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SEEDS — Survival or Servitude? Continued from page 17 permaculture networks and agrarian — CONTACTS — permaculture networks and agrarian — CONTACTS — i AUSTRALIA: groups, has been made more urgent with products than ever before. It is anew law, the adoption of Plant Breeders’ Rights bills Bay Seed Garden, PO Box 715, Busselton, different in scope and intent from the Act. _—_ worldwide. Westem Australia 6280; phone (097) 52 2513. "The Plant Variety Rights Office and In USA, the Iowa-based Seed Savers’ Eden Seeds, MS 316, Gympie, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Exchange co-ordinates seed-saving pro- = ne _ a —_ Energy want to create an industrial proper- _ grams in several states. SEES Rees, ne Pea, FEESy, ty regime that rewards transnational seed © Canada's Heritage Seed Program is run peeves a 4162222, fax = on ‘ and agribusiness companies so well, they _ by the Canadian Organic Growers. puerta 7 arators' Association, "Wombat - % a 2 , W-Tree via Buchan, Victoria 3885; phone will rush to register new varieties in The UK's Henry Doubleday Research (051) 55 0227. Australia. The Bill primarily serves such Association has seed libraries and facilities Phoenix Seeds, PO Box 9, Stanley, Tasmania interests." to assist organic growing. 7331; phone (004) 58 1105. : Phelps said the PBR Bill had the power Germany has the Berlin-based Gen- The Seed Savers' Network, PO Box 975, Byron to extend breeders' monopoly rights Ethisches Netzwerk and Green Party, while Bay, NSW 2481, phone/fax (066) 85 6624. beyond the 20 years for trees and 25 years Friends of the Earth and the Green Alliance jyEW ZEALAND: for vines, so that monopolies could become are active in most European countries. GATT Watchdog, PO Box 1905, Christchurch; permanent. He was also concerned that In Australia, The Seed Savers' poe “phone (03) 366 2803, fax (03) 365 2919. farmers' rights to save seeds would soon is run by Michel and Jude Fanton out o ‘ disappear. Byron Bay, New South Wales. Mr Fanton 7 = ~— may ci National "It has been reported that after the Bill said the network now has 2,000 members, Gen for Onganic Gardening, Rytonon- ee, ig, Ryton-on- becomes law, cotton may be declared a_ while its seed bank now boasts almost Dunsmore, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK; phone (203) species from which seed may not be saved. —_ 1,200 varieties. 303517. "There is no democratic procedure for While admitting the future of the world's USA/CANADA: grower or community consent to end farm- seed and food supplies was bleak, he was Rural A ANF ee saved seed." optimistic that more private citizens would r . Bob Phelps said that despite consistent _ begin to save their own seeds. oan a ot omesai f= lobbying, the Australian government had "It's up to all of us to protect our lifestyle . ° failed to offer adequate safeguards. from being eroded,” said Mr Fanton. "It's | REFERENCES "It's a conspiracy between seed compa- now vital we get in touch with the old peo- Richard Hindmarsh, “Franken-Food", in Acres Australia, 3 p li vol. 1, no. ll; "The Transgenic BioPesticide", Acres Aust., nies and governments to gain complete ple, to learn as much as we can about how yo 8, 1993; "Lords of Life", Acres Aust, vol. 1. no, 9: conerol over our lives." to save seed, grow produce and support The Challenge to ‘DNA Incorporated", Green Left, 13 ourselves," April 1994, SEED-SAVERS' NETWORKS GROW Small commercial seed companies like Gmeme O'Neill, “Dinner at the DNA Cafe", and "Ethics Opponents of PBR legislation and the Eden Seeds, Heirloom Seeds, Phoenix #74 the Engineer’, Time, 17 January 1994. seeds monopolies have rallied to the cause Seeds, and Greenpatch Seeds in Australia pA} aug” ee ee Mal A Maal, Kebruary- of protection of plant genetic resources and are creating banks of organic, open-polli- Shanna Provost, "Designer Vegies: Meddling with