[News] US Declares Iraqis Must Destroy Their Own Seeds

[News at freedomarchives.org]

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 - [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."

Written in massively intricate legalese, Order 81 directs the reader
at Article 14, paragraph 2 [C] to paragraph [B] 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 -[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 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 [B] 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.

This is the freedom that comes with the American form of democracy?

http://magic-city-news.com/article_2812.shtml


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