Europe-wide resistance against Syngenta’s patent on pepper

This is an interesting though disturbing message I received through my contacts and would like to share with my friends. This shows how thee MNCs affect our food our lives through patents and the ultimate motives of profit. The MNCs are ready to control trees, seeds, fruits, animals and every thing, ultimately they control the food systems, through patent rights. This is serious threat to small food producers as they may need to pay patent rights to companies, if we produce the seeds, foods for people in the future. The press release could be seen below. Herman Media release – Berne Declaration, Swissaid, Bionext and No-patents-on-seeds: Munich, February 3, 2014 Today a broad coalition consisting of 34 NGO’s, farmers’ and breeders’ organisations from 27 European countries filed an opposition to a pepper-patent from Syngenta. The company patented an insect resistance, which they copied from a wild pepper. Such patents are ethically questionable, increase the seed market concentration, hinder innovation, and consequently pose a threat to global food security. While filing the opposition in Munich, a hot pepper soup was served to the employees of the European patent office On May 8, 2013, the European Patent Organisation (EPO) granted a patent (EP 2140023 B1) to Syngenta for insect resistant pepper plants. A wild pepper plant from Jamaica was crossed with commercial pepper plants. Since the wild plant is resistant to various pests, the patented resistance already existed in nature. However, Syngenta claims the ownership to insect-resistant pepper plants, their seeds, and their fruits, although the patented plants are products of conventional breeding. Such plants should definitely not be patentable under European patent law. The opposition to the patent demands that it should be revoked. It is the first time in EPO’s history that such a widely supported opposition, featuring co-opponents from 27 member countries of the European Patent Convention, has been filed, echoing the broad disagreement with the current EPO practice. In May 2012 a resolution has been adopted by the European Parliament which “calls on the EPO to exclude from patenting products derived from conventional breeding and all conventional breeding methods.” An upcoming decision by the enlarged board of the EPO may lead to a change of the practice to grant patents on conventional plants. The revocation of the pepper-patent would be an important first step. But to bring about a much-needed and lasting change, a political decision by the administrative council of the EPO is needed. If plants can be patented, this aggravates the already existing concentration process of the global seed market with a few multinational corporations controlling the future of our food. Supposedly, patents on seeds should create an incentive for breeding new plant varieties, but they cause the opposite: Breeders can not access freely the very base material of plant breeding, such as plant varieties and wild plants. This leads to a decreasing agro-biodiversity and food sovereignty and thus to a smaller choice for consumers. For more information: Read our report Private Claims on Nature – Syngenta’s Patent on Pepper on http://www.evb.ch/en/freepepper Person to contact: François Meienberg, Berne Declaration, food@evb.ch, +41 44 277 70 04 Maaike Raaijmakers, Bionext, raaijmakers@bionext.nl, +31 30 2339 985

International Year of Family Farming-2014

There are many events taking place in the International Year of Family Farming-2014. The small scale food producers will be in the main agenda this year as IYFF as well as the Small Scale Fisheries Guidelines which will be adopted in July 2014 at COFI at FAO, Rome. These are important as the small scale food producer organizations take these up as important mobilizations of their members. I would like to quote from the IYFF web site to give precise information to you. Please see them as below; Family Farming According to the FAO, is a "way of organising forestry and agricultural production, as well as fishing, grazing and aquaculture, which is managed and conducted by a family and which largely depends on the family labour force, both men and women. The family and exploitation are linked, they co-evolve and combine economic, environmental, reproductive, social and cultural functions". When speaking of Family Farming we also refer to artisanal fishing people, shepherds, harvesters, landless day-labourers and indigenous communities. The IYFF-2014 is the first International Year preceded by a Civil Society campaign, promoted by the WRF and backed by more than 360 civil and farmers’ organisation in five continents. After its declaration by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Civil Society promoted its celebration as a tool to obtain public policies in favour of the sustainable development of agricultural systems based on the family unit: all of this with a commitment and spirit of cooperation with the official programme of the United Nations, organised by the FAO.

Cooling the planet and Healing the mother earth in International Year of Family Farming!

