[E-rundbrief] Info 208 - Resolution: US-monopolies on seeds in Iraq

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 208 - Resolution on the Iraq Order 81 - a "Crime Against 
Humanity". Protest against US-monopolies on seeds.  Signed by Laureates of 
the Right Livelihood Award and the participants of the Conference "Die 
Alternative  Ausblicke auf eine andere Globalisierung" in Munich, March 8 
to 12, 2005. (In English and in German translation). Matthias Reichl: 
Ergänzende Anmerkungen zur Situation im Irak. (Siehe auch Info 155!)

Bad Ischl, 15.3.2005

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Resolution

(Deutsche Übersetzung - siehe unten)

The Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize),
as signed below,

and the participants of the Conference "Die Alternative  Ausblicke auf eine 
andere Globalisierung" in Munich, March 8 to 12, 2005

declare

To the Iraq Order 81:
"Crime Against Humanity"

Iraq is one of the world's cradles of civilisation and agriculture.

Traditional varieties of crops in Iraq, which evolved over thousands of 
years, are not just the legacy of Iraqi farmers, but are global legacy.

Order 81, passed by Mr. Paul Bremer, the US official in charge of 
reconstruction of Iraq, will effectively prevent Iraqi farmers from using 
their ancient varieties of seeds and crops, and is forcing them to depend 
on corporate patented and genetically modified seeds.

We demand of the US government and of the Iraqi government to repeal Order 81.

We call on the international community to protect and propagate the farmers 
varieties, evolved over thousands of years in Iraq.

Emergency action is needed to rescue and preserve this world's heritage by 
creating community seed banks, controlled by local farmers."


Munich, 12th of March 2005


The Laureates:

Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish
Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Peter Dürr
Prof. Johan Galtung
Stephen Gaskin
Tapio Mattlar
Prof. Dr. Manfred Max-Neef
Pat Mooney
Nicanor Perlas
Prof. Dr. P. K. Raveendran
Irina Sherbakova
Dr. Vandana Shiva
Sulak Sivaraska
Prof. Dr. Michael Succow


V.i.S.d.P.:

Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Peter Dürr, Global Challenges Network, Frohschammer Str. 14,
D - 80807 München,

www.gcn.de/erklaerung

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(Deutsche Übersetzung)

Erklärung


Die Preisträgerinnen und Preisträger des Alternativen Nobelpreises (Right 
Livelihood Award), wie unten aufgeführt,

und die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer der Konferenz "Die 
Alternative  Ausblicke auf eine andere Globalisierung" in München vom 8. - 
12. März 2005

erklären

Zur Irakischen Order 81:

"Verbrechen gegen die Menschheit!

Der Irak ist eine Wiege der Zivilisation und der Landwirtschaft unserer Erde.

Die traditionelle Vielfalt der Kulturpflanzen im Irak, die sich über 
Tausende von Jahren entwickelt hat, ist nicht nur Vermächtnis und Rechtsgut 
der irakischen Bauern, sondern der ganzen Welt.

Die "Order 81" wurde vom US-Beauftragten für den Wiederaufbau des Irak, 
Paul Bremer, erlassen. Sie hat zum Ziel, dass die irakischen Bäuerinnen und 
Bauern zukünftig daran gehindert werden, ihre uralten Saaten und 
Kulturpflanzen anzubauen. Die Bäuerinnen und Bauern werden dazu gezwungen, 
nur noch industriell entwickeltes, gentechnisch manipuliertes und von 
Unternehmen patentiertes Saatgut zu verwenden.

Wir fordern von der Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika wie von 
der Regierung des Irak, die "Order 81" zurückzunehmen.

Wir rufen die internationale Gemeinschaft dazu auf, die Vielfalt der 
landwirtschaftlichen Kulturpflanzen, die sich über Tausende von Jahren 
entwickelt haben, zu schützen und weiter zu verbreiten.

Dringendes Handeln ist erforderlich, um dieses Welterbe zu retten und zu 
bewahren. Dazu müssen regionale Samenbanken aufgebaut werden, die von den 
örtlichen einheimischen Bäuerinnen und Bauern kontrolliert werden.

