[asia-apec 1837] Trade Rules Threaten African Farmers' Rights!

[Anuradha Mittal]

ADVOCACY NETWORK ON AFRICA (ADNA)
AFRICA TRADE POLICY WORKING GROUP

URGE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO COSPONSOR
The Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous Communities of
Africa Resolution
(The AFRICA Resolution - H. CON. RES. 260)

Trade rules threaten African farmers’ rights!
Backed by WTO laws over Patents and Intellectual Property 
Rights, drafted with strong input from U.S. trade negotiators, 
multinational corporations are increasingly laying claim to food crops 
and medicinal plants in developing countries that have been used by 
farmers and local communities for countless generations. Patents on 
African agricultural resources threaten the ability of local farmers to 
freely safeguard,access, use, save, exchange and sell their seeds and 
crops. Patents put local food security and farm income at risk by taking 
control of traditional resources away from local farmers. Small scale 
farmers in Africa fear that commercial monopolization of agricultural 
resources by outside interests together with the promotion of 
herbicides, pesticides
and other industrialized agricultural inputs by those same 
parties may cause long-term harm to bio-diversity. They also fear that 
these practices will encourage an industrial type of agriculture ill 
suited to their own farming practices and patterns of land ownership.

The AFRICA Resolution

On Nov 2nd, 2001, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA35) introduced  the "AFRICA
resolution:" Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous
Communities of Africa (H. Con. Res. 260) to uphold the rights of African 
farmers over their seeds and food crops. Based on an initiative by the 
organization of African unity, the AFRICA resolution expresses the sense 
of congress, that African farmers’ rights to safeguard, access, use, 
exchange and share their agricultural and biological resources should be 
upheld under international trade law. The resolution is consistent with 
the position of the Africa Group of delegates to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) that seeds, plants, crops and other agricultural
genetic resources should not be patented.

Help protect African farmers’ rights!  Please contact your Congressional 
Representative immediately.  Urge her/him to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 260 
- the AFRICA resolution.

* Contact your representative by phone at 202/224-3121
* Or write to your representative at: U.S. House of Representatives .
Washington, DC 20515

You can view the full text of the AFRICA Resolution on the Africa Faith 
& Justice Network web site at http://afjn.cua.edu

Please feel free to use the sample letter on the reverse side of this
page.

----------------------------------

Sample Letter to Congress

Representative _____________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative _________________,

Please cosponsor the Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous
Communities of Africa Resolution (H. Con. Res. 260). This resolution
upholds the rights of African farmers to freely safeguard, access, use, 
save, exchange and sell their seeds and crops.

International trade rules permit corporations and individuals to patent 
agricultural and natural resources. This practice threatens the ability 
of African farmers to ensure their food security, livelihoods and 
culture, and to safeguard Africa’s bio-diversity. Their right to control 
and use their own seeds, crops and plants according to the customs of 
generations must be upheld under international law.

Agricultural resources are part of the common heritage of humankind.
Please protect African farmers’ rights by cosponsoring H. Con. Res. 260.

Respectfully,


----------------------------------
The AFRICA Resolution has been referred in the House to both the
International Relations Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.

--
Kathleen McNeely
Program Associate - Africa Issues
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
P.O. Box 29132
Washington DC 20017
Tel: 202-832-1780 / Fax: 202-832-5195

For more information, to order Food First Books,or to join our member-supported organization, go to:
http://www.foodfirst.org.  
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Food First, 398 60th St. Oakland, CA 94618

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