From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Mon Oct 17 2005 - 00:13:47 BST
Order 81, I believe.
From Grain.org: 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.
...
The new law is presented as being necessary to ensure the supply of good quality
seeds in Iraq and to facilitate Iraq's accession to the WTO [5]. What it will
actually do is facilitate the penetration of Iraqi agriculture by the likes of
Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and Dow Chemical - the corporate giants that control
seed trade across the globe. Eliminating competition from farmers is a
prerequisite for these companies to open up operations in Iraq, which the new
law has achieved. Taking over the first step in the food chain is their next
move.
The new patent law also explicitly promotes the commercialisation of genetically
modified (GM) seeds in Iraq. Despite serious resistance from farmers and
consumers around the world, these same companies are pushing GM crops on
farmers around the world for their own profit. Contrary to what the industry is
asserting, GM seeds do not reduce the use of pesticides, but they pose a threat
to the environment and to people's health while they increase farmers
dependency on agribusiness. In some countries like India, the 'accidental'
release of GM crops is deliberately manipulated [6], since physical segregation
of GM and GM-free crops is not feasible. Once introduced into the
agro-ecological cycle there is no possible recall or cleanup from genetic
pollution [7].
But then since "grain.org" is not "foxnews.com", I'm sure this merits nothing
but your flipant dismissal. After all, corporations would never, ever behave in
such a way. They are Our Benevolent Gods.
Arlo
On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 11:04:37 +0000, "Platt Holden" wrote:
>
> Khaled
> > For example, one of the things in the Iraqis constitution is that farmers
> > will no longer be allowed to use seeds handed down from generation to
> > generation to plant wheat. Now the wheat will be supplied for Free ( for
> > the first few years) by the Americans, after that seeds will be bought from
> > such company as Monsanto.
>
> I did a word search of the proposed Iraq Constitution using "seed,"
> "wheat," and "farmer" and found no references. Can you tell us what
> article in the Constitution applies to wheat supply as you describe it?
> Thanks.
>
> Platt
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