Open Source Seed Initiative

The Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) is an organization that developed and maintains a mechanism through which plant breeders can designate the new crop varieties they have bred as open source. This mechanism is advanced as an alternative to patent-protected seeds sold by large agriculture companies such as Monsanto or DuPont.[1] OSSI is a U.S. based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization focusing on establishing a protected commons of open source varieties and on educational and outreach activities associated with the development of this open source seed commons and on seed rights and issues related to the control of seed.

The OSSI was founded in 2012 by a group of plant breeders, farmers, and seed companies.[2] Founders include Jack Kloppenburg,[3] Irwin Goldman,[3] Claire Luby, Thomas Michaels, Frank Morton,[4] Jonathan Spero, Alejandro Argumedo, and Jahi Chappell. Tom Stearns was an early supporter and advisor to the OSSI founders. Carol Deppe and C.R. Lawn joined the OSSI board of directors in its early stages, providing invaluable contributions from the freelance breeding community and the seed industry. OSSI is governed by a board of directors and as of July 2017 includes 36 plant breeders and 46 seed company partners in its work. Members of the group are unhappy with the patenting of plant varieties, as they say the patenting of seeds restricts plant breeders' freedom and increases the power of large seed companies.[3][5] Taking inspiration from open source software, the OSSI seeks to create a "protected commons" of open-source seed varieties as an alternative to patented or otherwise legally restricted seeds.[4] At first the OSSI tried to draft a legally-defensible license, but they found that the principle of software licenses did not translate easily to plants, as a license on plant seeds would need to continue to each new generations of plants, quickly creating a huge amount of legal work.[4] The OSSI eventually decided to use an informal Pledge printed on every seed packet or transmitted along with the seed, both for simplicity and because they felt this less restrictive approach was more in line with the goals of the project.

  1. ^ Shemkus, Sarah (2 May 2014). "Fighting the seed monopoly: 'We want to make free seed a sort of meme'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  2. ^ Roach, Margaret (December 2015 – January 2016). "The Open Source Seed Initiative: Let's Take Back Our Seeds". Mother Earth News. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Charles, Dan (17 April 2014). "Plant Breeders Release First 'Open Source Seeds'". NPR. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Hamilton, Lisa M (Summer 2014). "Linux for Lettuce". Virginia Quarterly Review. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  5. ^ Wall, Tim (22 April 2014). "Open-Source Seeds Fight Corporate Crop Control". Discovery News. Retrieved 26 February 2016.