Save seeds, go to jail!

[ambitious_wench]

From: http://ragnarock-n-roll.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2761
Comment: I think of the seed-sharers column in the Organic Gardening magazine. How would they feel about being told that it's illegal to save seeds for use next year? That the only seeds they can grow are the genetically modified stock available *only* through Monsanto?

I'd like to delve deeper into this one. This is outrageous in the least. If it's factual, that makes it horrific.

11-14-4

"The (now former) American Administrator of the Iraqi CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) government, Paul Bremer, updated Iraq's intellectual property law to 'meet current internationally-recognized standards of protection.'

The updated law makes saving seeds for next year's harvest, practiced by 97% of Iraqi farmers in 2002, the standard farming practice for thousands of years across human civilizations, now illegal.

Instead, farmers will have to obtain a yearly license for genetically-modified seeds from American corporations. These GM seeds have typically been modified from IP developed over thousands of generations by indigenous farmers like the Iraqis, shared freely like agricultural 'open source.' Other IP provisions for technology in the law further integrate Iraq into the American IP economy." slashdot.org

As part of sweeping "economic restructuring" implemented by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be permitted to save their seeds. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds from US corporations -- including seeds the Iraqis themselves developed over hundreds of years. That is because in recent years, transnational corporations have patented and now own many seed varieties originated or developed by indigenous peoples. In a short time, Iraq will be living under the new American credo: Pay Monsanto, or starve.

Comments

They can have my seeds when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers...

[scascot.livejournal.com]

My grandpa taught me to save seeds for next year's crops.

Take me to jail. I don't trust GM food. And I'll be damned if I'll support a monopoly.

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

As part of sweeping "economic restructuring" implemented by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be permitted to save their seeds. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds from US corporations -- including seeds the Iraqis themselves developed over hundreds of years.

That claim appears to come from this VegSource article, which cites this law. (The bit on seeds etc starts on page 15.) However, by my non-professional reading of that law, VegSource is not accurately representing it.

AFAICT, the closest bit is this, on p. 22: "Farmers shall be prohibited from re-using seeds of protected varieties or any variety mentioned in items 1 and 2 of paragraph (C) of Article 14 of this Chapter." (14 C 1&2 basically say "if it's based on a protected variety, it's still a protected variety".)

The law also explains what varieties are protectable; novelty is part of the criteria.

In other words, as I read it, what the law says is this: "If somebody invents a new variety of grain and registers it, they can stop you from saving seeds from *that variety* of grain." But there doesn't seem to be anything that would stop farmers from saving pre-existing, non-proprietary seeds.

I'm not enthused about the law, but AFAICT the description you're quoting badly misrepresents it.