GMO crops in Iraq

[Genki]

Hello, DU,

Yesterday a friend sent the email copied and pasted below. 

This morning she wrote asking if I could help her find a list
of the GMO crops being grown in Iraq today. 

Thus far I've had no luck.  Could anyone point me to the
direction where I should start my search?

Thank you, always helpful DUers.

Genki 

...day before yesterday i received our Baker Creek Heirloom
Seeds Catalog. 
in it, in the red tomato section, there was this blurb from an
Iraq 
citizen who sent and traded seeds with this company every
year.

  i'm not sure how many are aware of the sad situation in
Iraq, where 
the farmers are not being allowed to save their own seed which
they 
have been doing for years. they are now being made to purchase
only 
Monsanto/ GMO seed.

anyway, i have purchased a couple packets of these heirloom
seeds from 
Iraq and intend on saving seed from the produce in 2009 and
keeping the 
lines for future use, when the farmers in Iraq are free and
sovereign 
again. thought maybe some of you would like to help the Iraq
farmers 
keep their heritage and let your gardening friends know about
this..... 



A Letter From An Iraqi Friend (page 77)

http://rareseeds.com/

"I hope you remember me once upon the time in the 1990's
we were 
exchanging seeds. Anyhow I have stopped my activity of
gardening years 
ago but a friend of mine Iraqi national living in Syria
because of the 
war in Iraq has sent me the last seeds of typically Iraqi
heirloom 
tomatoes.

In Iraq the globilization and US occupation have finished the
whole 
heirloom way of life in Iraq. Then what i am sending are the
last 
tomato seeds coming from this country. The first tomato
according to my 
Iraqi friend who sent me it, it is coming from Mosul (Nineveh)
in the 
north of Iraq.

The second heirloom Al Kuffa tomato delicious one, useful for
any 
purpose, strong bush plant cultivated in the south Iraq in
cool 
greenhouses for late spring or earlier summer popular markets.
Both 
tomatoes were cultivated by familial farmers groups for small
popular 
markets or for personal kitchen needs.

Thank you for all your were sending me, it was very nice time.
I've 
moved in UK living with my family. Sorry for my bad English.

Warm Regards, Aziz Nael"


Jere Gettle posted..."We want to thank Aziz Nael for all
the seeds he 
sent us,  including our 'Ali Baba Watermelon'. It is time for
America 
to support food freedom!"