-------------------------------------------------------- >Monsanto is moving swiftly to finalize its control over the Terminator >technology. The company may extract an exclusive license from the US >Department of Agriculture (USDA) within weeks. RAFI is initiating an >urgent internet-based international campaign to stop the USDA - >Monsanto negotiations before it's too late. A special WWW page has been >set up at http://www.rafi.org/usda.html to enable anyone with internet >access to send a customized message to the USDA asking it to cease >negotiations and bury this anti-farmer, anti-biodiversity technology. >Additional contact details are provided below. > ---------------------------------------------------------- > >A Monsanto subsidiary, Delta & Pine Land (D&PL), is currently >negotiating with the USDA to exclusively license the US Government's >interest in the controversial Terminator technology patent, a genetic >technique that renders farm-saved seed sterile. The seed-sterilizing >technology - developed with US taxpayer dollars - will prevent farmers >from saving seed from their harvest, forcing them to return to the >commercial seed market every year. > >The Terminator patent (US # 5,723,765) is jointly owned by D&PL and the >USDA. Under US law, since D&PL worked with USDA to develop the >technology, the company has the option to negotiate an exclusive >license. Hoping to find a gullible international public, Monsanto's PR >machine in Brussels, New Delhi, Harare, St. Louis, and points in >between, are massaging jittery governments and publicly trying to >distance the company from the Terminator technology by referring to it >as "conceptual" and "not yet proven." But the company's move to >negotiate an exclusive license with USDA confirms that Monsanto is >eager to commercialize Terminator seeds. > >Despite international controversy boiling over in at least two UN >agencies rather than engage in public dialog, a leaked internal memo by >Deputy Administrator K. Darwin Murrell reveals that USDA hopes to >quietly manage controversy over the patent. The memo warns USDA >employees that Terminator research is "a sensitive issue that requires >an extra level of review" to help "avoid potential political and legal >pitfalls." But the USDA insists that the Terminator is a beneficial >technology and confirms that its scientists are themselves interested >in developing the seed sterilizing technique as platform to host a >package of "stacked" traits in genetically engineered plants. > > >SAY NO TO TERMINATOR! > >RAFI invites you to join an international e-mail campaign being >initiated today to protest the licensing and commercial development of >the Terminator technology. RAFI has set up a special web page >(http://www.rafi.org/usda.html) that automatically sends a customized >e-mail to US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman (also see address >information below). We urge you to write to US Department of >Agriculture officials to demand that USDA cease licensing negotiations >and abandon all international patent applications on a dangerous and >immoral technology that should never see the commercial light of day. > >RAFI is urging government institutions to hold public inquiries on the >alarming rate of seed industry consolidation, and to take steps to >safeguard - not eliminate - the fundamental right of farmers to save >seed and breed crops. > >RAFI is also calling for protest over the fact that public research >funds were used to develop a technology that will bring no agronomic >benefit to farmers, and no benefits to consumers. The Terminator >technology is designed simply to increase seed industry profits by >forcing farmers to return to the commercial seed market every year. > > >Global Issue > >The potential impact of the Terminator technology goes far beyond US >borders. It is an international issue, with global implications. Delta >& Pine Land says that it will target the use of Terminator seeds in the >South, where over 1.4 billion people - primarily poor farmers - depend >on farm-saved seed as their primary seed source. Monsanto, which >recently merged with American Home Products, is the world's second >largest seed corporation and the number one agrochemical corporation. > >The owners of the Terminator patent have indicated that they will apply >for patents in 87 countries worldwide. The patent is pending at the >European Patent Office, in Canada, Australia, Japan and South Africa. >USDA should be asked to abandon all international patent applications, >and to revoke Terminator patents that have already issued, on the basis >of public morality as provided in Article 27(2) of GATT TRIPS. > >The Terminator technology is the subject of controversy and debate >worldwide. For example: > >* In May, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological >Diversity (COP IV) recommended that the precautionary principle be >applied to the Terminator technology. COP IV also directed its >scientific body to examine the technology's impact on farmers and >biodiversity. In light of the Biodiversity Convention's ongoing >assessment, USDA should cease negotiations that will lead to its >commercial development. > >* India's agriculture minister Som Pal told the Indian parliament in >August that he has banned the import of seeds containing the terminator >gene because of the potential harm to Indian agriculture. > >* By majority vote, the Dutch Parliament recently moved to oppose the >European Patent Directive by appealing to the European Court of >Justice. The Terminator patent is one of the key issues that prompted >the Dutch to renew objections to the Patent Directive that was passed >by the European Parliament earier this year. > >Negotiations between USDA and Monsanto are now underway, it is >important to act now! Stop Monsanto's bid to license and control the >dangerous Terminator technology. E-mail messages and/or faxes should be >sent to the following USDA officials and members of Congress. To see >sample letters, and automatic sending options, go to RAFI's web site: >http://www.rafi.org/usda.html >
