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2013 ASHS Annual Conference

14247:
The Open Source Seed Initiative

Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Desert Ballroom: Salons 7-8 (Desert Springs J.W Marriott Resort )
Irwin L. Goldman, University Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI
A. Argumedo, Associacion ANDES, Cusco, Peru
Micaela Colley, Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, WA
Julie Dawson, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Patrick Hayes, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Kristina Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, WA
Stephen Jones, Washington State University, Mt. Vernon, WA
Jack Kloppenburg, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI
Ben Lilliston, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, MN
Claire H. Luby, Dept of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI
Ana Micka, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, MN
Thomas E. Michaels, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Frank Morton, Wild Garden Seeds, Philomath, OR
James R. Myers, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
John P. Navazio, Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, WA
Erin Ogden, Murphy Desmond, Madison, WI
Theresa Podoll, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA
Julie Ristau, On The Commons, Minneapolis, MN
Rene Salazar, Task Force Mapalad, Quezon City, Philippines
Adrienne Shelton, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI
Michael Sligh, Rural Advancement Foundation International, Pittsboro, NC
Tom Stearns, High Mowing Seeds, Wolcott, VT
William F. Tracy, University Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI
Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, WA
The Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) has been developed over the past two years by a working group of plant breeders, farmers, non-profit agencies, seed advocates, and policy makers. OSSI is dedicated to maintaining fair and open access to plant genetic resources worldwide. OSSI supports innovative plant breeding that produces resilient and productive cultivars. Enabling the open exchange of germplasm, with no restrictions on further breeding, is crucial to this new agriculture. The OSSI will work toward achievement of: 1) a germplasm licensing framework with no breeding restrictions on the germplasm released through its auspices other than that derivatives must also be released with the same license; 2) a robust, vibrant, and well-supported public plant breeding sector producing germplasm and cultivars that can be equitably grown, sold, changed, and distributed; 3) a plurality of sources for farmers, gardeners, and breeders to obtain seed; 4) integration of the skills and capacities of farmers with those of plant scientists for enhancing and enlarging participatory plant breeding; and 5) respect for the rights and sovereignty of indigenous communities, and of farmers and farm communities, to generate solutions to obtaining and improving seed for food production. Three OSSI licenses have been drafted to enact the core principles described above, with a planned release date of these licenses in 2014. The objective of this presentation is to engage the broader horticultural community in a discussion of OSSI’s proposed work.