The price of food has become ridiculous these days. Buying organic, whole healthy foods strains our already squeezed pockets. The market is saturated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), and with Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto, who knows what the future holds for our food supplies. This merger could create a monopoly on the market, upping the price of food for both farmers and consumers.
There are more than 500 seed libraries across the country in 46 states and 15 countries. Such libraries allow people to grow food and contribute back to the community. Like the seed library in Richmond, California, they create a web of integrated, food- and community-focused farming. These libraries create local models for sustainability. People learn seed saving techniques and how to promote rare and unusual plant varieties.
Seed saving, or the collecting and preserving of seeds from wild or agricultural plants, is a practice that dates back to the origin of farming.
It was by learning to save seeds from the plants we used that we were able to start cultivating crops, rather than going out and foraging for them in the wild. Simultaneously, the practice allowed people to bring their favored crops with them wherever they went.
Last week, Bayer made a bid to the tune of $62 billion to buy Monsanto. The merge would combine two of the largest producers of pesticides and GMO crop production, essentially creating a powerhouse of treated agricultural production. The attempt to merge comes in the wake of several other agribusinesses merges (namely Syngenta AG , Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co.). Monsanto has not yet responded to Bayer’s offer, though Bayer maintains that the $62 billion offer values the Monsanto shares at 37% over their existing value, at $122 per share.