Tanzanian farmers are facing heavy prison sentences if they continue their traditional seed exchange!
In
order to receive development assistance, Tanzania has to give Western
agribusiness full freedom and give enclosed protection for patented
seeds. “Eighty percent of the seeds are being shared and sold in an
informal system between neighbors, friends and family. The new law
criminalizes the practice in Tanzania,” says Michael Farrelly of
TOAM, an organic farming movement in Tanzania.
Brutal
corporate onslaught against third world - Part 3 - Ownership for
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“Intellectual
property rights ensure that farmers have better access to
technology”, claims Kinyua M’Mbijjewe, head of Corporate
Affairs in Africa for Syngenta. Syngenta is a Swiss company that
produces seeds and agrochemicals alongside Yara, one of the two
largest players in the private sector in the NAFSN.
“A
company that wants to invest wants to be sure that its technology is
protected. African farmers have been sharing, bartering and trading
their seeds as a form of tradition. For farmers who want to continue
to do so, it is important that they have that choice.” Kinyua
M’Mbijjewe claims not to be aware that the Tanzanian legislation no
longer allows that freedom of choice. This is strange, since Syngenta
is one of the companies that is part of the leadership council of the
NAFSN, meaning that they negotiate directly with the partners about
the changes in legislation which must be met in exchange for aid.
Nevertheless,
according to the Tanzanian Government, the legislation never intended
to penalize small-scale farmers, only to protect their property
rights – that is, if they patent their own seeds.
“But
who’s going to sell non-certified seeds? Small-scale farmers do not
have the means to get a patent for their seeds”, says Janet
Maro.
“The
government is working on a revision of the seed legislation. We hope
that they will add an exception for small-scale farmers and will
expand the Quality Declared Seed System,” says Michael
Farrelly.
The Quality
Declared Seed System gives quality guarantee for seed. It is a kind
of compromise, because quality is cheaper and easier to obtain than a
patent.
Currently, a
farmer is allowed to sell recognized seeds in only three surrounding
villages, but the government says it wants to expand this at the
district level with the new legislation. “That way, the seeds
could be sold in seventy villages, which is economically viable,”
says Farrelly.
Source:
Big corporations are grabbing huge
cultivable areas especially in the developing countries in order
to control food production.
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