terminator technology

Different varieties of Indian and field maize. © David Cavagnaro/Still Pictures

Terminator technology is the genetic modification of plants to make them produce sterile seeds. It is being developed by multinational agribusiness companies to prevent farmers from saving seeds to replant from one harvest to the next. If farmers have no choice but to buy new seeds every year, the companies are guaranteed large profits.

Seed saving remains important in the North and is vital in the South. Up to 1.4 billion small-scale farmers depend, as their main source of seeds, on seeds they save themselves or exchange with neighbours. Seed saving has been fundamental to the development of agriculture and is responsible for the existence of thousands of plant varieties adapted to local soils and climates and resistant to local pests. This agricultural biodiversity is vital to global food security.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), meeting in March 2006, responded to the concerns of small-scale farmers and people around the world by reaffirming its de facto moratorium on Terminator technology, despite efforts to water it down by a handful of countries.

Progressio, on behalf of the UK working group on Terminator technology, would like to thank everybody who has supported this global campaign by writing to their MPs and the UK government. Thanks to your efforts 256 MPs from all UK parties have signed Early Day Motion 1300 "Terminator technology".