makes me NUTS!!!!!!!!!/Shari

[Guest guest]

Hi Shari,

 

Do you have the source of this article? A friend is asking.

 

Makes me nuts too!!

 

Shari Viger <shavig wrote:

 

For the record: " U.S. declares Iraqis can not save their own seeds "

 

" As part of sweeping " economic restructuring " implemented by the Bush

Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be permitted to save their

seeds, which include seeds the Iraqis themselves have developed over hundreds of

years. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds from US corporations. 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.

 

" The 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, and is the standard farming practice for thousands of

years across human civilizations, to be now illegal.. Instead, farmers will have

to obtain a yearly license for genetically modified (GM) seeds from American

corporations. These GM seeds have typically been modified from seeds developed

over thousands of generations by indigenous farmers like the Iraqis, and shared

freely like agricultural 'open source.' "

Iraq law Requires Seed Licenses November 13, 2004

 

" According to Order 81, paragraph 66 - , issued by L. Paul Bremer [CFR], the

people in Iraq are now prohibited from saving seeds and may only plant seeds for

their food from licensed, authorized U.S. distributors.

The paragraph states, " 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. "

Written in massively intricate legalese, Order 81 directs the reader at Article

14, paragraph 2 [C] to paragraph of Article 4, which states any variety that

is different from any other known variety may be registered in any country and

become a protected variety of seed - thus defaulting it into the " protected

class " of seeds and prohibiting the Iraqis from reusing them the following

season. Every year, the Iraqis must destroy any seed they have, and repurchase

seeds from an authorized supplier, or face fines, penalties and/or jail time. "

Iraqis Can't Save Seed January 19, 2005

[Guest guest]

To be honest, I can't remember how I got to where I was when I was reading

it! BUT here's another link that says exactly the same thing:

 

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/iraq_seeds.htm

 

Shari

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Shari!

 

Shari Viger <shavig wrote:To be honest, I can't remember how I got

to where I was when I was reading

it! BUT here's another link that says exactly the same thing:

 

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/iraq_seeds.htm

 

Shari

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Good evening,

After a brief google I found several sources reporting the story. I

surfaced in November. What makes me really mad is that this control is

being exercised by non-elected officials and there are no checks and

balances on their control.

 

If anyone knows of anyone I can write to and be heard, please let me know.

And make your voice heard when those issues come up in our country too. If

Bush wants to see more Democracy in the world he could start with his own

country.

 

Thank you,

Nick Hein

-

" Sheree " <goldenrae2001

<RawSeattle >

Monday, March 14, 2005 9:49 PM

Re: [RawSeattle] makes me NUTS!!!!!!!!!/Shari

 

 

>

> Thanks, Shari!

>

> Shari Viger <shavig wrote:To be honest, I can't remember how

I got to where I was when I was reading

> it! BUT here's another link that says exactly the same thing:

>

> http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/iraq_seeds.htm

>

> Shari

>

>

>

>