open source seeds

See the following -

A Pledge That Promises To Keep Seeds Free For All To Use

Zoe Loftus-Farren | Earth Island Journal | July 22, 2014

...Inspired by the concept of open source software, a group of plant scientists and food activists, led by the University of Wisconsin, have launched the Open Source Seed Initiative – a campaign to protect the right of farmers, plant breeders and gardeners to share seeds freely...

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Now Available: 29 Flavors Of Open Source Seeds, Sans Patents

Nathanael Johnson | Grist | April 19, 2014

There’s been an argument going on for at least 100 years over seeds. Should they be free? Or should the people who develop them control, and profit from, their use? If they were shared, we’d have a more fluid development of agricultural technology [...] On the other hand, maybe breeders wouldn’t want to engage in the hard work of experimenting if they couldn’t sell their inventions for lots of money. Read More »

Open Source (Seeds) Under Threat

Glyn Moody | Computerworld | May 3, 2013

[...] Just as there is free software that anyone may use and share, there are free seeds - those that are part of the ancient seeds commons, created over thousands of years, available for use by anyone. And just as free software is threatened by software patents, so seeds are equally endangered by seed patents. Read More »

Open Source Comes To Farms With Restriction-Free Seeds

Casey Johnston | Ars Technica | April 17, 2014

There are now 29 kinds of plant varieties that are available under an open source license, reports NPR. On Thursday, a group of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison debuted the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI), a set of seeds that can be used by anyone so long as they don't restrict use by others through patents or IP protection. Read More »

Open Source Seeds: An Agro-Giant Alternative

Gail Sullivan | Washington Post | April 18, 2014

A group of University of Wisconsin scientists have made 29 different seed varieties available for anyone who promises not to patent them. Read More »

Open-Source Agriculture: The Sprouting Of A New Food Movement?

Jessica Leber | Fast Company | June 10, 2014

Walk through the produce aisle today and you can find labels for organic, fair trade, and local items. For shoppers who oppose the practices of seed agri-giants like Monsanto, one day there may be a new option to consider: open-source. Read More »

Open-Source Seeds Challenge Monsanto, Support International Day Of Farmers' Struggles

M. Jahi Chappell | Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy | April 16, 2014

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 17, the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) will release over 29 seed varieties into the global commons and humanity's “moral economy.” This new initiative hopes to provide a counterweight to private patenting of seeds, which has undermined farmers’ rights around the world. Read More »

The Open-Source Seed Movement In Wisconsin

Mary Sussman | Isthmus | February 20, 2014

Farmers have traditionally gathered and saved seeds from one growing season to plant in the next. But this age-old tradition is being threatened by corporations that are increasingly restricting access to seeds through patents. Read More »