Seed swaps: illegal soon?
The EU directives on the marketing of seeds and plant propagating material are currently being reviewed. 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.
Industrial crops instead of farm bred varieties
Gardeners, farmers and growers exchange their seeds because of their interest in old, rare or particular varieties of vegetables and crops. However, for some of them, seed swaps and seed exchange might soon become illegal. The new EU seed law foreshadows huge administrative hurdles and strong biological limitations. In the future, growers who want to pass on their own seeds or other propagating material will have to register as “operators”. Also, the plants will have to undergo "registration". These tests are designed for industrial varieties; most old and rare varieties are not able to fulfil the registration criteria for biological reasons.
Good taste & choice
Biodiversity matters. It ensures the diversity of tastes - tastes you might remember from the childhood. Also, diversity ensures quality products and enlargens the range of choice.
Conclusion
These restrictive criteria exclude old and rare varieties from the market and lead to further industrialisation of agriculture, which harms small farmers and local producers. The regulation limits the choice for consumers. Many old and rare varieties could be lost forever.
We find this unacceptable. Do you?
Here you will find information on how you can take action.
ARCHE NOAH (Noha’s Ark), a seed savers’ organisation in Austria, and its 10,000 members, find the current draft of the new EU seed legislation unacceptable and call for more sustainable and inclusive seed legislation in Europe.
Source: http://seedpolicy.arche-noah.at/en/eu-seed-law
Views: 128
Replies
See also:
"Regulation on Marketing of Plant Reproductive Material goes before the EU commissioners on May 6th 2013
"If passed it would mean no seed can be sold, or potentially even given for free, to anyone anywhere in the EU unless it is registered on the EU Plant List as an ‘approved’ variety. This would effectively outlaw Heritage seeds in the EU. (see ‘more’section below)
If you are a Twitter user please use #saveseed when tweeting on this. Please also share this page on your Facebook."
http://open-seeds.org/bad-seed-law/
thanks,
read, noted, disgusted, forwarding through facebook and will email a few europratts over the weekend.
This is very worrying. Expect patented food crops with the patent holders naming their price.
Posting on facebook too.
Dr Vandana Shiva talking on The future of Food and Seed production four years ago. It's an hour long but very relevant and well worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYwOTLopWIw
is this about 'food security' again where the big wigs need to 'secure' their mega profits while squeezing our natural given rights to grow food. think i might move to peru where they have just banned all monsanto products-yay!
did anyone read about this too?
http://americanlivewire.com/nestle-ceo-says-water-is-food-that-shou...
all getting very very silly on this planet : /
Another crazy EU Idea the sooner we have a refendum in UK for it the better. AS I can see little benefit for EU membership. People argue its good for trade but how as China, Japan, Russia and America are not in a EU structure and they manage to trade ok.
This is on a par with their ban on refillable olive oil jugs in restaurants. Loons.
There is very little publicity. Saturdays march against Monsanto had completely past me by until someone posted pictures on facebook. I've not seen, heard or read anything in the mainstream press.I don't think the public realise the how serious the implications of laws like this will be.
I saw that Nestle CEO's interview as well.. pure evil!