11-22-2013, 05:43 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Kapohocat
IMHO, if this new bill had protected the small farmer from cross pollination issues where the large corp are suing the small farmer for patent infringement, and it wasnt the small farmer's fault the wind blew across their fields and cross pollinated....
well then I would be all for that bill.
I am puzzled on this: is there a documented case of a small farmer who has been sued by a patent holder for reuse of his own seed that was contaminated by pollen drift? I've seen some claims, but, on investigation, those were found to be of dubious validity where a farmer tried to circumvent the patent and got caught at it.
It's fashionable for the anti-GMO activists to pillory the industrial development of patented crops, but, until they can convince the government to provide public funding for that development, that's our only alternative - assuming, of course, that improving crop yields, reducing cost inputs, reducing disease losses, and reducing pesticide usage is in the public interest...