The genetic modification of plants to produce sterile seeds (dubbed "Terminator" technology by RAFI - now ETC group - in 1998) has been widely condemned by civil society, scientific bodies and many governments as an immoral application of biotechnology. If commercialized, Terminator would prevent farmers from re-using seed from their harvest, forcing them to return to the commercial seed market. Terminator is “officially” called Genetic Use Restriction Technology or GURTS at the United Nations and in the scientific community. It has also been called “suicide seeds.” Delta & Pine Land, the corporation that jointly holds three patents on Terminator with the United States Department of Agriculture refers to its proprietary Terminator system as a “Technology Protection System (TPS).” For extensive documentation on Terminator since 1998 see www.etcgroup.org

Terminator Technology is the colloquial name given to proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation seeds to be sterile. The technology was under development by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Delta and Pine Land company in the 1990s and is not yet commercially available.