About the hybrids (don't breed true), that's just akin to mules. Since mules have qualities that we like, we continue to produce them, in spite of their reproductive drawbacks. My favorite hybrid (don't know if it's still available -- haven't had a back yard to garden in lately) was the Greyzini squash. Big and sort of zuccini-like. Great flavor. Firm texture. But when you plant second generation seeds, you got something gourd-like.

About the argument of genetically engineered crops, the original author had a valid point, if true. If the crops are engineered to be useful only to agri-factories, then it's another nail in the small farms coffin. In fact, they may directly interfere with small farms by pollenizing their crops making seed-corn useless after a while.

I was also a little insulted by the tone of the "Fisker". He seems to imply that the only small farmers live in Africa, and deserve to be starved out of business. If I had said something so stupid you would probably (and rightly) call me on it, saying that I was showing an elitist, urban-centric bigotry. No?