rich.

There is nothing wrong with honest competition or making a reasonable profit. However, we live in a time where the unreasonable profit of a few takes priority over the basic necessities of the many. Is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company concerned with the health and well-being of the poor in a third-world nation that can’t afford to buy food and can no longer afford to grow their own? Not hardly.

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