With more relevant patents in the pipeline than anyone else, Syngenta is gaining notoriety as the leading developer of genetically manipulated crops that will make agricultural producers forever dependent on Syngenta products. The best known of these crops are the so-called terminator-plants that have been genetically engineered to produce sterile seeds. Since the dawn of agriculture, farmers have always saved some seed from the previous year to sow next year’s crop; for 1.4 billion farmers in the world today this is still the most important source of seed. Terminator means that farmers will have to buy new seed every year or some patented chemical to “turn off” the sterility of their plants.