permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

I'm still getting requests that I send out the PDF image of this 
document despite having sent it out in text form, thanks to David 
Buitenveld who converted it with OCR.
Here it is, again, in text form form.
Keith

 SANTA FE COUNTY
 Resolution No. 2007 - 9

 A Resolution in Support of a "Declaration of Seed Sovereignty: A
 Living Document for New Mexico"

 WHEREAS, our ability to grow food is the culmination of countless
 generations of sowing and harvesting seeds and those seeds are
the continuation of an
 unbroken line from our ancestors to us and to our children and
grandchildren.
 WHEREAS, our ancestors developed a relationship with plants that
 allowed their cultivation for food and medicine and this has
been a central element
 of our culture and our survival for millennia in regions
throughout the world.
 WHEREAS, the concurrent development of cultures of Eurasia,
Africa,
 and the Americas resulted in a plethora of food and crop types
including
 grains such as maize and wheat; legumes such as beans and
lentils; fruits such as squash and
 chile; vegetables such as spinach and those of the cabbage
family; and roots such as potatoes
 and turnips.
 WHEREAS, these foods and crops, though developed independently
of each
 other, came together in New Mexico with the meeting of Spanish,
Mexican, and
 Native American cultures to create a unique and diverse
indigenous agricultural system
 and land-based culture.
 WHEREAS, just as our families are attached to our homes, our
seeds learn to thrive in
 their place of cultivation by developing a relationship with
the soil, water, agricultural·
 practices, ceremonies, and prayers; thereby giving seeds a
sacred place in our families
 and communities.
 WHEREAS, the way in which seeds become attached to a place
makes them native
 seeds, also known as landraces, also makes them an important
element of the
 generational memory of our communities.
 WHEREAS, the continued nurturing of native seeds or landraces
has provided the basis
 for the community coming together for communal work such as
Cleaning acequias and
 preparing fields as well as in ceremony, prayers, and blessings
thereby binding our
 communities, traditions, and cultures together.
 WHEREAS, the practices embodied in working the land and water
and caring for seeds
 provides the basis for our respectful connection to the Earth
and with each other.
 WHEREAS, our practices in eating for native seeds (Iandraces)
and growing crops
 provide for much of our traditional diet and results in our
ability to feed ourselves with
 healthy food that is culturally and spiritually significant.
 WHEREAS, clean air, soil, water, and landscapes have been
essential elements in the
 development and nurturing of seeds as well as the harvesting of
wild plants; and that
 these elements of air, land, and water have been contaminated
to certain degrees.
 WHEREAS, corporate seed industries have created a technology
that takes the genetic
 material from a foreign species and inserts it into a landrace
and is known as Genetically
 Engineered (GE) or transgenic crops.
 WHEREAS, seed corporations patent the seeds, genetics, and/or
the processes used in
 the manipulation of landraces, and have gone so far as to
patent other wild plants or the
 properties contained in the plants.
 WHEREAS, GE crops have escaped into the environment with maize
in Oaxaca, Mexico
 and canola in Canada and crossed into native seeds and wild plants.
 WHEREAS, organic farmers have been sued by seed corporations
when these patented
 genetic strains have been identified in the farmers' crops,
even though the farmers were
 unable to see or stop pollen from genetically engineered crops
from blowing over the
 landscape and into their fields, thus contaminating the
farmers' crops.
 WHEREAS, the effect of this technology on the environment or
human health when
 consumed is not fully understood.
 WHEREAS, the seed industry refuses to label GE seeds and food
products containing
 GE ingredients.
 WHEREAS, the pervasiveness of GE crops in our area cannot then
be fully known due
 to the lack of labeling and therefore carries the potential for
genetic pollution on our
 landraces.
 WHEREAS, countries such as Japan, England, and countries in
Africa have refused
 genetically modified foods and prohibit the introduction of GE
crops on their lands
 because of their unknown health effects.
 WHEREAS, indigenous cultures around the world are the
originators, developers, and
 owners of the original genetic material used in the genetic
engineering of crops by
 corporations today.
 WHEREAS, this declaration must be a living, adaptable document
that can be amended
 as needed in response to rapidly changing GE technology that
brings about other
 potential assaults to seeds and our culture.

 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of County
Commissioners of
 Santa Fe County supports the following:
 • The traditional farmers of Indo-Hispano and Native American
ancestry of current day
 northern New Mexico collectively and intentionally seek to
continue the seed-saving traditions
 of our ancestors and maintain the land races that are
indigenous to the region of northern New Mexico;
 • Seek to engage youth in the continuation of the traditions of
growing traditional
 foods, sharing scarce water resources, sharing seeds, and
celebrating our harvests.
 • Reject the validity of corporations' ownership claims to
crops and wild plants that
 belong to our cultural history and identity.
 • Object to the seed industry's refusal to label seeds or
products containing GE
 technology and ingredients and demand all genetically modified
seeds and foods
 containing GE ingredients in the State of New Mexico to be
labeled as such.
 • Object to the cultivation of GE seeds in general but
especially within range of our
 traditional agricultural systems that can lead to the
contamination of our seeds,
 wild plants, traditional foods, and cultural property.
 • We will work with each other, local, tribal, and state
governments to create zones
 that will be free of genetically engineered and transgenic
organisms.
 • We will also work together to address other environmental
abuses that
 contaminate our air, soil, and water quality that certainly
affects our health, the
 health of our seeds and agriculture, and the health of future
generations.
 • We will work together with the traditional farmers
representing various acequia,
 Pueblo, tribal, and surrounding communities to create, support,
and collaborate
 toward projects and programs focused on revitalization of food
traditions,
 agriculture, and seed saving and sharing.

 PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 30th DAY OF JANUARY, 2007.
 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

 ATTEST:
 Valerie Espinoza, Santa Fe County Clerk
 APPROVED AS TO FORM:
 Attorney
 BCC RESOLUTIONS
 Hand And Seal Of Office
 Valerie Espinoza
 Clerk, Santa Fe, NM
 COUNTY OF SANTA FE
 STATE OF NEW MEXICO
 I Hereby Certify That This Instrument Was Filed for
 record On The 31ST Day Of January A.D., 2007 at 11:14
 And Was Duly Recorded as document # 1469051
 of The Records Of Santa Fe County

--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way
http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower
http://www.PowUr.com/KeithJ-SunPower
Blog: http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html
also Association for Regenerative Culture
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local
Economy) It's a small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild