| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Andy B |
Iraqi FarmersAs part of sweeping economic restructuring by the US in Iraq, farmers will no longer be permited to save their seed. And will be forced to buy seed from US corporations.This was taken from Permaculture magazine No 44 page 31. I wonder just how much of that seed will be GM. They have saved seed for thousand of years and in one go the US has made that practice illegal. |
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| Behemoth |
A link to Indy Media about this for background and info:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67620 Tehy're usually quite reliable. Shocking. |
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| Bugs |
I heard this story on the radio a few weeks ago.
I think the radio implied "nearly all of it". |
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| Andy B |
I like the way that its put across as doing them a favour. | ||
| Bugs |
Another link from that page to this interesting looking organisation: http://www.grain.org/front/ "GRAIN is an international non-governmental organisation which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge." Sounds good. Thinking about it, they don't seem to have much control over a lot of immediate life or death issues in Iraq, it's surely going to be some time before they actually get down to concentrating on whether the corn is X17HK25 TM or Great Granny's Old Special.... |
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| tahir |
Words fail me, I'm so glad I've not been watching the news recently | ||
| Bugs |
It does also say on these things that this is a commandment (or some such) laid down by the interim authority ie the US, and it is in force "unless and until" repealed by an elected Iraqi government...presumably once they get around to it, they will do just that, unless someone somewhere rakes it in from the companies involved? | ||
| Bugs |
Also, on the Grain website, found this:
http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=6 "CLARIFICATION - February 2005 The report jointly issued by Focus on the Global South and GRAIN in October 2004 on Iraq's new patent law has received a lot of attention worldwide. It has also generated a misunderstanding that we wish to clarify. The law does not prohibit Iraqi farmers from using or saving "traditional" seeds. It prohibits them from reusing seeds of "new" plant varieties registered under the law - in practical terms, this means they cannot save those seeds for re-use. The report has been revised to express this more clearly. " |
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| tahir |
I'd be more shocked than a baboon with electric current passed through it's testicles if lots of people in lots of places in the chain of command responsible for this weren't "raking it in" |
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| judith |
I don't think the farmers are being forced to use US seed. They are certainly being strongly encouraged to do so, but if they choose to use their old varieties, they still can.
As far as I can see, the prohibition on saving seed only applies to those varieties that are protected by patent, which would also be the case in this country. |
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| Andy B |
I understand that the seed currently being saved is low yield, which is where the encouragment to use bigger and better new US GM seed is comming from. But cant other countries help by selling them non GM seed or would the US not allow that to happen. I have read a few things lately that backs up the theory that the US is on a resource grabbing / controling curve that started in the 70s and is begining to build up pace, and will only finish when it has control over enough resources to see it through the comming colapse following over resource use and environmental catastophe.
That cheered every one up ! |