In the early stages of present government, they fulfilled their one of a promises with providing Chemical Fertilizer, 50 Kg by 350 LKR which is subsidized more than 500%. Last week, I had to spend several hours and several Kms to travel to find 150 Kgs of Urea for my brother in law who is a farmer in Kalpitiya area. Unfortunately, I was not able to find it. The subsidized Urea was given 350 LKR per 50 Kg at the beginning and now, there is no Urea fertilizer to buy even with the price of 1200 per 50 Kgs. So, the paddy farmers are the biggest victims of this process. NAFSO is promoting organic fertilizer through it's sustainable agriculture program. This was a successful even the GOSL is promoting the Chemical fertilizers all around the country. But, now GOSL can not afford the subsidized chemical fertilizer any more due to financial crisis it face and not promote organic fertilizer saying those chemicals are hazardous and harmful to the health of people. Once environmental organizations and farmer organizations claimed that the kidney diseases are borne by the chemical fertilizers in Rajarata area, the experts in the authorities rejected those reports. But, now some of the health experts come to media and propagate to use organic fertilizers claiming kidney diseases. So, it is media and authorities decide how to manipulate people's mind set in a long run. However, it is our role to propagate the ideology of cooling the planet and healing the mother earth through sustainable agriculture practices in the International Year of Family Farming. Herman

New Seed Bill! Leathel weapon to farmers?

I watched television news item yesterday. The agriculture minister was challenging to farmers or farmers organizations to have a debate with him about the importance of new Seeds bill to farmers. New Act has cited as Seeds act No 22 of 2003. This is an act to regulate the quality of seeds and planting materials. The formation of National Seed Council with the Secretary to the Agriculture ministry as the sole authority to certify seeds and with out their certification, any one can produce, sell and propagate any seeds in the country. The major challenge of new seed bill as far as we see is that the facilitation to the domination and total monopoly of the seeds companies in the seeds market. The National Seeds Council may bought by Seeds companies and those seeds produced by the same companies would be introduced as eligible seeds. Then the rest of the seeds produced by our farmers, some farmer groups who practice to produce local seeds varieties, Indigenous Seeds Promotion groups no more eligible to produce seeds unless they get the certification from the National Seeds Council. Traditionally, our farmers used to keep the best seeds for their next term cultivation and did not depend on the out siders or even fellow farmers for their cultivation. Also, women played a vital role to propagate the seeds for next generation. Unless, they register under the National Seeds Council, those women and farmers groups could be illegible under this bill. We as NAFSO expect to discuss the pros and cons of the act and take appropriate actions among NAFSO related farmer groups and more. The PARL is one forum we want to take action on this. Herman

Kabul Declaration- Food Sovereignty Network South Asia

We the citizens of South Asia, representatives of governments, human rights
organizations, members of civil societies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and
Pakistan, met in Kabul on June 22nd and 23rd 2011, in a regional workshop on VGRF,
ICARRD and MDG-1 guidelines organized by Food Sovereignty Network South Asia
(FSNSA) and Afghanistan Human Rights Organization (AHRO).
We strongly advocate for Food Sovereignty, a development model which incorporates the
right of individuals, communities, peoples and countries to define their own agricultural,
labor, fishing, food and land policies, which are ecologically, socially, economically and
culturally appropriate to their unique/diverse circumstances.
Food Sovereignty includes the true right to food and to produce food, which means that
all people have the right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and to foodproducing
resources and the ability to sustain themselves and their societies. Food
security is an integral part of food sovereignty but is incomplete without the holistic
approach of food sovereignty.
This Declaration represents the collective will of the participants present to work for
promotion of right to food and all other human rights. We embrace sustainable
development for the definitive eradication of poverty and the betterment of the lives of all
people in the region, particularly those living in poverty and without rights, those
suffering injustice and the effects of conflict and discrimination. When the world is
facing unprecedented food price crisis, worst recession, when climate change concerns
are intensifying and when global demands for Food Sovereignty is gaining momentum;
we, the above representatives of various countries demand the followings:
 Constitutionalise Food Sovereignty as a fundamental right and uphold it as the
alternative development paradigm
 Operationalise Food Sovereignty by implementing genuine agrarian reform,
genuine fisheries, forestry and pastoral reforms, which will ensure gender justice
and the rights of women to own land and productive resources.
 Protect and promote local industries/small industries through appropriate policy
measures and ensure sustained employment for the citizens, respect labour rights.
 Men and Women working in the unorganized sector should receive appropriate
protection from the state which will allow them to live with dignity.
 Ensure proper implementation of Food security programmes of the government
with transparency and participation of the community.
 End gender discriminations and all forms of discriminations (Class, caste, ethnic
etc). Acknowledge and realize rights of indigenous people, Dalits, minorities and
other vulnerable groups to determine their livelihoods and to access natural
resources immediately.
 End gender discrimination at all levels, starting from household and ensure right
to food of women.
 Resist imperialist globalization, fundamentalism, feudalism, patriarchy,
militarization, which increase food crisis for poor and ensure peace
 Sensitise and motivate state actors about Food Sovereigntry and fully realize
Right to Food (RTF).
 Aware larger communities about human rights, in particular right to food.
 Stop land grabbing and encroachment on properties.
 Ensure human rights of victims of war/internal conflicts.
 Ensure Right to Food, Right to Water and Right to Health for displaced and
particularly for slum dwellers in urban areas. Stop eviction in both rural and urban
areas and adopt appropriate policies to reduce distressed migration. If eviction is
unavoidable, comply with guidelines of adequate compensation and rehabilitation
to the victims as elaborated in UN Guideline on eviction, compensation and
rehabilitation.
 Prioritise people over profit. Put those who produce, distribute and consume food
at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and
corporations.
 Ensure market access for the poor and marginalized people, and fair price for their
harvests.
 Ensure climate justice by endorsing the People’s Protocol on Climate Change,
which provides the framework of peoples demands of social justice, sovereignty,
respect for the environment, gender justice and call for an economic system that is
sovereign, socially just, democratic and ecologically sustainable.
 Ensure development of pro-people disaster management plan in line with food
sovereignty principles.
 Ensure free movement of people across borders (Visa free South Asia) and ensure
transportation of food across borders without hurdles.
 Promote strong and vibrant grassroots governance and strong networking among
NGOs/CSOs and social movements at national and regional levels to realise food
sovereignty.
 Ensure appropriate revision/reform of legal framework/policies to create
conducive climate for full realization of all human rights.
We the participants of this workshop fully acknowledge the role of social and human
rights movements in the countries to promote food sovereignty, by doing effective
advocacy and lobby work with state authorities. We demand genuine political will of the
state for upholding Food Sovereignty as the peoples’ alternative development for food
production and distribution, and for national and international trade and investment
policies. We call for end of Hunger now and realization of food sovereignty in South
Asia. We would work towards this end in a responsible and accountable way.

