8.3.05 [ A Thesis? ] 0 comments 
With respect to the economic issues of GM food in Canada, the most profound problem seems to be a matter of property rights. Legislation is designed to protect intellectual property rights of the firms who engage in GM research; this is a promise of a secure return on research investment (uncited; check gov't recs). GM firms require this special protection because of the inexclusive nature of seed property.
For farmers, the seed of next year's crop is taken from this year's harvest; there is a quick generational turnover for agriculture that is self-perpetuating. Historically, owning a single seed was not merely owning that particular seed, but all of that seed's potential offspring.
The problem with rights over a GM seed is clear. Common agricultural practices are not compatible with a GM firm's ability to maximize profits, or even make a cost-recovery return on its investment. For, as soon as a single seed is released into the market, successive generations of that seed are available to virtually anyone (CBC article as evidence).
It seems then, that the technology is available to manufacture a product that is crafted for specific agricultural affects, but not available (yet) to make a marketable product.
In the Canadian market, we are sorrily stuck with GM canola and there is no hope of labeling or marketing a non-GM substitute for international markets (CBC article) since that would necessitate analysing the DNA for every canola product before it hits the market (this is just logistically impossible).
Really, it seems that the GM experiment in Canada has been a massive disaster; the strong-handed policies of companies like Monsanto are a cost-recovery strategy for a massive marketing failure. Perhaps consumer and producer attitudes will never recover from this fumble.
It was too soon to release GM seed into such a market since the engineering process is not refined enough to manufacture a non-exclusive, comprehensive good. I will invoke the precautionary principle. But, in addition to counseling precaution with respect to potential unpredictable environmental repercussions, this is a council with respect to the economic repercussions of the introduction of a novel product type into the market (this needs to be developed; then this could be a thesis).
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