By Faiza Ilyas

KARACHI: Organisations representing farmers have strongly opposed the Pakistan Amended Seed Act, 2014 that, they said, is a violation of farmers’ fundamental rights and has been passed by the National Assembly at the behest of American multinational seed manufacturing companies.

The act was passed by the National Assembly a day earlier.

“Under this law, farmers would be fined and imprisoned for preserving, selling and exchanging seeds, a tradition that has been in vogue for centuries. It’s a grave injustice to millions of small and landless farmers whose food insecurity would be aggravated by this law,” said Raja Majeed, national coordinator of Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek, an alliance of small and landless farmers.

The law, he said, made it mandatory for farmers to buy seeds from a licensed company or its agent and that they had to do so every time they cultivated a new crop. This, he said, would create a monopoly of companies and make farmers dependent on them.

According to him, the experience of growing genetically modified (GM) crops, for instance Bt cotton, has been disastrous in the country and the government’s intention to promote them through this law is unfortunate.

“It’s a failure because it a water demanding crop meant for colder areas and is ready for harvest near November. That means we can’t grow wheat on time. Many European countries have banned GM crops because of their severe adverse impact on the environment and we should have done the same,” he said.

Reiterating the farmers’ stance on the matter, he said they stood firm and would take legal action against this new act.

The Joint Director of Roots for Equity, Wali Haider, said how the National Assembly could pass such a law when the subject of agriculture had been passed to provinces.

“The draft of this law was first presented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and later in the Punjab Assembly. In both provinces, the governments had to face strong resistance from farmers and it was decided that the matter would be forwarded to the National Assembly,” he said.

Citing newspaper reports, he added that farmers’ resistance forced all provincial assemblies to pass a special resolution authorising the federal government to amend the seed act and retain it as a federal subject.

“In 1995, the extremely anti-people, anti-farmer World Trade Organisation (WTO) was formed much against the will of the people, globally. A major reason for people protesting against the formation of the WTO was the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) which demanded patent rights on seeds as well as all other new technologies.

“Today, just over 20 years later, Pakistan has amended its seed laws to comply with the monopolistic demands of mega agro-chemical corporations such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Pioneer and others,” he explained.

The cost of the seed, he said, would be borne by small and landless farmers who were already burdened by huge agricultural production costs such as of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and other market-driven agricultural inputs.

“Billions of farmers across the globe are suffering from aggressive neo-colonial legislation imposed by the WTO and corporate agriculture monopolistic giants. Policies range from allowing corporate land grab in Pakistan to aggressive imports of agriculture related technologies ranging from genetic engineering, animal husbandry and the so-called green economy,” he said.

Mr Wali believed that the legislation had been enacted to appease the US whose agriculture department had been complaining about the lack of intellectual property rights for its genetically modified seeds in the country and had urged the government to amend its seed and other intellectual property rights laws.

“No doubt today, with the passing of the seed amendment act, the country has lost an important pillar of its sovereignty. The Plant Breeders’ Rights Act is also pending in the National Assembly and it appears that it would also be passed by the house,” he regretted.

Expressing similar reservations, Nasir Aziz, a policy officer on sustainable livelihood with ActionAid Pakistan said that it was strange that the government had given a free hand to companies under the law while farmers had been threatened with fines and imprisonment if they were found to have seeds.

“Farmers’ right to conserve, sale and exchange seeds has been taken away under this law. It is silent on guarantees on seed germination and has no mechanism for taking legal action against a company if its seeds fail to produce desired results,” he said, raising questions over the law’s implementation in provinces.

Upon contact, Mehmood Nawaz of the Sindh Abadgar Board expressed ignorance over the recent enactment of the law and said the government couldn’t deprive farmers of their fundamental rights.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1170209/farmers-most-affected-by-new-law-on-seeds

http://news.ptv.com.pk/khabarnama_flv_player.asp?name=KHABARNAMA%2016-03-2015&vid=29&desp=.&imge=khabranama.jpg

The Pakistan Amended Seed Act 2014 was approved in the National Assembly on March 16, 2015. This is very unfortunate and extremely tragic news for millions of small and landless farmers of Pakistan. PTV Cannel has released the news through its script coverage (trigger) on the bottom of TV screen. No other media news has as yet provided information on the approval of the Pakistan Amended Seed Act 2014.

In 1995, the extremely anti-people, anti-farmer World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed much against the will of the people, globally. A major reason for people protesting against the formation of the WTO was the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) which demanded patent rights on seeds as well as all other new technologies.

Today just over 20 years later, Pakistan has amended its seed laws to comply with the monopolistic demands of mega agro-chemical corporations such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Pioneer and others.

The cost of the seed bill will be borne by the small and landless farmers who are already burdened by huge agricultural production costs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticide and other market driven agricultural inputs.

