disclaimer

Sweet Basil

This is the second year I’ve tried to do container gardening.  Last year, my tomato plant must have been started too late, or didn’t get enough sun, or for whatever reason I didn’t get much fruit (I think I might have gotten 3-4 that ripened in time, and then maybe a couple of green tomatoes).  My pepper plant didn’t produce at all.

This year, I’ve grown more ambitious.  I’ve got 5 tomato plants, 2 peppers, and also growing (garlic) chives, parsley, sage, thai basil and sweet basil.  The basil have been pretty prolific.  Will post pictures in a few weeks (if I get results).

So, my friend pointed me at The Future of Food. This story about how a giant corporation had set it up so that farmers could no longer own their own grain, but be required to pay huge licensing fees for grain to grow.

A long time ago in a faraway land, farmers would sow seed, harvest it, save some for planting the following year. All was well in the world. Then, as time went on and people demanded cheaper prices, higher crop yields, etc. farmers were forced to employed chemicals and biotechnology in their farming techniques.

This provided an opportunity for biotech firm (Monsanto) created Roundup (the herbicide), then created grain that was resistant to Roundup and patented it. Farmers had a choice: they could then use Roundup to prep their lands and then purchase Roundup resistant grain. Or they could use the old-school grain and techniques that they had used since the beginning of time. Until they stopped having a choice.

The Roundup-resistant plants spread their genes far and wide. Courts have decided that since the Roundup resistant genes are property of Monsanto, no matter how it spread (intentionally or unintentionally), it’s illegal for people to have plants containing Monsanto’s genetic material without a license. So farmers no longer had a choice. They can no longer save their own grain for planting the following year and are forced to purchase new seed from Monsanto each year. Kinda sad story, really.

And it doesn’t just apply to farmers either.

It used to be pretty popular to share cuttings or seeds for home gardening. However, plants that you buy in the garden center these days all have a tag saying “asexual reproduction of this patented plant without license is prohibited.” You cannot take cuttings from your own plants without violating the law. Is it that far fetched to imagine a day when you do not own the plants in your garden, but rather, have to pay an annual or monthly licensing fee for the privilege of having it in your yard.