Open Source Seed, a Revolution in Breeding or Yet Another Attack on the Breeder’s Exemption?

Publishing date: 2019-11-14

Published on: Frontiers in Plant Science

summary: The Open Source Seed Initiative was initiated in 2012. Following concerns about the concentration in the seed sector and the rise of patenting, the initiative is “dedicated to maintaining fair and open access to plant genetic resources worldwide in order to ensure the availability of germplasm to farmers, gardeners, breeders, and communities of this and future generations.” Inspired by the debate on the anti-commons and the open source software movement, the initiative wants to create a viral system to “free” genetic resources: the use of “freed” genetic resources is made conditional to any materials derived from them being made available under the same “open source” conditions. The authors question the sustainability of the business models for this approach and thus the societal benefits that can be expected from plant breeding, which may illustrate the tragedy of the commons.

authors: Niels Louwaars

link to paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01127

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