A new research paper from OSA’s Advocacy & Communications director Cathleen McCluskey was published earlier this month in Plants, People, Planet. The piece highlights some of the results from her doctoral research, which focused on the intersections of intellectual property, standing genetic diversity of U.S. maize, and data democratization. Recommendations based on the findings include 1) all protections used on seed include exemptions for research, breeding, and seed saving, 2) an independent assessment of how the industry is monitoring standing diversity, and 3) a molecular analysis of the maize standing crop conducted by the USDA.
Abstract
“All US commercial maize (Zea mays) is a single race, “Corn Belt Dent,” and its genetic base has been in decline for at least 40 years. Independent genotyping can only be conducted after patent and licensing restrictions have expired, a period of 20 years. These restrictions also impede a molecular based assessment of the standing crop by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as recommended by experts. Data blanks about landscape vulnerability put farmers at risk of crop failure and the public at risk of food insecurity. Understanding maize diversity experts’ perspectives and analysis helps describe the contours of these data blanks and inform policy recommendations.” (McCluskey & Tracy, 2024)
