Seeds of Life

But the biggest threat we face is the control of seed and food moving out of the hands of farmers and communities and into a few corporate hands.
~ from Resisting the Corporate Theft of Seeds by Vandana Shiva ~

There are so many ways corporatists are trying to commodify every aspect of life, but the one that scares me the most concerns seeds. If corporate agribusiness succeeds in monopolizing what farmers and gardeners legally can plant, we will find ourselves in a world of hurt within 100 years or less.

In fact, the problem is so insidious that they won't need directly to corner 100 percent of the market! Heck, 25 - 50 percent will probably doom us because the wind is their greatest ally. Once these frankenseeds grow into plants, their DNA is spread with the breeze. Their screwed up DNA will infect native plants and, before we know it, biodiversity will be lost...probably forever.

Once the vast majority of plants are contaminated, how will we undo the damage? That's the frightening question. Chances are that we will discover we can't undo it. What then?

The only answer is to stop this maddens BEFORE we reach the critical point -- that is, if we haven't already. Needless to say, this won't be easy because, when it comes to potential short-term profit, corporatists tend to get their way.