I’m sick to death of people being precious about #GMO produce. Functionally there is no difference between a grape bred to have little or no seed and a grape that has been modified in a lab for the same thing. Y’all are just scared of science.
You wanna talk about #Monsanto charging for “licenses” for their crops, ok. Talk about agribusiness killing the planet, ok. Talk about corporations copyrighting genetic code, ok. These are all valid concerns.
But the science is sound.
With the possible extra issue that Monsanto has made many crops "Roundup Ready" which encourages the use of chemicals to create monoculture fields, wiping natural genetic modifications off the map.
@Ethancdavenport
@Algot
Also: there are herbicide resistant non-GE crops too. But paradoxically there is more biodiversity within the GE group. Because it's easier to GE-in a trait to any given existing variety, there are apparently loads of GE cotton varieties from Monsanto alone for different climates. All of which remain inter fertile with non-GE: if we attack gene patents, the worries about biodiversity remain slim.
@Algot @Ethancdavenport
Also, obligatory follow-up: it's possible, and widespread, to patent non-GE traits and crops too. It's a common and dangerous fallacy that GE is an enabler of crop/life patenting, in fact it has nothing specifically to do with it. GE -does- allow patented traits to be introduced to other species, broadening their base. But patented traits that are not GE are still widespread.
@Algot monoculture is a HUGE problem, not only bc of roundup ready. Capitalism creates the conditions for cash crops like soybeans and corn, which the state subsidizes. What’s the impetus for growing other things when the government pays farmers (independent and corporate) to grow one or two things?
Not to mention the total inefficiency of livestock, which takes massive amounts of energy and water to raise and process. Totally unsustainable.