>Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 01:33:28 -0700 (PDT) >From: Richard Sclove <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >MIME-version: 1.0 >Precedence: bulk >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: food insecurity for profit >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 17:55:25 -0400 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: food insecurity for profit > >-------------------------------------------------------- >>Monsanto is moving swiftly to finalize its control over the Terminator >>technology. The company may extract an exclusive license from the US >>Department of Agriculture (USDA) within weeks. RAFI is initiating an >>urgent internet-based international campaign to stop the USDA - >>Monsanto negotiations before it's too late. A special WWW page has been >>set up at http://www.rafi.org/usda.html to enable anyone with internet >>access to send a customized message to the USDA asking it to cease >>negotiations and bury this anti-farmer, anti-biodiversity technology. >>Additional contact details are provided below. >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >>A Monsanto subsidiary, Delta & Pine Land (D&PL), is currently >>negotiating with the USDA to exclusively license the US Government's >>interest in the controversial Terminator technology patent, a genetic >>technique that renders farm-saved seed sterile. The seed-sterilizing >>technology - developed with US taxpayer dollars - will prevent farmers >>from saving seed from their harvest, forcing them to return to the >>commercial seed market every year. >> >>The Terminator patent (US # 5,723,765) is jointly owned by D&PL and the >>USDA. Under US law, since D&PL worked with USDA to develop the >>technology, the company has the option to negotiate an exclusive >>license. Hoping to find a gullible international public, Monsanto's PR >>machine in Brussels, New Delhi, Harare, St. Louis, and points in >>between, are massaging jittery governments and publicly trying to >>distance the company from the Terminator technology by referring to it >>as "conceptual" and "not yet proven." But the company's move to >>negotiate an exclusive license with USDA confirms that Monsanto is >>eager to commercialize Terminator seeds. >> >>Despite international controversy boiling over in at least two UN >>agencies rather than engage in public dialog, a leaked internal memo by >>Deputy Administrator K. Darwin Murrell reveals that USDA hopes to >>quietly manage controversy over the patent. The memo warns USDA >>employees that Terminator research is "a sensitive issue that requires >>an extra level of review" to help "avoid potential political and legal >>pitfalls." But the USDA insists that the Terminator is a beneficial >>technology and confirms that its scientists are themselves interested >>in developing the seed sterilizing technique as platform to host a >>package of "stacked" traits in genetically engineered plants. >> >> >>SAY NO TO TERMINATOR! >> >>RAFI invites you to join an international e-mail campaign being >>initiated today to protest the licensing and commercial development of >>the Terminator technology. RAFI has set up a special web page >>(http://www.rafi.org/usda.html) that automatically sends a customized >>e-mail to US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman (also see address >>information below). We urge you to write to US Department of >>Agriculture officials to demand that USDA cease licensing negotiations >>and abandon all international patent applications on a dangerous and >>immoral technology that should never see the commercial light of day. >> >>RAFI is urging government institutions to hold public inquiries on the >>alarming rate of seed industry consolidation, and to take steps to >>safeguard - not eliminate - the fundamental right of farmers to save >>seed and breed crops. >> >>RAFI is also calling for protest over the fact that public research >>funds were used to develop a technology that will bring no agronomic >>benefit to farmers, and no benefits to consumers. The Terminator >>technology is designed simply to increase seed industry profits by >>forcing farmers to return to the commercial seed market every year. >> >> >>Global Issue >> >>The potential impact of the Terminator technology goes far beyond US >>borders. It is an international issue, with global implications. Delta >>& Pine Land says that it will target the use of Terminator seeds in the >>South, where over 1.4 billion people - primarily poor farmers - depend >>on farm-saved seed as their primary seed source. Monsanto, which >>recently merged with American Home Products, is the world's second >>largest seed corporation and the number one agrochemical corporation. >> >>The owners of the Terminator patent have indicated that they will apply >>for patents in 87 countries worldwide. The patent is pending at the >>European Patent Office, in Canada, Australia, Japan and South Africa. >>USDA should be asked to abandon all international patent applications, >>and to revoke Terminator patents that have already issued, on the basis >>of public morality as provided in Article 27(2) of GATT TRIPS. >> >>The Terminator technology is the subject of controversy and debate >>worldwide. For example: >> >>* In May, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological >>Diversity (COP IV) recommended that the precautionary principle be >>applied to the Terminator technology. COP IV also directed its >>scientific body to examine the technology's impact on farmers and >>biodiversity. In light of the Biodiversity Convention's ongoing >>assessment, USDA should cease negotiations that will lead to its >>commercial development. >> >>* India's agriculture minister Som Pal told the Indian parliament in >>August that he has banned the import of seeds containing the terminator >>gene because of the potential harm to Indian agriculture. >> >>* By majority vote, the Dutch Parliament recently moved to oppose the >>European Patent Directive by appealing to the European Court of >>Justice. The Terminator patent is one of the key issues that prompted >>the Dutch to renew objections to the Patent Directive that was passed >>by the European Parliament earier this year. >> >>Negotiations between USDA and Monsanto are now underway, it is >>important to act now! Stop Monsanto's bid to license and control the >>dangerous Terminator technology. E-mail messages and/or faxes should be >>sent to the following USDA officials and members of Congress. To see >>sample letters, and automatic sending options, go to RAFI's web site: >>http://www.rafi.org/usda.html >> >
