[permaculture] Europe's largest berry bank faces closure - Show your support for an endangered seed bank - Preserve Pavlovsk Experimental Station in Russia
From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Seed Keepers <seedkeepers@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Europe's largest berry bank faces closure - Show your support for an endangered seed bank - Preserve Pavlovsk Experimental Station in Russia
One of the world's foremost seed banks is in deep trouble after a
Russian court ruled yesterday that the Russian Housing Development
Foundation can take the land the seed bank is on and sell it to private
home developers. http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57617/
Currently, Pavlovsk Experimental Station is home to 5,500 varieties of
edible plants, mostly fruit. The collections survived World War II and
many of the varieties can be found nowhere else on Earth. Losing a seed
bank would represent more than just a loss of biodiversity for
biodiversity's sake.
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/nov/20-big-picture-banks-that-prevent-global-crises
Collections like this can be used as breeding stock, imparting useful
traits like drought tolerance or weed resistance to more commonly grown
varieties. As the effects of global climate change increase, such
breeding could become crucial.
The only chance left to stop the razing of Pavlovsk is a direct appeal
to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Europe's largest berry bank faces closure
(12 August 2010) To learn more about the Moscow court's ruling against
the appeal to preserve Pavlovsk Experimental Station, please see this
article from Nature. The court's ruling has been appealed and there is
still time for you to protest the decision!
Petitions by Change.org|Get Widget|Start a Petition »
Read more in Nature
Pavlovsk Station Court Case - An Update
(11 August 2010) A court in Moscow today ruled in favour of the Russian
Federal Fund of Residential Real Estate Development, recognizing the
legitimate transfer of the land housing the Pavlovsk Station for the
construction of residential properties.
The ruling was instantly appealed, giving Pavlovsk Station a period of
one month before any development plans can move forward. This judgment
can be revoked through a direct order from the office of the President
or Prime Minister.
What can be done?
At the Global Crop Diversity Trust, we strongly believe that today’s
court decision is no reason to give up hope for Pavlovsk Station. Over
the next four weeks, we will continue our fight to save Pavlovsk, and we
need your help. We need to persuade the political authorities of the
importance of the irreplaceable crop diversity growing at Pavlovsk
Station, and request that the judgment be revoked.
Please consider sending a letter to the Russian President to express
your concern over Pavlovsk’s potential destruction, and please make sure
to sign the petition . We have already collected over 1,000 signatures.
Every letter, every signature, every email, every tweet counts. We don’t
have to sit back and let this happen.
There is still time to act
(3 August 2010) Although sending a letter has the greatest impact, we
encourage you to please sign this petition urging President Medvedev to
save the Pavlovsk experimental station.
Start a Petition »
Read more in the press release
As you read this, the future of the world’s fruits and berries is in danger.
Outside of St. Petersburg, Russia, the Pavlovsk experimental station
houses a vast collection of priceless seeds: strawberries, cherries,
raspberries and many more – more than 4,000 varieties. First assembled
by Nikolai Vavilov, the inventor of the modern seed bank, this
collection will be vital as scientists race to breed new crops that
resist the rising tide of disease, pests and drought. 90 percent of the
seeds at Pavlovsk can be found nowhere else.
And today, they are facing demolition to make way for a real estate
developer’s “commercial cottages”.
Here’s what you can do. Tweet this message to Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev:
@KremlinRussia_E Mr. President, protect the future of agriculture - save
Pavlovsk station! http://bit.ly/Pavlovsk
Or take a moment to write a letter online
Please click here for key points to include in your letter
Learn More
[permaculture] Europe's largest berry bank faces closure - Show your support for an endangered seed bank - Preserve Pavlovsk Experimental Station in Russia,
Lawrence F. London, Jr., 08/13/2010