Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.970703070543.16997F-100000@beta.tricity.wsu.edu> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 07:20:52 -0700 From: Tom Hodges <mailto:thodges@TRICITY.WSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Quinoa Patent To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
I have cut most of Jim's post, leaving the parts I am replying to. Tom HodgesOn Thu, 3 Jul 1997, Jim Cory wrote:
> I have been following the Quinoa patent discussion with some interest
> and for the most part
> agree with John Daly's post of July 2:
Agree, an excellent summary by John. >
> I believe that unless the world learns to recognize agricultural
> biodiversity as a resource, it will not protect that diversity.
> Johnson
> and Ward appear to be experts who can demonstrate the value in
> biodiversity, and thus convince people it is a resource. If we are
>
Clearly sustainability will be achieved by cooperation among all facets of society, little or nothing will be gained by attacking groups who are not working for this goal in just the way that I or someone else feels is most needed.> The "careful balancing" he speaks of, however, will not be achieved
> without
> vigilance. If RAFI had not gone "overboard" stating it's case, would
> there
The problem here is that Ward and Johnson seem to have done NONE of the awful things that they have been accused of doing and their patent has NONE of the features that have been bandied about. The patent apparently protects a male sterile gene (or cytoplasm?) from a related weed species that can be incorporated into Quinoa but is now seen to have no commercial value.
Generally I see little value in exaggerated statements about the probable social, economic, or environmental effects of actions or policies. When these extreme predictions don't come about, not only are the actual speakers discredited, but many other more responsible and accurate workers as well.
What is needed is accurate, honest, thoughtful, and balanced discussions of situations (balanced means acknowledging all viewpoints). Promoting distrust is a tool used by politicians and demagogues to gain influence, it does not help us increase understanding or find solutions.
Tom