Seed diversity under threat

This is a major step to getting rid of the small farmers who reuse and trade their seeds every year.  This is a major step to Monsanto and others taking over in the EU.

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/05/02/seed-diversity-under-threat-step-closer-to-destruction-of-agricultural-and-horticultural-seed-diversity-in-europe/

Seed diversity under threat – Step closer to destruction of agricultural and horticultural seed diversity in Europe!

BY 

CHILLYMANJARO

 – POSTED ON MAY 2, 2013POSTED IN: AGRICULTURE

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The EU directives on the marketing of seeds and plant propagating material are currently being reviewed in Brussels. The new regulation threatens rare varieties and farmers’ varieties. Non-commercial varieties are under particular threat of extinction, as the new regulation foresees that the exchange of seeds will become illegal for different kind of actors. This would harm small-scale farmers and local producers. On the other hand, industrial seed companies would extend their dominance.

If the Directorate General for Health and Consumers’ plans become a reality, more old and rare varieties of fruits, vegetables and grains will disappear from the market. These diverse varieties and varieties adapted to organic agriculture are to be hampered by bureaucracy, while the power of corporate agriculture is further strengthened.

The currently available texts for the new EU seed regulation will promote a concentration of the seed market into the hands of a small number of seed industry corporations. This is unacceptable. A new EU seed regulation must allow diversity varieties, varieties for small-scale farming and ecologically adapted breeding. Diverse varieties must be available not only in gene banks, but on the open market too, without any bureaucratic restrictions. The current registration criteria must be lowered for varieties suitable for organic farming by virtue of their diversity, so our agriculture remains adaptable to climate change, new pests and diseases, as well as more environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Neither the current EU seed law nor the presently available informally submitted drafts for legal changes to the law fulfil these requirements. They threaten seed diversity and thereby mankind’s common agricultural heritage. They also threaten sustainable food systems and exist only to serve the agrochemical industry.

For more information visit:

Campaign for Seed-Sovereignty www.seed-sovereignty.org

German umbrella organisation for crop and livestock diversity („Dachverband Kulturpflanzen- und Nutztiervielfalt e.V.“):
www.kulturpflanzen-nutztiervielfalt.org/node/29

German Association for the conservation of crop plants („Verein zur Erhaltung der Nutzpflanzenvielfalt e.V.“):
www.nutzpflanzenvielfalt.de

Patrick Wiebe’s Blog: www.bifurcatedcarrots.eu/

Reason:

The current EU seed regulations stem from a time in which environmental protection, nature and biological diversity were underestimated. There were numerous breeding enterprises which put an extensive diversity of varieties on the market. Most of these varieties could be re-sown after harvest, a technique which has existed for thousands of years, throughout agricultural history.

In the 1980s, two new terms had to be developed for what previously had just been common practice: firstly „farmers’ rights“ and secondly „open pollinated“ varieties (the seeds of which produce the same variety unless they cross with similar varieties). This is due to the fact that the seed market changed dramatically. Today, the ten biggest companies dominate three-quarters of the worlds’ seed market, and more than half of the global market comes from the chemical industry.

Most of the varieties are subject to legal and technical restrictions, which undermine re-sowing seed saved by the growers themselves. An official approval for the marketing of varieties was introduced, and the criteria for this are adapted to industrial varieties. Productivity and increasing world population were used to justify these developments. The comprehensive report of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) illustrates the instability of this approach.

Crop diversity has largely disappeared from the market. This concerns the diversity of non-registered varieties – they are traded by thousands of intrepid citizens in Europe without the required registration. Today, we rely on the extensive expertise of these people, and we should encourage the increasing amount of people engaging in this activity, not only as a hobby but also to generate income and a livelihood from it.

A second important aspect is that hardly any appropriate varieties have been bred specifically for organic agriculture by virtue of their diversity. However, organic farming needs plants that are powerful without chemicals. This is only possible with a wide-ranging, natural gene pool. Such varieties are routinely deemed to be unacceptable for registration under the current criteria for seed registration.

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Why sign people

I would like to keep our world the way it is, for the future generations!

Defending our right to grow and eat the natureal foods of our choice for health and well being and diversity

Because we want to be free, and eat food that is not modified!

Freedom of seeds. The liberation of humans!

Because I grow my own veg and I enjoy ORGANIC HERITAGE SEEDS that is healthier and I do not want any GM near me ever!! It is also disgusting behavior for anybody to assume they have the right to control what we grow and how.

Here you will find information on how you can take action.