Dakar Appeal against the Land Grab

Sign the appeal here!



We, farmers organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, unions and other social movements, gathered in Dakar for the World Social Forum 2011:



Considering that small and family farming, which represent most of the world's farmers, are best placed to:

meet their dietary needs and those of populations, ensuring food security and sovereignty of countries,

provide employment to rural populations and maintain economic life in rural areas, key to a balanced territorial development,

produce with respect to the environment and to the conservation of natural resources for future generations;

Considering that recent massive land grabs targeting tens of millions of acres for the benefit of private interests or third states - whether for reasons of food, energy, mining, environment, tourism, speculation or geopolitics - violate human rights by depriving local, indigenous, peasants, pastoralists and fisher communities of their livelihoods, by restricting their access to natural resources or by removing their freedom to produce as they wish, and exacerbate the inequalities of women in access and control of land;

Considering that investors and complicit governments threaten the right to food of rural populations, that they condemned them to suffer rampant unemployment and rural exodus, that they exacerbate poverty and conflicts and contribute to the loss of agricultural knowledge and skills and cultural identities ;
Considering also that the land and the respect of human rights are firstly under the jurisdiction of national parliaments and governments, and they bear the greatest share of responsibility for these land grabs;

We call on parliaments and national governments to immediately cease all massive land grabs current or future and return the plundered land. We order the government to stop oppressing and criminalizing the movements of struggle for land and to release activists detained. We demand that national governments implement an effective framework for the recognition and regulation of land rights for users through consultation with all stakeholders. This requires putting an end to corruption and cronyism, which invalidates any attempt of shared land management.

We demand that governments, the Regional Unions of States, FAO and other national and international institutions immediately implement the commitments that were made at the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD) of 2006, namely securing land rights of users, the revival of agrarian reform process based on a fair access to natural resources and rural development for the welfare of all. We ask that the elaboration process of the FAO Guidelines on Governance of Land andNatural Resources be strengthened, and that they are based on Human Rights as defined in the various charters and covenants - these rights being effective only if binding legal instruments are implemented at the national and international level to impose on the states compliance with their obligations. Moreover, each state has to be held responsible for the impact of its policies or activities of its companies in the countries targeted by the investments. Similarly, we must reaffirm the supremacy of Human Rights over international trade and finance regimes, which are sources of speculation on natural resources and agricultural goods.
Meanwhile, we urge the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) to definitively reject the World Bankprinciples for responsible agricultural investment (RAI), which are illegitimate and inadequate to address the phenomenon, and to include the commitments of the ICARRD as well as the conclusions of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) in its Global Framework for Action.

We demand that states, regional organizations and international institutions guarantee people's right to land and support family farming and agro-ecology. Appropriate agricultural policies should consider all different types of producers (indigenous peoples, pastoralists, artisanal fishermen, peasants, agrarian reformbeneficiaries) and answer specifically to the needs of women and youth.

Finally, we invite people and civil society organisations everywhere to support - by all human, media, legal, financial or popular means possible - all those who fight against land grabs and to put pressure on national governments and international institutions to fulfil their obligations towards the rights of people.


