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Monsanto, the agribusiness multinational, has ultimately agreed not to market sterile seeds. The introduction of sterile seeds is a contentious issue that was threatening to jeopardise the rights and livelihood of millions of farmers globally. This commitment came in a letter from Monsanto chairman Robert Shapiro to president of Rockefeller Foundation Gordon Conway. The foundation, one of the many organisations interested in the issue, had urged the company to abandon commercialisation of the sterilised seeds ( Down To Earth , Vol 8, No 11).

The technology for sterile seeds or terminator gene was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (usda) in collaboration with Delta and Pine Land, a seed company. Later, Delta was acquired by Monsanto.

Terminator, a plant gene, allows seeds to "self destruct' after producing a single crop. It will force farmers to buy fresh seeds from the company for the next crop. If terminator seeds are allowed into the market, it could spell doom for farming and rural communities and for global food security. It could destroy the diversity of genetic material and farming practices, which are crucial for maintaining long-term sustainability in food production.

The Bratislava Convention on Diversity in its conference of parties meeting held in Bratislava described the terminator gene as the "neutron bomb of agriculture' because of its potential to destroy the age-old plant to seed cycle. Indian farmers, like their counterparts in other developing countries save a part from the seeds of their crop. This is an age-old practice of seed-saving.

For some time now, many farmers' and non-governmental organisations have been putting pressure on corporations like Monsanto to halt plans for sale of sterile seeds.

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