Nexus - 0101 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Do you want to see @ world where seeds and plants are patented? * Where It becomes illegal to take a cutting from a plant and where thase patesited plants eventually replace all others in the market place? * Where all vegetable and flower secs are hybrids, which means if you save ‘he seeds from them they will not grow? * Where plants are designed to grow only with a chemical fertilizer? * Where plants are also designed to be attacked by pests and disease so you are forced to buy a spray? « — Where ail seeds are controlled by a dozen, petro-chemical companies? * Where because of the monopoly the price of seeds soon doubles and keeps increasing faster than inflation? _This has already happened in furope. and America, The two major Australian political partles plus the National Party, who strangely say they support the farmers, have introduced Plant Variety Rights (P.V.R.) _ legistation. This means that our food can be controlled iy the oil and chemical companies for ever more, Seed patenting is one of the mos: dangerous and Insidious pieces of legislation ever devised, which gives the power to control the food of the world tn a handful of people. tt is most definitely not designed to protect any small plant breeders or the public. Scientists from the Food and «agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (F.A.O.) say the legislation has been a disaster for the world's food and plant supply. The Canadian government will not accept P.V.R. because they have seen what happened in America and Europe because of It. For the past 30 or so years In Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the homelands of almost all the frult, vegetables and grain we eat, farmers are told: The "Green Revolution” Is here! Eat your old seeds and plant these "miracie hybrids" instead. Too late, the farmer learns that the new seeds need chemicals to make them grow, and atiract more diseases and pests than the old varieties ever did The farmer cannot afford the spray or the chemicals. The old seeds have been lost, except perhaps those that the company took for its own seed bank; but which it will not return, not even to a farmer it has Just sent broke. The families lose their land to pay thelr bills. They now live In real poverty - no fand, ao seed, no food. The land is taken up by large landholders who move Into monoculture (single variety crops), which need more and more chemicals and sprays. are 34 PATEHMT EIB: ‘VARIETY RIGHTS Cx =¥ sates ‘here fish from streams near farms could "The seed trade is now regulated by a small supplement diets with protein, they are number of multinational producers... in the last wiped out by chemical runoff. The few decades there has been a serious loss of s im Pakistan say that miracle rice has local plant varieties and species throughout the it miracle locusts. Scientists from the world .. caused in particular by the greatly say that this has happened to mililons of increased recourse {to monoculture... [the] ‘3 over millions of acres and Is still lower resistance of monocultures to disease aing. Already thousands of varietles of leads to... greater need for pesticides and the and vegetables have been lost for ever. inherent dangers to health and the t Indla at the turn of the century there environment, and greater risk of disasters.” around 30,000 varieties of rice. Now € 7 are about 50. If just haif that many had They Recommend Encouraging: lost, it would be cause for concern, but * — Smail scale agriculture to protect Jocal | nothing short of a disaster affecting us varietles. * — The conservation of varieties of plants In he three major cereal crops are rice, their natural hahltat as a preference to and corn. F.A.O. asclentists consider storage In gene banks. the most threatened, and predict disaster They Demand: at grain by early next century. Wheat ia _ ited In Ethiopla and Asla Minor, so to Gon pm Gent) fail ay plants should not be regarded and treated as p new stralns resistant to rust and pests - A - . private property... plant genetic — material + must go to the home of wheat and select ke Caleb of wacker oll be should be freely exchanged... encourage beal teres oF & wid dave of natural methods of cultivation... breed for = resistance, mot chemical dependence... ensure id reas. But = : ; Pick ak = 7 a = that local varieties are conserved in their areas + Bs of origin so that they retain their romgia for oa tong What the vee? IS gome, = Ct weterinties in incal mmmmiifiend, promoie he farmers have lost theirs to the Green — “Harae : initiatives for the creation of reserves and udon. There are a few examples of this a, 4 sd 5 x collections of plants, particularly by farmers.” bn eed “heed Pee) aly (The two preceding reports have been by glant oll companies, And the genetic = arietely ignored by both the Australian les for breeding purposes are being fast Government “and the. opposition with the Ge That whet we haxggne wr tees exception of a few individual members.) oncoming the athey,. Uupeitens aie, Remember PVR Is designed to restrict almost the only seeds you can now buy access to all privately held stock, nat to mule” Rybrids. Such, hybrids saeheety oe encourage {is protection. It then replaces your ited by, bees oF the wind Elke a mille, toad ghd, finwara, vith plunty ‘potentially as are Infertile and, by design, cannot 7 ad : be a weak or sick as brother and sister inbred over juce. If you find non-hybrid corn save and over again. seeds, they are rare indeed. They were pity he his legislation should never have been off the market before anybody knew what a..04. iz was pushed through and. must be aappening (not even our politicians and nae “ 4 a ed either by referendum or by voting out of Tem alll dant. low). This a6 after every poiiislan whe shpgors i, For ee fe pee) ee ad Doe such lypes care more about big companies then year In Australia, even without PVR, for about our childrens’ food “ lization Is a built-in patent. 