Re: GMO and coercion of farmers

From: Damien Sullivan (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Date: Tue Aug 21 2001 - 15:34:41 MDT


On Tue, Aug 21, 2001 at 03:41:38PM -0400, Mike Lorrey wrote:

> b) did the farmers in question sow 1/4 of their actual acrage in the GM
> crop, or did they mix that seed in with non-GMO seeds and sow these over
> the entire acrage, thus getting a sort of 'concealed weapon' umbrella
> effect protecting the non-GMO plants from the pests that the pesticides
> in the GMO plants kill...? If it is the second case, then the non-GMO
> crop owes the GMO crop for the positive externality of its protection.

The plants in question are "herbicide resistant soya". There's no gain from
mixing the seed -- in fact it'd be a loss, since if you used the quantities of
herbicide the GMO can handle, you'd kill the rest of the crop.

-xx- Damien X-)



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