biodiversity. nated, non-hybrid seed. Catalogues give Nature", Acres Australia, vol. 1,no. 9. Seed-savers' networks have been formed growers a wide choice of fruits, vegetables, ie ro “sr me for a long, hard in North America, Europe and Australasia, flowers and other species, at reasonable New Scienist,4 Sept 93, 20 Now 93,26 March 4,30 mand build a nallaatian af arial anct ns nate products than ever before. It is a new law, different in scope and intent from the Act. "The Plant Variety Rights Office and Department of Primary Industries and Energy want to create an industrial proper- ty regime that rewards transnational seed and agribusiness companies so well, they will rush to register new varieties in Australia. The Bill primarily serves such interests." Phelps said the PBR Bill had the power to extend breeders' monopoly rights beyond the 20 years for trees and 25 years for vines, so that monopolies could become permanent. He was also concerned that farmers' rights to save seeds would soon disappear. "It has been reported that after the Bill becomes law, cotton may be declared a species from which seed may not be saved. "There is no democratic procedure for grower or community consent to end farm- saved seed." Bob Phelps said that despite consistent lobbying, the Australian government had failed to offer adequate safeguards. "It's a conspiracy between seed compa- nies and governments to gain complete control over our lives." USA/CANADA: Rural Advancement Foundation International, PO Box 655, Pittsboro, NC 27312, USA; phone (919) 542 1396, fax (919) 542 2460. IVUUyINB, WY OuduaMmas BuYwuUuNLEL mas failed to offer adequate safeguards. "It's a conspiracy between seed compa- nies and governments to gain complete control over our lives." SEED-SAVERS' NETWORKS GROW Opponents of PBR legislation and the seeds monopolies have rallied to the cause of protection of plant genetic resources and biodiversity. Seed-savers’ networks have been formed in North America, Europe and Australasia, to maintain and build a collection of origi- nal, chemical-free seeds for use by home- gardeners, organic growers and small- acreage farmers. The task of these groups and others like the Heritage Seed Curators’ Association, ato Up ty au Vi uo WW piveNe vur mvoLyay from being eroded,” said Mr Fanton. “It's now vital we get in touch with the old peo- ple, to learn as much as we can about how to save seed, grow produce and support ourselves,” Small commercial seed companies like Eden Seeds, Heirloom Seeds, Phoenix Seeds, and Greenpatch Seeds in Australia are creating banks of organic, open-polli- nated, non-hybrid seed. Catalogues give growers a wide choice of fruits, vegetables, flowers and other species, at reasonable cost. All are committed to protecting natural varieties of seed and informing the public of the need to fight for their rights against PBR legislation, genetic engineering and patenting of seeds, genes and viruses. REFERENCES Richard Hindmarsh, "Franken-Food", in Acres Australia, vol. 1, no. Il; "The Transgenic BioPesticide”, Acres Aust., no 8, 1993; “Lords of Life", Acres Aust., vol.1, no. 9; “The Challenge to ‘DNA Incorporated”, Green Left, 13 April 1994, Gmeme ONeill, “Dinner at the DNA Cafe", and "Ethics and the Engineer’, Time, 17 January 1994. "GATT and the Seed Seandal", Soil & Health , February- March 1994. Shanna Provost, "Designer Vegies: Meddling with Nature", Acres Australia, vol. 1,no. 9. Bob Phelps, “Genetic Engineering: ume for a long, hard look", Acres Australia, no. 4. New Scientist, 4 Sept ‘93, 20 Nov '93, 26 March ‘94, 30 Apr ‘94, 14 May ‘94, 28 May '94, 11 June 94, 25 June 94, “Orpanic famns face dilemma", Nature, vol. 367, 13 January 1994. “Cartel monopolises US seeds supply", Executive Intelligence Review, 13 August 1993. Gisela Breithaupt, “Rescue Mission: Heirloom Seeds", unpublished paper. 4% ®NEAUS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994