Post by tucsontomato on Feb 4, 2012 22:49:55 GMT -5
Okay everyone. I know that some of you may highly disagree with what I am about to disclose, but I really am more concerned about hybrids than I have ever been about genetically modified tomatoes.
Give me an open-pollinated genetically modified tomato plant that can thrive in my climate and produce a bountiful crop of large tomatoes and I'll grow it alongside my other tomato plants. The problem with many commercially available hybrids is that the everyday gardener does not know the lineage of the tomato plant and cannot reproduce them the following year. That is, without going back to the parent company and buying seed again and again. If the parent company suddenly ran out of seed than the gardener who is dependent upon those hybrid varieties will lose access to their livelihood and possibly their food supply.
I believe that the main concern about any new tomato variety is that it will be used so much and become so dominant in the marketplace (because of a few amazing traits) that it makes other tomato varieties literally disappear. Hybrid, genetically-modified or even heirloom plants become a problem when they are proliferated so extensively that they reduce the diversity of tomatoes available to the public - and this is where the true tragedy lies.
[Addition] After writing this, I realized that I didn't even bring up my issues with Patient Variety Protection (PVP). It is one thing to have a "patient" on a specific variety - however - huge companies can find a way to keep the patient after their 20 years has expired so that they not only spread their seed all over the marketplace but then they sue you if you happen to use any variety that has some of their "patented" genetic material in it. Instead of promoting investment by small companies it leaves only a few companies to put a stranglehold on the market. Though I do really like some PVP varieties, I am grateful that we have alternatives to PVP varieties in the U.S.!
Give me an open-pollinated genetically modified tomato plant that can thrive in my climate and produce a bountiful crop of large tomatoes and I'll grow it alongside my other tomato plants. The problem with many commercially available hybrids is that the everyday gardener does not know the lineage of the tomato plant and cannot reproduce them the following year. That is, without going back to the parent company and buying seed again and again. If the parent company suddenly ran out of seed than the gardener who is dependent upon those hybrid varieties will lose access to their livelihood and possibly their food supply.
I believe that the main concern about any new tomato variety is that it will be used so much and become so dominant in the marketplace (because of a few amazing traits) that it makes other tomato varieties literally disappear. Hybrid, genetically-modified or even heirloom plants become a problem when they are proliferated so extensively that they reduce the diversity of tomatoes available to the public - and this is where the true tragedy lies.
[Addition] After writing this, I realized that I didn't even bring up my issues with Patient Variety Protection (PVP). It is one thing to have a "patient" on a specific variety - however - huge companies can find a way to keep the patient after their 20 years has expired so that they not only spread their seed all over the marketplace but then they sue you if you happen to use any variety that has some of their "patented" genetic material in it. Instead of promoting investment by small companies it leaves only a few companies to put a stranglehold on the market. Though I do really like some PVP varieties, I am grateful that we have alternatives to PVP varieties in the U.S.!