1 Britain when PYR was introduced, Alternatives To Patenting private seed company was bought out PYR can praicct very few stall plant two weeks by a few big petre-chemical breeders. For uniike blg companies they can inles. Now almost without exception the rareiy afferd to scour the planet looking for vegetable seeds available are “uniform patent infringements, nor can they afford the zal dependent hybrids". court costs (especially against a big oil 1 Western Europe they have Introduced company) even If they do find their work has Common Catalogue" (or Its equivalent). been copied. Some alternatives from experts In + listed plants must be so uniform that the field: Is no doubt as to thelr Identity. So the Dr J.S. Gladstones (Principal plant breeder variables - which are the survival with the Western Australian Department of ‘ance of every living thing - are being Agriculture) suggests a scheme for broadacre out by law. In Britain there Is now a 400 crops, such as wheat, barley, rice and pasture. fine for selling seeds not Ilsted In this It aims at providing a form of payment to gue. The proposed PVR legislation for breeders and public breeding programs based lla Includes a common catalogue. on the usefulness of their varieties In {. Woodrow Wilson of the National agriculture, and does not necessitate patent s' Union of America, representing rights, 0 farming families, told the House of Heather Crofts (Agronomist, School of sentatives 96th Congress In 1979 and Agricutture and Forestry, Melbourne that since the introduction of Plant University) suggests: y Protectlon in the US there have 1) Limiied sales to_breeders (as practiced mes been higher yields with commercial by Cokers Pedigree Seed Company In the US). ng. However, plants are now produced to The Initial release is offered to seed growers at re vulnerable to pest and disease, Not one a high price without a contract agreement, the arfety of wheat Js resistant to Hessian fly. subsequent seed is sold at proportional price 78 Hesslan fly Infested 1.25 million acres reductions. at In Dakota alone. ‘. 2) Trademarks and _Jabelline/trademark ‘e European Parllament, regarding thelr protection, A new varlety to be sold only under years experience with PVR, announced the breeder's trademark, which gives the owing (20-2-86): breeder control of its marketing. ie For eight years public opposition Where fish from streams near farms could "The s In Austrajla managed to stop a piece of once pire br ye = Vee wet = Se i! now ip’ yu! ry emical runoff. e few le, legislation which could spell disaster farmers im Pakistan say that miracle rice has local plant for the world's food supply. In brought miracle locusts, Scientists from the world | February this year a new Plant Variety F.A.O. say that this has happened to mililons of increased Rights law was finally passed through farmers over millions of acres and Is still lower resi: both houses of Parilament, having the happening. Already thousands of varieties of leads fo... tential to place control of our food apdtemcannt-vegelables tase: beam felt for sxe. asor po P In India at the turn of the century there environment crops directly {n the hands of chemical were around 30,000 varieties of rice. Now corporations. Fred Rostignoli has been there are about 50. If just half that many had They } fighting this legislation for some time. been lost, St would be cause for concern, but = — Smail se this Is nothing short of a disaster affecting us varietles Where fish from streams near farms could once supplement dlets with protein, they are now wiped out by chemical runoff. The farmers in Pakistan say that miracle rice has brought miracle locusts. Scientists from the F.A.Q. say that this has happened to mililons of farmers over millions of acres and Is still happening. Already thousands of varieties of grains and vegetables have been lost for ever. In India at the turn of the century there were around 30,000 varieties of rice. Now there are about SO. If Just half that many had been lost, Jt would be cause for concern, but this Is nothing short of a disaster affecting us all. The three major cereal crops are rice, wheat and corn. F.A.O. aclentists consider wheat the most threatened, and predict disaster for that grain by early next century. Wheat originated In Ethiopla and Asla Minor, so to develop new strains resistant to rust and pests etc we must go to the home of wheat and select from the thousands of varleties held by traditional farmers or from wlid relatives of wheat In wilderness areas. But {t Is too Jate. The wilderness areas have suffered cattle, goats and drought for so long that the seed is gone, and the farmers have Jost theirs to the Green Revolution. There are a few examples of this wheat In seed “banks” (refrigerators), mostly owned by glant oll companies. And the genetic variables for breeding purposes are being fast used up. That's what we have done with wheat, Concerning the other Important grain, corn, almost the only seeds you can now buy are "mule" hybrids. Such hybrids cannot be pollinated by bees or the wind. Like a mule, they are Infertile and, by design, cannot reproduce. If you find non-hybrid corn save your seeds, they are rare indeed, They were taken off the market before anybody knew what was happening (not even our politicians and most of them still don't know). This is happening to more vegetables and flowers every year In Australia, even without PVR, for hybridization Is a built-in patent. In Britain when PYR was Introduced, every private seed company was bought out within two weeks by a few big petre-chemical companies. Now almost without exception the only vegetable seeds available are "uniform chemical dependent hybrids". In Western Europe they have Introduced the "Common Catalogue" (or Its equivalent). To be listed plants must be so uniform that there Is no doubt as to their Identity. So the genetic variables - which are the survival inheritance of every living thing - are being wiped out by law. In Britain there Is now a 400 pound fine for selling seeds not listed In this catalogue. The proposed PVR legislation for Australla includes a common catalogue. M. Woodrow Wilson of the National Famers' Union of America, representing 300,000 farming families, told the House of Representatives 96th Congress In 1979 and 1980 that since the {ntroduction of Plant Variety Protection in the US there have sometimes been higher yields with commercial breeding. However, plants are now produced to be more vulnerable to pest and disease, Not one new variety of wheat Js resistant to Hessian fly. In 1978 Hessian fly Infested 125 millon acres of wheat In Dakota alone. The European Parllament, sealing thelr twenty years experience with PVR, announced the following (20-2-86): Nexus New Times