Billions of farmers across the globe suffering from aggressive neo-colonial legislation pounded by the WTO and corporate agriculture monopolistic giants. Policies range from brutal measures adopted for corporate land grab in Pakistan, to aggressive imports of agriculture related technologies ranging from genetic engineering, animal husbandry, green economy (such as solar tube wells, biogasse plants, hydroponics, etc) are all being pushed on poor third world countries.

Pakistan is no exception. From aggressive land grab in many parts of the country to now the approval of the Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014, the agricultural sector, the life line of the country is under terrible ambush from the capitalist countries.

The Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014 is the desire of transnational corporations such as Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta. The United States Agriculture Department has many times stated the lack of intellectual property to its genetically modified seeds in the country, urging the country to amend its seed and other intellectual property right laws.

The Plant Breeders Rights Act is also pending in the National Assembly and no doubt will soon follow the same path as the Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014: another blow to the meager livelihood of farmers.

According to DAWN news, the Mr Sikander Bosan Minister for National Food Security and Research, a new seed laws are needed to fulfill the needs of the modern seed industry; of course the modern industry is entirely in the hands of the big corporate giants.

Roots for Equity has been opposing the grotesque corporate agricultural policies being inflicted on Pakistani agriculture and struggling farmers in the country since its inception in 1997. An alliance of small and landless farmers namely, the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek formed in 2008 has also stringently rejected the bill and has been demonstrating again the Bill (which has been various shapes in the past years. But the so called democratic system in Pakistan under first the Zardari government and now Nawaz Sharif have obeyed the order of their ‘masters’ in the imperialist countries of the North.

No doubt today, with the passing of the Seed Amendment Bill 2014, the country has lost an important pillar of its sovereignty.

However, history of nations are not written by the signing of laws by oppressive forces but the strength of the peoples determination, voices and actions. It is the peoples’ struggle which will overthrow imperialist powers and put in place genuine peoples democracy in the country!

According to the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek, they stand firm against the new Act and will take various actions against the grotesque law, which will intensify pauperization of farmers.

In 1995, the extremely anti-people, anti-farmer World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed much against the will of the people, globally. A major reason for people protesting against the formation of the WTO was the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) which demanded patent rights on seeds as well as all other new technologies.

Today just over 20 years later, Pakistan has amended its seed laws to comply with the monopolistic demands of mega agro-chemical corporations such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Pioneer and others.

The cost of the seed bill will be borne by the small and landless farmers who are already burdened by huge agricultural production costs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticide and other market driven agricultural inputs.

Billions of farmers across the globe suffering from aggressive neo-colonial legislation pounded by the WTO and corporate agriculture monopolistic giants. Policies range from brutal measures adopted for corporate land grab in Pakistan, to aggressive imports of agriculture related technologies ranging from genetic engineering, animal husbandry, green economy (such as solar tube wells, biogasse plants, hydroponics, etc) are all being pushed on poor third world countries.

Pakistan is no exception. From aggressive land grab in many parts of the country to now the approval of the Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014, the agricultural sector, the life line of the country is under terrible ambush from the capitalist countries.

The Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014 is the desire of transnational corporations such as Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta. The United States Agriculture Department has many times stated the lack of intellectual property to its genetically modified seeds in the country, urging the country to amend its seed and other intellectual property right laws.

The Plant Breeders Rights Act is also pending in the National Assembly and no doubt will soon follow the same path as the Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014: another blow to the meager livelihood of farmers.

According to DAWN news, the Mr Sikander Bosan Minister for National Food Security and Research, a new seed laws are needed to fulfill the needs of the modern seed industry; of course the modern industry is entirely in the hands of the big corporate giants.

Roots for Equity has been opposing the grotesque corporate agricultural policies being inflicted on Pakistani agriculture and struggling farmers in the country since its inception in 1997. An alliance of small and landless farmers namely, the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek formed in 2008 has also stringently rejected the bill and has been demonstrating again the Bill (which has been various shapes in the past years. But the so called democratic system in Pakistan under first the Zardari government and now Nawaz Sharif have obeyed the order of their ‘masters’ in the imperialist countries of the North.

No doubt today, with the passing of the Seed Amendment Bill 2014, the country has lost an important pillar of its sovereignty.

However, history of nations are not written by the signing of laws by oppressive forces but the strength of the peoples determination, voices and actions. It is the peoples’ struggle which will overthrow imperialist powers and put in place genuine peoples democracy in the country!

According to the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek, they stand firm against the new Act and will take various actions against the grotesque law, which will intensify pauperization of farmers.

December 7, 2014

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) rejects the Draft Seed Bill 2014 that was tabled on August 18, 2014 by the Federal Minster for National Food Security and Research. The Minister has stated that a more modern seed law is required for modern realities in the country and the laws that are present at the moment are backward.

