Scoop: U.S. Declares Iraqis Can Not Save Their Own Seeds
Another troubling, yet not absolutely shocking, news about the new rules forced on the newly liberated Iraqi population. The article informs that according to provisions signed by CPA Iraqi farmers are not allowed to save their seed from one year to another. Instead they are required to apply for new licenses every time and buy new seed from (surprise) Monsanto.
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.: http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/iraq_seeds.htm
It looks like the great friend of corporations - Paul Bremer - decided to update Iraqi intellectual law to "meet current internationally-recognized standards of protection". So rather than continuing centuries long tradition of developing and using their own seeds now that have to fall in line with rest of the "civilized world" - embrace genetically modified seeds produced by large corporations.
Iraq law Requires Seed Licenses November 13, 2004
"According to Order 81, paragraph 66 - [B], 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."
( http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/13/2023220 )
No, we are not going "to force our form of government on others", only our form of business...
Re-posted from http://libnotes.blogspot.com
Update [2005-2-4 16:11:22 by gianik]: It was suggested in the comments bellow that the article(s) I referenced may have been incomplete. There are several more sources on this topic so I decided to add few more links, including what appears to be the primary source used for the ones I referenced. Also
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/truefood/news2.html?mode=intl&newsid=210
http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=6
http://www.rense.com/general62/seeds.htm
http://www.rense.com/general59/newiraqlawoutlaws.htm
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/KHA501A.html
Although most of them seem to be identical or similar.