Placing several eggs in our basket: Keeping diversity in agriculture

Abstract

The organic industry views the immediate threat posed by the secondary effects of agricultural biotechnology, especially to the effectiveness of Bt and the availability of seeds with great concern. It needs to be recognized as a valuable partner acting in the public interest. A sustainable agricultural system must be developed where plant breeding and seed registration include varieties useful to organic farmers. At the same time, technologies which make organic agriculture impossible to practice must be discontinued.