It would not be incorrect to state that the new seeds that are being introduced in the market are ‘owned’ by mega seed and biotechnology corporations, and seed laws are being promoted to protect their profits. Corporations like Monsanto and Syngenta have captured the global seed market that is worth millions of dollars. Only Monsanto controls 87% of the genetic seed market. PKMT fully believes that the draft Seed Act 2014 is being pushed to protect the interests of these corporations so that they have absolute freedom to sell genetically engineered (GE) seeds, crops and foods in Pakistan. It is worth noting that Europe is vehemently opposing GE products. Prince Charles of England has stated that GE crops are the biggest environmental disaster of all times. Countries like Germany and France that are at the height of technological development refuse to produce and consume GE crops and foods.

China has also refused production of GE rice and corn. Russian Prime Minister has clearly stated that they will not allow GE crops in Russian. It is clear that the biggest production of GE crops and products are in the US and that is of course because they have the biggest biotechnology firms such as Monsanto. These corporations with full cooperation of the US government have forced US citizens to eat GE foods. There are 64 countries globally that have laws for labeling genetic foods but not in the US. The GE product market is suffering a setback in the industrialized world and hence seed corporations are increasing their attention on third world countries like Pakistan. New seed laws are being pushed in many countries in Asia and Africa. Various US government agencies such as US AID and USDA are also pushing governments to adopt laws that provide market access to their seed corporations. According to them, adoption of new GE seeds would allow combating hunger and food security for the increasing population, as well increase the economic well-being of nations. It is clear that the government of Pakistan is also following the advice promoted by the US.

PKMT clearly considers that the draft Seed Act 2014 as an imperialist imposition. We can only strengthen our economy by adopting principles of sovereignty. If we want to increase food production for the Pakistani people, provide decent livelihood for our workers, than the first action is equitable distribution of land in the country. No doubt, based on sustainable development and the seed sovereignty as a principle the use and multiplication of traditional seeds is the best course of action.

PKMT demands that the government of Pakistan, instead of safe guarding the interests and profits of the mega transnational corporate seed sector it should protect and promote the rights of small and landless farmers that constitute the back bone of our economy.

November 21, 2014

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity strongly condemns the recent move by the federal government to give control of the seed sector to the multinational companies.

The proposed Seed Amendment Bill 2014 was tabled in the National Assembly on August 8, 2014 introduced by Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan. According to the minister “the amendment to the Seed Act 1976 was required as the act in its present form does not fulfill the requirement of modern seed industry.”

 In other words, the earlier Act does not fulfill the wishes of the multinational corporations. The proposed Seed Amendment Bill 2014 in essence hands over food sovereignty to transnational agrochemical corporations. It is important to point out that the 18^th Amendment made Agriculture a provincial subject based on which earlier in the year the KPK and the Punjab government moved a provincial Seed Bills in their respective assemblies; In July through a special resolution the provinces authorized the federal government to be responsible for the enacting legislation on the Seed Act. The provinces got their provincial autonomy after long hard fight, so why did they hand over a critical part of this right to the federal government? Further, the KPK government, which in essence is challenging the federal government in every aspect, has willingly handed over the Seed Act to them. It is clear that the elitist political parties really have no interest in guarding the most oppressed.

The draft seed act is a prime example of obedience of our governments, federal and provincial, to rich countries and their transnational corporations. In this case, the dictation of agro-chemical corporations such as Monsanto, Pioneer, and Syngenta is responsible for the draft Seed Act 2014. The US State Department, in a 2013 statement, has said that Pakistan has made “no tangible progress” in protecting agricultural intellectual property rights (IPRs), (which is needed under the World Trade Organization, TRIPs agreement). It also does not enforce IPRs for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This, it said “deterred US seed companies from entering the Pakistani Market.”

The proposed amended seed bill, which is in compliance with TRIPs, guarantees the private sector taking control over the livelihood of small farmers and is one of the most anti-farmer international law in third world countries such as Pakistan. Such a disastrous step will certainly worsen food insecurity in Pakistan.

The draft seed act states “the genetically modified variety shall have no adverse effect on the environment, human, animal or plant life or health.” If that is the case, why have France and Germany been the most prominent EU countries that have put restrictions on GMOs? Both these countries are one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world. Russia and China have also banned various forms of GMOs.

The people of Pakistan, particularly small and landless farmers demand the same protection of their livelihood, health and food as the more advanced nations of the world. Farmers in Pakistan are being forced to become pawns of the corporate seed sector. This is imperialism is at its best! Farmers will never allow corporations to control our seeds, the basis of our livelihood.”

