Plant Patents, Biodiversity, and “Public Domain” Seeds

Hothouse Earth

Patents on living things threaten biodiversity and our resilience against climate change. In this episode, we examine how a VLS professor is helping plant breeders use “defensive publication” to keep innovations open-source and promote biodiversity.

Guests

  • Jim Myers, Professor, Vegetable Breeding and Genetics, Oregon State University
  • Emily Spiegel, Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Vermont Law School

Recommended Resources

  • A Breed Apart: The Plant Breeder’s Guide to Defensive Publication
  • “Could a simple database prevent massive ag companies from patenting and guarding seed varieties?” The Counter, May 13, 2021.

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