People today are educated in a world with a wide and confusing
array of values and paradigms. I am currently reading Vandana Shiva's
new book, 'Stolen Harvest' In this book she traces the
paths taken by global corporates, very successfully, to dispossess
the peoples of the world of traditional farming values, practices and
livelihood. Until recently the age old practice of growing and
exchanging of seeds between farmers was the mainstay of agriculture.
This is now outlawed thru the World Trade Organisation. We have reached
the ridiculous situation where farmers can no longer grow and exchange
seeds but are forced to purchase and grow only seed from the seed
corporates. Varieties which have been developed over the centuries
to local bio-regional conditions are being swept aside for "high yield
varieties" which are dependant on massive irrigation schemes and acid
chemical fertilisers which burn the very life out of the soil.
Farmers now not only have no rights to grow their own or their
neighbour's seed, nor to refuse Round-up ready genetically engineered
seed, but are being prosecuted for allowing to grow such unwanted
seeds that have drifted into their fields.
What even is worse, or "the time to cry" as Bob Dylan says, is
that the US courts are finding such farmers guilty and issuing fines
100 times the price of the seed.
Such regressive happenings have been made possible via new
intellectual property rights laws which are the foundation of the WTO.
I am, therefore, astounded and saddened that so much talk is taking
place within organic and permaculture circles about intellectual
property rights being introduced as a basis for various income
projects.
Traditional knowledge was always a communal property. Just as we
say that our country and land belongs to us all, we can also say
that knowledge happens and grows only in common and cannot be
ethically mis-appropriated by any one individual, corporation or
organisation. No one gains knowledge in isolation and so it is my
belief that no-one can own such knowledge. Copyrights and patents
apply to products not processes and certainly not life processes
such as growing food and learning. And long may it be so.
Organic principles are life principles. They include and promote
all life. Strength of diversity in seed happens only from exchange.
Intellectual property rights are designed to exclude and homogenise.
I know of no organic principle that permits such exclusion. It is my
hope that people of the organic philosophy recognise this. The concept
of intellectual property rights is a function of dominant global
corporates who wish to control all of life for their profits and has
no place among community organisations who aim to promote life and
justice.
At the time of writing, we await a historical milestone in
New Zealand. The Royal G E Inquiry Report and actions to follow will
tell us a lot about our govt. Is this a govt of NZ, by and on behalf
of NZer's or is it still embedded in its submissive co-operation to
American corporates whose values expressed thru their course are the
very opposite of what decent Kiwi's hold which is where our independent
and sustainable future lies. We all hope that our ancient GE free
heritage lives on in our new millenium and new paradigm.
Having just compiled the Events Agenda for in this newsletter, I am
so glad that so much is happening. So many groups and people are doing so
much to share their knowledge and to herald the new world of natural
organic health. Over the next three months Seven Oaks has a whole
array of new evening courses; Lea is revamping our displays and
literature for our stall at Gardenz in October; the Winter Waste Fest
this year has a full range of workshops at the new Wastebusters
Education Centre and Resource Recovery Park; the Southern Seed Exchange
shall hold another seed swap in September; community gardens are soon
to employ a second person; Diana has a whole team of people to propagate
organic vege seedlings for our Sale of Organic Seedlings happening early
November; and there are heaps of meetings, talks, working bees and other
activities. And LATEST NEWS ***ORGANIC CELEBRATION*** at Seven Oaks Campus
again this year! Hooraaaaay!
I am confident that we are making good progress toward an Organic
Aotearoa 2020, towards an Organic Garden City and to a whole new world
in which our values and the organic principles are dominant and
our soils, water and air are treated with the reverence our life
source deserves.