Thomas Hall Lecture in the History of Science “First the Seed, Still the Seed: Plant Breeding and Property Rights from Mass Selection to CRISPR”
Jack Kloppenburg, Professor Emeritus, Community and Environmental Sociology, University of Wisconsin
The title of sociologist Jack Kloppenburg’s talk is a reference to his seminal publication, “First the Seed: The Political Economy of Plant Biotechnology, 1492-2000.”
As a result of a Peace Corps stint in Botswana, empathy with the plight of farmers took hold early in his life and led to his lifelong study of plant breeding and seed production, as well as to a strong commitment to promote just and sustainable food systems. Today he continues to study the social impacts of biotechnology and is active in the growing movement of applying “open source” principles to the biosciences such as the Open Source Seed Initiative.