I can't help but be a cynic on this.
Pioneer Hi-Bred will follow archrival Monsanto Co. in offering biotech seeds to poor farmers in Africa. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is helping pay for the Johnston company's $19.5 million project along with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Pioneer announced Wednesday.
When all the better varieties are developed and the African farmer is enjoying bountiful harvests in adverse conditions I will be the first one to come up and bend over to get my ass kicked for not trusting. Until then I remain skeptical you might say.
If you don't know - tomatoes don't grow worth a shit period in West Africa. Never have. These companies want to do a real positive develop tomato seeds that do much better than what is available now.
Now that would be a real accomplishment!
Sounds good but because of the way they are modified these hi tech seeds won't produce seed corn for next year. You have to buy next years crop from the seed company. As long as the seed companies are using Africa as a test bed and providing seed this won't be a problem.
ReplyDeleteIt's my hunch Mont that these farmers won't have anything to do with this. At least for some of the guys I knew anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf they use this seed and find out seed they save back will not grow they just won't do it.
These people may use simple methods to raise crops but most are educated and they are smarter than many in our country when it comes to world affairs and how decisions made here affect them in the bush.
It's the way the rich can pat themselves on the back for helping those less fortunate then themselves, or at least they can pretend to and dazzle the citizens over here but it is all BS. They aren't trying to help Africa grow more food, they are trying to enslave them to the corporate state.
ReplyDeleteThat is for damn sure Lib!
ReplyDeleteI had a great comment, but Montag beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteForget that... Monsanto can not only use these farmers for guinea pigs, but can literally can own everything that is grown in the area once the only seed available is a gmo seed. they are ruthless if you educate yourselves to their practices.
ReplyDelete