[pyx]

Every one of those farmers has the option of growing something else.

IMO, the options you mention sometimes just don't work. For example, a potential scenario;

I grow a crop of Heirloom vegetables across the road from your GM vegetables. Eventually, my Heirloom vegetables are cross pollinated by your GM vegetables. And eventually the seed from my Heirloom vegetables becomes impotent like your GM vegetables. I don't have options other than acquire higher costs to feed my family.

Likewise with rice and soybeans grown in India and China.

[Mr. Lucky]

You started out by claiming seed companies were “criminal” because the progeny of certain patented seeds were sterile and now you’re upset because those sterile seeds will cross pollinate?

[Carry_Okie]

I grow a crop of Heirloom vegetables across the road from your GM vegetables. Eventually, my Heirloom vegetables are cross pollinated by your GM vegetables. And eventually the seed from my Heirloom vegetables becomes impotent like your GM vegetables. I don't have options other than acquire higher costs to feed my family.

This is merely an argument pointing out the need for spatial offsets. The supplier and users of the GMO would need to purchase said use by contract as part of the cost associated with deriving the benefit; else said benefit simply isn't worth the cost. That way, differences in terrain and local weather patterns, for example, could be taken into account for how far that pollen would travel and what the containment measures might be with regard to the degree of risk those particular genes may pose.

Look, I'm not new to this argument. I wrote about it in my first book dealing with markets in managing environmental risks. If you think having regulators decide these things justly and efficiently is the way to go, we have a fundamental disagreement because political influence over the latter is easily bought. My point is that the types of modifications would be considerably different if those producing and consuming the product had to interlalize the costs of managing the risks they pose.

[tiki]

This is the #1 myth about GM crops. The seeds are NOT, I repeat, NOT sterile. The thing is that Monsanto owns the patent on the seed and you cannot save it and plant it.

You also have to grow a certain amount of non-GM crop for refuge. You can’t buy the seed and sell an extra bag to your neighbor. You have to pay a technology fee. The seed is strictly controlled.

The seed costs are outrageous but if you have Round-up ready you don’t have to hoe and you don’t have to spray for the various worms. You can also yield 50 to 100% more with excellent quality so that outrageous seed cost doesn’t look so bad in the long run.