München, 12. März 2005

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Ergänzende Anmerkung von Matthias Reichl am 13.3.2005 - nach der Teilnahme 
an der Konferenz "Die Alternative  Ausblicke auf eine andere 
Globalisierung" in München vom 8. - 12. März 2005:

Ich habe heute unsere Computerdatei durchsucht. Schon Mitte Oktober haben 
wir die Aussendung von Focus on the Global South und GRAIN erhalten und 
diese auch in unserem "E-Rundbrief - Info 155" weiter verteilt. Im Februar 
hat GRAIN eine wichtige Ergänzung hinzugefügt.

Es wäre bei der Tagung im Goethe-Forum hilfreich gewesen, wenn das 
Autorenteam des Appells diese Informationen aus dem Internet geholt hätten.

Schließlich füge ich noch einige weiterführende Fragen hinzu, die ich für 
wesentlich halte.

Mit solidarischen Grüßen
Matthias Reichl

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

Questions on the remaining "traditional seed stocks":

Even if it seems that the "traditional seed stocks" are not affected by 
Bremers "invaders law" Order 81 on "Patent, Industrial Design, Undisclosed 
Information, Integrated Circuits and Plant Variety". How much are the 
remaining seeds (but also buildings, tools and the soil) contaminated by 
various forms of nuclear (DU), chemical and biological contaminations as a 
result of the allied bombings and other forms of warfare and post-war 
damages? And also by the bad deposit-conditions for their reamining 
traditional seed stocks? They will be contaminated sooner or later by 
"coexisting" with GMOs.

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Iraq's new patent law: A declaration of war against farmers

by Focus on the Global South and GRAIN

October 2004


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.

When former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul 
Bremer III left Baghdad after the so-called "transfer of sovereignty" in 
June 2004, he left behind the 100 orders he enacted as chief of the 
occupation authority in Iraq. Among them is Order 81 on "Patent, Industrial 
Design, Undisclosed Information, Integrated Circuits and Plant Variety." 
[1] This order amends Iraq's original patent law of 1970 and unless and 
until it is revised or repealed by a new Iraqi government, it now has the 
status and force of a binding law. [2] With important implications for 
farmers and the future of agriculture in Iraq, this order is yet another 
important component in the United States' attempts to radically transform 
Iraq's economy.

WHO GAINS?

For generations, small farmers in Iraq operated in an essentially 
unregulated, informal seed supply system. Farm-saved seed and the free 
innovation with and exchange of planting materials among farming 
communities has long been the basis of agricultural practice. This is now 
history. The CPA has made it illegal for Iraqi farmers to re-use seeds 
harvested from new varieties registered under the law. Iraqis may continue 
to use and save from their traditional seed stocks or what's left of them 
after the years of war and drought, but that is the not the agenda for 
reconstruction embedded in the ruling. The purpose of the law is to 
facilitate the establishment of a new seed market in Iraq, where 
transnational corporations can sell their seeds  genetically modified or 
not, which farmers would have to purchase afresh every single cropping 
season. While historically the Iraqi constitution prohibited private 
ownership of biological resources, the new US-imposed patent law introduces 
a system of monopoly rights over seeds. Inserted into Iraq's previous 
patent law is a whole new chapter on Plant Variety Protection (PVP) that 
provides for the "protection of new varieties of plants." PVP is an 
intellectual property right (IPR) or a kind of patent for plant varieties 
which gives an exclusive monopoly right on planting material to a plant 
breeder who claims to have discovered or developed a new variety. So the 
"protection" in PVP has nothing to do with conservation, but refers to 
safeguarding of the commercial interests of private breeders (usually large 
corporations) claiming to have created the new plants...

You can find the whole text on: http://www.grain.org/nfg/?id=253

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Matthias Reichl

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

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A-4820 Bad Ischl

Tel. +43-6132-24590

e-mail: mareichl at ping.at

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