We all have a duty to resist and to support the people who are fighting for their dignity!
--
La Via Campesina
1 April 2011

National Consultation on Food Sovereignty in Sri Lanka

I am posting a belated report of Food Sovereignty as NAFSO joined the Food Sovereignty Net Work in Sri Lanka. Finally, the role of coordination also on NAFSO as an added responsibility.
I am posting this report as it is important work within NAFSO.

Herman
National Consultation on Food Sovereignty in Sri Lanka on 26th January 2011, at NAFSO training center, Negombo.

Hosted by NAFSO and supported by FSNSA & IMSE Kolkota –India.

List of participants: Please see below in the report.

The group agreed to the definition of Food Sovereignty as confirmed at Nyelini Declaration.

Program Process:
Geetha Lakmini of NAFSO welcome the group and set the objectives why we are gathered here today.
She mentioned the importance of International solidarity while uniting as a national body who are concern and concretely engage in food sovereignty activities in our own sectors.

Mr. Biplab Halim, the director of IMSE, India shared how the FS is important to South Asians as the worst affected region in the world on food soaring crisis. He emphasized that the solution is not with the exploiters of the mother earth and it is with the small farmers, fishers and small food producers have the prime responsibility on protection and sustain the earth.

Then the various sectoral issues in relation to the FS were presented by panelists. There were 6 Panel Presentations on agriculture, fisheries, workers, health, women in all the sectors as well as National Policies and Food Sovereignty concerns in the country.

Panelist with there topics are as follows; :
1. FS on Women's dimensions - Padma Pushpakanthi- SAVISTHRI
2. FS issues on Food Producers
a. Fisheries- Herman kumara -NAFSO
b. Farmers - Sandun Thudugala –MONLAR

3. Issues of Workers on FS – Rohini Weerasinghe, - Kantha Shakthi

4. Health issues & FS- Sirimal Peiris (PHC)

5. Current National Policy Debates on FS- Sarath Fernando- MONLAR


Emerged issues in the Panel presentations and the peoples interventions are as follows;.
 Land grabbing at many parts of the country including the current issues at Panama at East and the grabbing of sea through leasing and selling of 14 islands at Kalpiiya.
 Privatization of water, land and sea,
 Violation of the rights of access of the food producers, as farmers, fishers and other producers.
 Tourism and the mega development projects promotion and losers of livelihood.
 Losers of indigenous seeds rights and MNC’s involvements.
 Introduction of genetically modified seeds and the foods.
 Violation of the decision making power of the productions methodologies of the farmers and fishers.
 Spreading mechanized boats and the methodologies for producing fish and the agricultural foods with rice and the vegetable too. Small producers with traditional methods and knowledge’s are marginalized.
 Losers of the land rights and displace people in N/E& plantation sector.
 Highly increase of the food prices and all the consumers are badly affected.
 Lost of the health of people and spreading deceases, people’s trust of the food security is badly losers.
 Food producers are badly affected by climate change and natural disatsers.
 Small producers rights on production, distribution, marketing and deciding price controlling are dominated by GO.
 Lack of follow up of the international agreements by GO regarding food sovereignty rights.
 Lack of acceptance of the traditional knowledge of the people for food production and the processing.
 Women are badly victimized from the present context.

Follow up of the Future Work.
 Build a active and strong movement with basic agreement of the national food production.
 Building and the promotion on the traditional food culture.
 Promote people’s unionization to raise the voice for gaining basic rights.
 Building and strengthening up the people against the capitalized structure.
 Promote the mechanisms for regenerating the mother earth.
 Promote education and communication skills among the net work among the people.

Immediate Action of Food Sovereignty Network of Sri Lanka.
 Building up against the chemical foods and the inconvenience input of the agriculture in national and the international levels,
 Integrate regional and the international campaign.
 To activate ongoing campaign and the activities against land and the water grabbing.
 Speed up the education campaign for the concept of the FS in our Own net works.
 Involve to change the policies which are detrimental to the people.
 Up date and enhance the knowledge of food sovereignty by the members of FSNSL,
 Building links between the consumers & producers directly.

Selected steering committee members of the FSNSL in Sri Lanka.

Committee members of the FSNSL
Geetha Lakmini, NAFSO
Sadun Thudugala.MONLAR.
Padma Pushpakanthi.-Savistri
Abdul Razak-Rural Women Front
Sriyani Pathirage- ,, ,, ,,.
Prabath Kumara.- Future in Our Hand.
Sirimal Peiris.-PHC.
Nanda Udaththawa, Women for Social Justice.
Ashoka Karunarathna. –People’s Health Protection.
Melina Kumary-Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women’s Organization.
Herman Kumara-NAFSO.

Report Prepared By Geetha and FInalized by Herman
2011 March 20