The Austrian seed saving organisation “Arche Noah” prepared a draft letter that you could use as template

Source: Open Petition, SeedPolicy, Seed Sovereignty

This article is from last year (I remember it well as my head exploded when I read it), but this points to yet further endeavours of corporations like Monsanto to "OWN" humans. This patent is still standing to this day.  WHY?

Monsanto -Nestle Patent Human Breast Milk

May 6, 2012

May 6, 2012/ Jan. 4, 2013
Human breast milk is produced by the human female body which is a source of important nutrition for future generations, or is it? Not any more.

” Hey that’s my moms milk, that’s my milk — not Monsanto’s!! “

Under the US Patent Office, which has granted patents to natural seeds to Monsanto Corporation, now comes a new patent on human breast milk!! Sounds absurd doesn’t it but then again look at the US Patent Office and check their previous wealth of patents granted to Monsanto, Dow, Nestle and other corporations with deep pockets.
Human Breast Milk is Now under a Nestle Monsanto Patent:
Human breast milk is called colostrum, which has the main function of protecting the babies intestines, nourishment and until it’s own immune system can grow and function properly.
Similar to a bird feeding its own youngsters, the parent bird digests the food then offers it to it’s young by it’s own throat. This is a natural feeding process, that does not require any human involvement other than the mother and her baby.

A woman produces a host of beneficial ingredients such as proteins and antibodies (immune system protection) that is passed on to the baby. If she chooses the most organic foods then her breast milk will be of higher quality with less chemicals passed on to her child.
Follow the Progress of Un-natural Patents on Nature and Now Humans
If you follow this history of corporations obtaining “patents” on natural seeds that produce organic, natural foods and turning them into corporate owned plants, this is just the beginning of a take over of nature both plants and humans.
This is the beginning of Monsanto’s world domination as: the God of Seeds and Food for mankind which is their goal, total world domination of Food.
The second instance is the FDA’s claim that human stem cells are now classified as “Drugs” under their control. This means the FDA controls what you can and cannot do with your own stem cells and they are illegally doing this to gain control of what you can and cannot do with your own stem cells.
Human breast milk also contains human made:
Proteins
Lactose
Oligosaccharides
Carbohydrates
Triglycerides
Fat- human milk fat-( the beneficial kind)
Oleic Acid which forms Hamlet that kills tumor cells
Hamlet is Human Alfa-Lactalbumin made Lethal to Tumor Cells
Lipids
Vaccenic acid
Conjugated linoleum acid (CLA’s)
Breast feeding babies with oleic acid actually prevents the babies from getting cancer. It is an anti-cancer substance that belongs to the human mother to pass on to her child.  Human Breast Milk actually programs cancer cells to die. The genetic material in human milk cannot be patented for corporate profits no matter what the claims of these companies may be to support their numerous patents.
Currently, there are 2,000 patents on human milk components.
Women own their breasts and they own the milk they produce not the US government. Human beings own their stem cells, the fluids they produce and to grant a corporation any patents that involve human milk is just plain insanity. It would amount to a corporation owning sperm from men.
The fact that these ingredients are made by the human body, for another human body any inference that they can be “owned” is total or in part by a corporate entity is totally outrageous.
This patent would render women in to a form of ownership by a corporation sanctioned by the US government through it’s patent office. Corporations are claiming ownership of human bodies!
! If the public is not aware of what the implications are for our own health, our freedom, our children’s health, future generations and ownership of our own genes they will not stand for it.
To patent a human product into a corporate “owned” patent on that product is ludicrous and should never be granted. Some scientists can’t wait to claim they own soil, air, water and whatever is left, but count human milk as not belonging to human life any longer. it is corporate owned.
Human anti-bodies man or women made will belong to a corporation and your stem cells will belong to the Food and Drug Administration. What is in the future of human breast milk, will they manufacture a breast milk with vaccines and force all mothers to use it, combined with cows bovine milk?
Will governments control all parts of the human body, will we let them is the question as science becomes the fictional creation of artificial life in a bottle. Where will it end, and why isn’t the “cure” of diseases like cancer ever cured.
It appears corporations and science is looking for profitable ventures involving using human DNA to turn a profit any possible way claiming ownership using human life.
The truth of what is happening to our food supply and what we know already, for Nestle to convert one person’s human milk to give to another baby isn’t exactly ethical or safe.
The patent is: Number 8012509
Mother: You are Now Patented.
More information on the Topic
Nestle Loves Breast Milk
U.S. Patent Office
We searched for patent number 8012509 with no results shown.
Patents Found are Called:
Milk Fractions and Milk Preparations for Treating and/or Preventing COX-2 Mediated Diseases
Filed: Sept 13, 2004 issued Date Sept 6, 2011
Documents:
Patent No: US 8,012,509 B 2
Date of Patent: Sept. 6, 2011
One of the four pages refers to Buffalo milk. Now we know how scientists like to mix animal hormones and produce a drug for human consumption that has had disastrous effects such as the HRT Prempro drugs.(made from horses’ urine). Those drugs used urine from horses to produce a Hormone Replacement Pill for menopausal women. The science was deadly and killed many thousands of women, induced breast cancer and caused heart attacks and blood clots.
Perhaps Monsanto and Nestle will come out with an “Industrial Pink Slime Milk” in the name of helping impoverished countries and snake oil salesman Bill Gates will do the promo con job on the world.

