By INEAS
Organizations and activists from around the world will observe April 26 as International Seed Day (ISD) advocating for patent-free seeds, organic food and farmers’ rights. ISD will be an educational day for the public to learn about genetically modified food, its health hazardous effects and the monopoly over worldwide agriculture by major US and European agribusiness companies.
For a list of ISD Endorsers click here
* On April 26 celebrate with your community, friends and family by cooking healthy organic food.
* Bring awareness to bills and policies that restrict farmers from saving and breeding their seeds such as bill C-51 in Canada, BRAI in India, Order 81 in Iraq and bill S-510 in the USA.
* On April 26, write a letter to your newspaper! Call the media and/or organize an event and discuss with the public the importance of saving and protecting seeds.
* Plant a food crop with a young family or community member.
* Endorse this special day by e-mailing your full name or organization name and website to INEAS@aol.com & info@INEAS.org by April 20.
Why April 26?
Order 81 was signed on April 26, 2004 by Paul Bremer, the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq to control Iraq’s agriculture. The Order was a declaration of war against farmers. Article 14 of this law states “Farmers shall be prohibited from re-using seeds of protected varieties.” Order 81 mends Iraq’s original law No. 65 on patents, created in 1970. The most significant part of Order 81 is the subject of ‘Plant Variety Protection’ (PVP), which ensures not the protection of biodiversity, but rather the protection of the commercial interests of USA and European major seed corporations. In order to qualify for PVP, seeds have to be ‘new, distinct, uniform and stable’. Therefore, the sort of seeds being encouraged to grow by corporations such as World Wide Wheat Company (WWWC), Monsanto and others will be those registered under PVP.
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Also see the film, The Idiot Cycle, and my review. ~Ed.
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