Elevated language for mere germination, perhaps, but that’s how a new group of researchers is talking about plant breeding. Most of the seeds used to grow our collective garden of food aren’t free—they’re patented by institutions and large seed companies, who own them and require licenses for anyone who wants to use them. But last week, a consortium of breeders and researchers called the Open Source Seed Initiative tried to change that by releasing dozens of unlicensed seeds, from kale to squash to quinoa. The moment you rip open the packet of “Midnight Lightning” zucchini or “Wrinkle Crinkle Crumple” cress, you agree to a set of terms (handily written on the packet) that say the seeds don’t belong to you. You can plant them in the ground and sell whatever blooms, but you can’t legally restrict them. The group was inspired by the open-source software movement, where certain software can be used and shared by anyone. “We don’t get to share seeds with each other anymore like we used to,” says Irwin Goldman, a plant breeder at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It takes years to develop a seed—Goldman’s open-source seed breeds took 10—so patenting is an important way to make it worth their while. But while Goldman patents some of his breeds through the university, he keeps many of them free. Without a “pool of germplasm”, as he calls the seed material that lives in the public domain, the diversity of our future food crops will be limited, he says. The idea has just sprouted, but it’s already resonating with those closest to our food. “We’ve been flooded with email and phone calls since we launched this last week,” Goldman says. Gardeners, farmers, breeders, and even chefs love the idea of sharing and preserving these heirloom-like varieties. You might see much more of this in the future—maybe even with an open-source stamp of approval. “Food produced from free seeds would have a certain meaning, like fair-trade, to indicate its social value,” Goldman says. “That’s why people should care—it’s like a national park for seeds.” More from Prevention: The 21 Easiest Plants To Grow
