What's Happening To Our Seed?

In India, 70% of seed supply still originates from our farmers, enabling access and benefit sharing in agricultural biodiversity. But in industrialised countries, farmers have become increasingly dependent on seed corporations for their seed supply. The advent of IPRs in the context of Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) within India portends the beginning of seed monopolisation of seed companies, potentially signifying the erosion of farmers' rights.

Colonisation of Our Seed - A Threat to Our Freedom

In the last century, when foreign occupiers forced starving peasants of Bengal and Bihar to raise indigo, the peasants rose up in a series of "indigo revolts." Earlier in this century, two million people died of starvation in India while white rice was being exported by the British. In the subsequent Tebhaga uprising, the peasants declared, "We will give our life before giving our grains." Today, Indian peasants find their rights to their grains once more threatened by foreign powers, and once more, Indian society must resolutely defend their rights to utilise and grow what they choose.