Bija Swaraj

Seed is vital to life. It is a priceless gift of nature, evolved, bred and used by farmers over thousands of years to produce food for the people. Farmers select, save and exchange the best seeds from a good crop to plant them again at the next sowing. Corporatisation of seed and agriculture is destroying the independence of the farmer.

The Indian Government, bowing to World Bank and W.T.O. pressures, is pushing through laws such as patent on plants and plant variety legislation that allow private monopoly over seed. Multinational corporations have already taken out patents on basmati and other rice varieties, corn, cotton, mustard, and other agricultural crops. Corporations like W.R. Grace have taken out patents on neem, and others have patents on turmeric, ginger, pepper, jeera, karela, jamun, brinjal, and other gifts of biodiversity.

Giant seed companies like Monsanto-Mahyco-Cargill Seeds, Pro-Agro, Novartis, Aventis, monopolise the seed and seek to criminalise seed saving and exchange by farmers.

Giant seed companies like Monsanto enslave farmers and drive them to suicide by introducing seed that forces farmers to use their chemicals. For example, Monsanto's Roundup Ready seed forces farmers to use Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.

Seed corporations like Monsanto are unleashing genetically-engineered seeds like Terminator, Bt Cotton, genetically engineered rice varieties, which could totally wipe out crop diversity, destroy beneficial species, create super weeds and super pests, create new health hazards for consumers, and totally destroy agriculture and food security.

Together, we can halt this catastrophe

Protect Seed Sovereignty and Community Rights to Biodiversity

Join the Lok Swaraj Movement to resist globalisation and assert people's sovereignty

Some suggested actions

• Write to your MP and MLA demanding that they do not support making laws that allow patents and plant variety legislation on seeds, plants, herbs and biodiversity.

• Use, save indigenous seed and establish community seed banks.

• Start vigorous exchange of seed.

• Cultivate for people, not for corporations. hold Bija Panchayat meetings to determine equitable seed sharing, use and management twice a year.

• Declare seed knowledge and biodiversity as your common heritage.

• Maintain Community Biodiversity Registers to fight intellectual property claims on biodiversity.

• Hold seed fairs and yatras in your region.

• Boycott hybrid seeds, genetically engineered seeds and agrichemicals.

• Form seed sovereignty watch committees or `Bija Nigrani Committee' to prevent the entry of hybrid and genetically-engineered seeds in your area.

• Declare your region a Freedom Zone - make agriculture in your area `patent-free', `chemical-free' and `free from genetic engineering'.