The Rural Voice, 1999-09, Page 13Mercer
university or organizational
representatives.
Ask if the hypothesis of natural
selection to breed true has ever been •
scientifically explained by those who
have no links to the commercial seed
industry. You may have to go back to
1922 when hybridization was first
promoted by the USDA touting the
effects of heterosis or hybrid vigor to
find out.
Michael Pollan in his book
Playing God in the Garden notes that
farming is entering the information
age and he says of farming,
"Monsanto, more than any.other
firm, looks set to become its
Microsoft, providing the proprietary
'operating systems' ". It can also be
said that where high cost research is
needed ... what is profitable affects,
or even determines what is
scientifically true. Has this already
happened?
Farmers need to look to their own
future. If you feel you are losing your
own independence, it is time to open
up the debate on choice in seed
research priorities. Start a web page.
Start a talk page. Start a grassroots
demand for answers on a new
approach to agricultural genetic
research that gives farmers back
control of their production decisions
with grains that breed true.0
Robert Mercer was editor of the
Broadwater Market Letter ana farm
commentator in Ontario for 25years.
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