We had a Green Revolution that brought High Yielding Varieties. Is the Gene Revolution with its Genetically Engineered Crops the same?
No, it is not the same. The Gene Revolution is a privately owned technology. Six mega corporations control practically the entire research and output in the field of transgenic crops. Processes and products including research methodologies are shackled in patents. The GE seed belongs to the company, which strictly controls its movement. The Green Revolution was almost the exact opposite. It was a publicly owned technology, belonging to the people. The research was conducted with public money to fulfil the need for increasing food production. The Green Revolution created public goods, which everybody had access to. There were no Intellectual Property Rights in the Green Revolution, no patents vested in multinational companies, no proprietary technologies or products. Once the seed reached the farmers, it was theirs; they bought and sold it as they wanted to.
