Open Source Food Code

Discussion

Uwe Christian Plachetka:

"What is the common denominator between Open Source software such as Linux and Open Source Food? It is the source code. Therefore any discussion on open source food (and closed source food) must be clear with the following facts:

Closed source plants are Genetically Modified Organisms, which means organisms with a genetic source code that is the result of direct human programming.

In contrast to biological evolution, crop evolution means the evolution of cultivated plants which feed the world is a process under human influence on the selection criteria and hence fitness regions of these plants. They are depending on human stewardship. The genetic source code is therefore (supposed) to be subject to alterations by interactions with the environment.

To put a metaphor, we can say that Open Source Food is derived from plants and seeds “tipo Linux” whereas GMOs are plants “tipo Microsoft”. This is the way even Quechua highland farmers understand this difference. I employed this metaphor at my keynote at the prefatory summit in Cusco for the Copenhagen summit in 2009." (http://www.dorfwiki.org/wiki.cgi?UweChristianPlachetka/VavilovCulture#OpensourcefoodVavilovculturesasamatterofethnonics)