In Figure 1 – The Skim Milk Refers to Human Mothers Milk that has been skimmed.

Figure 2: Buffalo Milk, giving new born babies -Animal milk instead of mothers milk?
Look at the History of Monsanto and Milk

Related content:

Monsanto vs Mother Earth

Please remember this when they try to convince you that everything has changed and that the "bad guys" are no longer in control of the planet.




It’s unbelievable, but Monsanto and Co. are at it again. These profit-hungry biotech companies have found a way to exclusively‘own’ something that freely belongs to us all -- our food!But if we can pressure key European countries to slam the patent door shut on their destructive plans, we can stop this attack on our food. Help build the biggest food defense call ever by clicking here: 

It’s unbelievable, but Monsanto and Co. are at it again. These profit-hungry biotech companies have found a way to exclusively ‘own’ something that freely belongs to us all -- our food!They’re trying to patent away our everyday vegetables and fruits like cucumber, broccoli and melons, forcing growers to pay them and risk being sued if they don’t.

But we can stop them from buying up Mother Earth. Companies like Monsanto have found loopholes in European law to get away with this, so we just need to close them shut before they set a dangerous global precedent. And to do that, we need key countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands -- where opposition is already growing -- to call for a vote to stop Monsanto’s plans. The Avaaz community has shifted governments before, and we can do it again.

Many farmers and politicians are already against this -- we just need to bring in people powerto pressure these countries to keep Monsanto’s hands off our food. Sign now and share with everyone to help build the biggest food defense call ever:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_loc/?bUxwndb&v=23908

Once a patent exists in one country, trade agreements and negotiations often push other countries to honour it as well. That's why these food patents change everything about how our food chain works: for thousands of years, farmers could choose which seeds they’d use without worrying about getting sued for violating intellectual property rights. But now, companies launch expensive legal campaigns to buy patents on conventional plants and force farmers to pay exorbitant royalty fees. Monsanto and Co. claim that patents drive innovation -- but in fact they create a corporate monopoly of our food.

But luckily, the European Patent Office is controlled by 38 member states who, with one vote, can end dangerous patents on food that is bred using conventional methods. Even the European Parliament has issued a statement objecting to these kinds of destructive patents. Now, a massive wave of public outcry could push them to ban the patenting of our everyday food for good.

The situation is dire already -- Monsanto alone owns 36% of all tomato, 32% of sweet pepper and 49% of cauliflower varieties registered in the EU. With a simple regulatory change, we could protect our food, our farmers and our planet from corporate control -- and it's up to us to make it happen:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_loc/?bUxwndb&v=23908

The Avaaz community has never been afraid to stand up to corporate capture of our institutions, from pushing back the Rupert Murdoch mafia, to helping ensure that telecoms keep their hands off our Internet. Now it’s time to defend our food supply from this corporate takeover.

With hope and determination,

Jeremy, Michelle, Oli, Dalia, Pascal, Ricken, Diego and the whole Avaaz team


SOURCES:

Conventionally-bred plants or animals should be exempt from patents, say MEPs (EU Parliament)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20120509IPR44733/html/Conventionally-bred-plants-or-animals-should-be-exempt-from-patents-say-MEPs

President of the European Patent Office gives green light for patents on plants and animals (No Patents on Seeds)
http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/information/background/green-light-for-patents-on-plants-and-animals

Monsanto: All Your Seeds Belong to Us (Mother Jones)
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/02/scotus-hears-monsanto-soybean-case

Plant Patentability Questions Deepen In EPO Tomato Patent Case (IP Watch)
http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/06/13/plant-patentability-questions-deepen-in-epo-tomato-patent-case/

Tomato patent back before EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal (Europolitics)
http://europolitics.eis-vt-prod-web01.cyberadm.net/business-competitiveness/tomato-patent-back-before-epo-s-enlarged-board-of-appeal-art336003-7.html