October 16, 2014

The Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek’s Khyber Pakhtunkwa Chapter held its
provincial assembly in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkwa. The theme was “*Apna
Beej Ugae Gae, Companiyo ko Bhagaye Gae* (We Will Grow Our Own Seeds, and
Chase Away Corporations)! No to the Draft Seed Act”. More than a 100
farmers gathered from various distrits to attend the Assembly which had
been held on October 16, celebrated by the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) as the World Food Day. But for many years the day has
been marked as the World Foodless Day by Asian peasants, and PKMT also
marked it as the World Hunger Day.

Many of the PKMT leaders including Raja Mujeeb, National Coordinator, Tariq
Mahmood, Provincial Coordinator KPK, Provincial Coordinator Punjab Zahoor
Joya and Reham Nawaz, District Coordinator Haripur spoke at the assembly.
According to them, the world continues to suffer from hunger and
malnutrition because of extreme inequities in land distribution and more
and more control over agricultural production held by mega transnational
corporations.

Raja Mujeeb stated though the world food production was more than adequate,
but due to corporate led food production and distribution system, the world
in general, and Pakistan in particular is facing rising levels of food
insecurity. According to the draft Food and Nutrition Security Act, 60% of
households suffer from food insecurity; nearly 13.5 million children suffer
from different forms of malnutrition. According to Zahoor Joya, in a
country that was basically agrarian such high levels of hunger were
criminal; the government was accountable for the miserable situation of the
people.

Tariq Mahmood stated it was important to point out the immense control
being given to corporate agriculture was a major reason for rising hunger
in the country. The draft national seed act is an indication of the power
that transnational corporations hold in the making of the Pakisani
agriculture policy. The draft National Seed Act is actually to implement
the requirements of the Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPs) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Today,
nearly all hybrid and genetically modified seeds are owned by global
corporations of which Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow, Dupont, Bayer, and BASF are
the most powerful. The tabled seed act would allow only these mega
corporations to produce, and sell these seeds in the country. No farmer,
unless he/she files for registration would be allowed to grow seeds.

Azra Talat Sayeed, Roots for Equity provided a background on the corporate
control over seeds and the development of hybrid, high-yielding seeds and
now the introduction of the genetically modified seeds. She provided
information on the monopolistic profit seeking agenda of mega corporations
and their tightening grip over agricultural production.

Wali Haider, Root for Equity stated that if such a seed law was allowed in
the country, it would mean that farmers would be totally dependent on
corporations to provide them seed which could at any time result in seed
shortage leading to food shortages, hunger and famine.

Hakim Gul a PKMT activist from Sindh, narrated the very difficult situation
of peasants under feudalism where massive tracts of land were owned by a
handful of feudal lords. Peasants were forced to work on their land using
very expensive, chemical intensive agricultural inputs. As a result
peasants were living in acute poverty and indebtedness, barely being able
to afford two meals a day. All this was because of feudalism and now the
increasing corporate control in agriculture. Farmers across Sindh did not
have seeds today. Hakim Gul stressed that point that “we have grown and
produced the highest quality of seeds in this region for the past 7,000
years. Why should we the farmers of the Indus Valley Civilization give over
the control of our agriculture system to monopolistic imperialist
corporations? Reham Nawaz stated PKMT demands food sovereignty!”

Fayyaz Ahmed, PKMT member from Hattar provided the details of land grabbing
that was taking place in his area. He highlighted the role of the
parliamentarians in aiding and abetting the various schemes through which
land was grabbed. Instead of using land that was not being used for
agriculture, prime agriculture land has been taken by force.

In the open forum, Abdul Rasheed a farmer from Mansehra defined sustainable
agriculture. He stated that he was keeping his own seeds. He even had his
own oxen and refused to be dependent on chemical inputs such as urea and
DAP. According to him this was what sustainable agriculture meant. Another
landless peasant from Peshawar, Lal Jan stated that “the demands of PKMT
were equity and justice; we demand abolishing feudalism and corporate
control over our lands. It is a fight for justice. No doubt it will take
time but we will meet with success. No matter what our spoken language is,
farmers and workers are all one, and we are united.”

The Assembly passed the following resolutions:

1. The Federal Government must immediately stop further action on the
Draft Seed Act and take it back;

2. The control held by transnational corporations on Pakistani
Agricultural must be taken back;

3. Chemical intensive industrial agricultural production must be
replaced by biodiversity-based sustainable agriculture;

4. An equitable distribution of land must be implemented demolishing
feudalism;

5. The government should provide all support to small and landless
farmers so that they have control and access to land, seeds and other
productive resources;

6. Women must have equal space as farmers and small producers and have
the same rights as their counterparts;

7. All decision making with respect to agricultural production and
marketing must be in the hands of the small producers, enabling food
sovereignty;

At the end of the Assembly, the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek and Roots
for Equity took out a protest rally.

Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity

Download the Press Release PKMT Provincial Assembly, October 2014