US declares Iraqis can not save their own seeds

February 1, 2005

US Declares Iraqis Must

Destroy Their Own Seeds

Edited by Iman Khaduri

http://abutamam.blogspot.com

www.globalresearch.ca

2-1-5

For the record: " U.S. declares Iraqis can not save

their own seeds "

" As part of sweeping " economic

restructuring " implemented by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Iraqi farmers will no longer be

permitted to save their seeds, which include seeds the Iraqis themselves have

developed over hundreds of years. Instead, they will be forced to buy seeds

from US corporations. That is because in recent years, transnational

corporations have patented and now own many seed varieties originated or

developed by indigenous peoples. In a short time, Iraq will be living under the new

American credo:

Pay Monsanto, or starve. "

" The American Administrator of the Iraqi CPA

(Coalition Provisional Authority) government, Paul Bremer, updated Iraq's intellectual property law to

'meet current internationally-recognized standards of protection'. The

updated law makes saving seeds for next year's harvest, practiced by 97% of

Iraqi farmers in 2002, and is the standard farming practice for thousands of

years across human civilizations, to be now illegal..

Instead, farmers will have to obtain a yearly license for genetically

modified (GM) seeds from American corporations. These GM seeds have typically

been modified from seeds developed over thousands of generations by

indigenous farmers like the Iraqis, and shared freely like agricultural 'open

source.' "

Iraq law Requires Seed Licenses November 13, 2004

" According to Order 81, paragraph 66 - , issued by

L. Paul Bremer [CFR], the people in Iraq are now prohibited from saving

seeds and may only plant seeds for their food from licensed, authorized U.S. distributors.

The paragraph states, " Farmers shall be prohibited

from re-using seeds of protected varieties or any variety mentioned in items

1 and 2 of paragraph [C] of Article 14 of this chapter. "

Written in massively intricate legalese, Order 81 directs

the reader at Article 14, paragraph 2 [C] to paragraph of Article 4,

which states any variety that is different from any other known variety may

be registered in any country and become a protected variety of seed - thus

defaulting it into the " protected class " of seeds and prohibiting

the Iraqis from reusing them the following season. Every year, the Iraqis

must destroy any seed they have, and repurchase seeds from an authorized

supplier, or face fines, penalties and/or jail time. "

As per an Iraqi proverb, the day will come, sooner rather

than later, when the Iraqis will shred Bremer's Laws, soak them in water and

offer the glass to Bremer to drink.

http://globalresearch.ca/articles/KHA501A.html

Iraqis Can't Save Seed

By Bud Landry

1-19-5

" U.S. Declares Iraqis Can't Save

See, " by David Deschesne

According to Order 81, paragraph 66 -,

issued by L. Paul Bremer [CFR], the people in Iraq are now prohibited from saving

seeds and may only plant seeds for their food from from

licensed, authorized U.S. distributors.