Save the Seeds Movement

Permission to cross post, please pass it on:

Below are some links on what can be done against the actions 
of the Bush administration (recently posted) concerning the forcing of patent seeds on the Iraqi 
farmers.  Please consider joining or donating.   

" The Struggle Begins for Agricultural Freedom!
There is hope. Resistance to GE multinationals in India, for example, is 
growing. In the Tehri Garwhal district of Uttar Pradesh, a small group of 
farmers has formed the Save the Seeds Movement and is teaching other small 
farmers to hold on to their traditional ecological, self-sustaining farming 
methods as well as their seeds. The farmers use intercropping methods, 
planting as many as 12 different cereals and legumes in one field, with each 
crop protecting the others from pests. This is one small but vital example 
of how crops are protected, local people fed, and soil remains pristine and 
fertile.(18) Best of all, farmers remain economically independent and can 
hold their heads high! In the words of Shiva, "Democratic control of the 
food system is the ultimate test of democracy!"(19) "

 "These laws are called "economic restructuring" implemented by the Bush 
Administration in Iraq. Shalini Bhutani, who wrote a report on this issue, 
said, "The US has been imposing patents on life around the world through 
trade deals. In this case, they invaded the country first, then imposed 
their patents. This is both immoral and unacceptable." The new IP law of US 
patents on Iraqi life forms will herald the new industrial-agricultural 
system wherein the farmers are totally dependent on transnational 
agribusiness corporations for providing input and seeds. The law ignores the 
tremendous contribution of Iraqi farmers to the evolution of seed crops like 
wheat, barley, date and pulses. Not only does Iraq lose political 
sovereignty, they lose their food sovereignty, with the US declaring war on 
the Iraqi farmer!(9) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) has been 
seen as colluding with GM corporations and offering support for their work. 
It is a crying example of the use of GMOs for profit alone, and not for 
collective welfare of the people.(10) Here lies the greatest danger of 
GMOs."

If you want to read the rest you'll have to hit the link below then go to 
feature, then to food.

 GM Foods - How Little We Know
http://www.proutworld.org/




 Save the Seeds Movement (contact info in ten countries)
http://www.alliance21.org/caravan/en/3/seeds.htm

 A few sources of inspiration on biodiversity
T he Nayakrishi Andolan (New Agricultural Movement) of peasants in 
Bangladesh strives to promote community knowledge around local plant 
resources in an attempt to secure food security. The movement highlights the 
importance of wild uncultivated plants, which play a major role in the 
survival of poor and marginal population when agricultural productions fail
http://www.alliance21.org/caravan/en/3/pg12.htm


 Sow the seeds of revolution
 Today, when the onslaught of globalisation is fought by a multi-million 
dollar ngo industry, a non-profit initiative like bba has proved that even 
without funds and resources, those on the fringes of society can achieve for 
the people an impossible and lost dream.

       http://tinyurl.com/4r4oa

      Additional google results:
       http://tinyurl.com/5xhc3


Please do or donate,
Kit