Talk Elections

General Politics => Individual Politics => Topic started by: Alcon on June 10, 2005, 12:07:37 AM



Title: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Alcon on June 10, 2005, 12:07:37 AM
From the Political Compass:

Quote
Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries.

Can someone please explain this to me? Specifically what "plant genetic" means. I still do not "get" this question.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: J. J. on June 10, 2005, 12:19:47 AM
Products derived from the genetic properties specific to one type of plant would be my guess.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Alcon on June 10, 2005, 12:21:35 AM
Products derived from the genetic properties specific to one type of plant would be my guess.

And what exactly is the background on exploitation of these resources by multinational corporations in developing countries?


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: J. J. on June 10, 2005, 12:40:51 AM
Products derived from the genetic properties specific to one type of plant would be my guess.

And what exactly is the background on exploitation of these resources by multinational corporations in developing countries?

I think it refers to doing things like developing drugs out of plant life, like quinine.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Alcon on June 10, 2005, 12:42:23 AM
Products derived from the genetic properties specific to one type of plant would be my guess.

And what exactly is the background on exploitation of these resources by multinational corporations in developing countries?

I think it refers to doing things like developing drugs out of plant life, like quinine.

But why would it be unethical?


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Filuwaúrdjan on June 10, 2005, 05:00:36 AM
Products derived from the genetic properties specific to one type of plant would be my guess.

And what exactly is the background on exploitation of these resources by multinational corporations in developing countries?

I think it refers to doing things like developing drugs out of plant life, like quinine.

But why would it be unethical?

I would imagine they're reffering to the practice of copyrighting such genetic information


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Palefire on June 10, 2005, 09:06:07 AM
From the Political Compass:

Quote
Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries.

Can someone please explain this to me? Specifically what "plant genetic" means. I still do not "get" this question.

The ethics questions seems to revolve around the use of copyrights on naturally occuring genetic materials that result in large profits for the holders of these some what questionable copyrights and prevents others from using naturally occuring materials to create low cost life saving drugs. This is a WTO issue. So I would imagine you could find the pros at a pro WTO source and the cons at an anti WTO source. It does seem like a fairly questionable practice to me.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: minionofmidas on June 10, 2005, 09:20:14 AM
'Xactly. They're patenting stuff that has been used for ages, then trying to charge producers who (and whose ancestors) have produced the stuff for ages. We're not just talking medicinal plants (tho' mostly those), but ordinary foodstuffs as well. Certain varieties of rice, for example.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Palefire on June 10, 2005, 10:40:31 AM
Yes, the food stuffs part of this is a very important economic issue (to the point of being able to buy food) to small farms and communities that depend upon small farms in certain areas of the world.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: David S on June 10, 2005, 10:45:03 AM
This is starting to sound like the "dihydrogen monoxide" scare. Find out what the hell the issue is before going cuckoo over it.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Palefire on June 10, 2005, 11:17:38 AM
It's not an issue that gets much coverage in this country. It came to my attention a few years ago when I was in Belize and Costa Rica. Some people down there thought it could spell the end of them. I haven't given it the attention I should have, but I feel certian it deserves to be talked about as an ethical issue and where it could lead.

If you have some info you would like to share David, I'd love to hear it.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: David S on June 10, 2005, 12:26:21 PM
It's not an issue that gets much coverage in this country. It came to my attention a few years ago when I was in Belize and Costa Rica. Some people down there thought it could spell the end of them. I haven't given it the attention I should have, but I feel certian it deserves to be talked about as an ethical issue and where it could lead.

If you have some info you would like to share David, I'd love to hear it.
There hasn't been enough info provided here to even discuss it. What  is it? Is there an article somewhere that at least gives us a definition of it?


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: Palefire on June 10, 2005, 03:15:33 PM
I can not find anything that I would consider to be from a uninterested party, and thus I'm not going to post a link. But there is plenty from interested parties - I just don't know what to make of them at this point. The basic concept of being able to copyright something that is naturally occuring seems very wrong to me, so my inclination is side with the folks that agree with that - but I just don't know enough at this point to be overly vocal.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: phk on June 10, 2005, 04:46:16 PM
More abortions should solve this problem.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on June 10, 2005, 04:51:14 PM

The ethics questions seems to revolve around the use of copyrights on naturally occuring genetic materials that result in large profits for the holders of these some what questionable copyrights and prevents others from using naturally occuring materials to create low cost life saving drugs. This is a WTO issue. So I would imagine you could find the pros at a pro WTO source and the cons at an anti WTO source. It does seem like a fairly questionable practice to me.

Whoever decided you can copyright mother nature is completely nuts.


Title: Re: Plant genetic resources
Post by: J. J. on June 10, 2005, 05:40:58 PM

The ethics questions seems to revolve around the use of copyrights on naturally occuring genetic materials that result in large profits for the holders of these some what questionable copyrights and prevents others from using naturally occuring materials to create low cost life saving drugs. This is a WTO issue. So I would imagine you could find the pros at a pro WTO source and the cons at an anti WTO source. It does seem like a fairly questionable practice to me.

Whoever decided you can copyright mother nature is completely nuts.

I believe you all mean "patent."  What is being patented is the process that developes the "genetic resource."  Ah, that's where the got aspirin (well part of it).