permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[SANET-MG] Greenpeace and Farmers join forces to protect our 
food from Biotech Industry buy-out
Date:   Tue, 5 Apr 2005 20:05:17 -0400
From:   Evon Kochey <sydney151@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Reply-To: 	Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group 
<SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
To:     SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU



http://www.ems.org/nws/2005/04/05/greenpeace_and_f

Posted by: Greenpeace International - archive
Posted on: Apr 5, 2005 @ 5:05 am[printer-friendly]


Greenpeace and Farmers join forces to protect our food from Biotech
Industry buy-out

Munich, 5 April, 2005 -- The genetic engineering (GE) industry could
come a step closer to "owning" our food, through a disastrous decision
by the European Patent Office due tomorrow. Greenpeace and one of the
biggest farming organisations in Argentina are warning that a final
ruling on Monsanto Roundup Ready soy (1) could pave the way for all
biotech companies to patents on seeds.

The ruling will run in contravention of the European Patent
Convention's own regulations that prohibit patenting plant varieties
(2). At a joint press conference with the Argentine Federación Agraria
Argentina in Munich Greenpeace and the farmers were calling for a
global ban on such patents.

"Monsanto and the companies, which are part of Monsanto's
seed-emporium, have already been granted dozens of patents on seeds in
Europe. The companies are trying to gain complete control of
agriculture, from seed to food - and patents are the right tool for
it" - said Christoph Then, genetic engineering campaigner of
Greenpeace International.

Such takeover would be a threat to traditional seed practices and
would be a direct violation of farmers around the world. In addition
to the patent applications, Monsanto is pushing for additional
royalties on GE soy after harvest in Argentina without even having any
legal basis for it. It is also feared that if the European Patent is
upheld the company will use the legislation to even charge Argentinean
soy-shipments coming to Europe.

"Countries which allow for patents on life give up their sovereignty
on their national resources and violate the rights of the farmers to
use their own seeds. Farmers who are sowing Monsanto plants have to be
aware that they are also growing the seeds of monopoly; this is true
for Europe and Argentina. The company is taking farmers prisoner and
denying them the chance to return to farming non-GE seeds" - said
Eduardo Buzzi, the president of Federación Agraria Argentina.

Greenpeace is concerned that patents on GE seeds are just a starting
point for companies such as Monsanto to take all kind of patent
monopolies on seeds, cultivation, harvest, food and seed production.
The actual market position of Monsanto and some other seed patent
giants is already so strong that in the near future even farmers in
Europe could be forced to grow GE seeds, because they simply will be
offered no more new conventional seeds.

For more information:
Christoph Then, GE campaigner, Greenpeace International +49 171 878
0832
Judit L. Kalovits, media officer, Greenpeace International +31 621 296
914

(1)
The EP 546 090 patent was originally granted in 1996, but subsequently
challenged by Greenpeace, the "No Patents on Life" organisation and
one of Monsanto's competitors. It covers a large number of genetically
engineered plant species that are made resistant against the Roundup
Ready herbicide of Monsanto.
(2)
Article 53 of the European Patent Convention (EPC).