None of this has deterred Monsanto's detractors. At the same time, a lawsuit is set to be filed charging that the USDA, by supporting Terminator technology, has violated its mandate to help American farmers. Monsanto will probably respond that without Terminator genes to guarantee seed sales, the company has no incentive to develop better crops. For the next few years, things should remain unsettled. Although genetic technology is progressing rapidly, it could be years before a seed containing Terminator genes is ready for market.
Lawsuits challenging the technology are likely to advance more slowly still.
All this gives Monsanto a chance to rethink its marketing strategy. It may decide to limit the number of Terminator crops it develops or sell supercrops to the developing world without Terminator genes. What worries critics is what happens if it does.