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!"

[polly7]

1. Interesting! Here is an older article I've read explaining too how Bremer's

laws affected Iraqi agriculture.

"In plain English, this gives holders of patents on certain plant varieties, i.e. large foreign multinationals, absolute rights for 20 years over use of their seeds in Iraqi agriculture. The protected plant varieties are Genetically Modified or Gene Manipulated (GM) plants, and an Iraqi farmer who chose to plant such seeds must sign an agreement with the seed company holding the patent that he would pay a ‘technology fee’ and an annual license fee for planting the patented seeds."

One of Bremer's laws was to implement the destruction of Iraq's seed heritage.

http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/GMO/Iraq_and_seeds_of_democracy/iraq_and_seeds_of_democracy.HTM

I can't think of a single thing Bush / Cheney's illegal oil invasion hasn't touched or ruined in the cradle of civilization.

[yardwork]

2. U.S. takeover of Iraq was a takeover for the corporations.

Can you send this to Naomi Klein? This is the kind of thing she is talking about in her book The Shock Doctrine.

[dipsydoodle]

3. See note here

Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) is actually where agriculture began - but today in Iraq - former US dictator L. Paul Bremer already outlawed seed re-use of “protective kinds” - so Iraq farmers once they buy Monsanto’s seeds will get stuck with buying them from Monsanto once and for all.
http://underboss.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/monsanto-growth-by-intimidation-and-bullying/

and here :

Is it possible that Iraqi farmers think back fondly to the good old days
before the Occupation and before Order 81? Even Saddam Hussein allowed them
to save seeds for the next year's crop. Is Monsanto a worse master than
Saddam? Imagine what would happen if there was a successful worldwide
movement of resistance, an international Save the Seed Campaign. Farmers and
consumers in the U.S. need to stand in solidarity with the farmers and
consumers in Iraq. If you have a stamp or coin collection, forget it.
Instead, it might be better to
start collecting seeds. Maybe soon, one good old-fashioned seed that was
made by Mother Nature will be more precious than your most prized gold coin.
Just one more thing... if you save seeds, keep it a secret. The Seed Police
have been on patrol. They are looking for you.
http://onibasu.com/archives/cl/10305.html

Are these terminator seeds ? If so I thought their use had been outlawed.

[NYC_SKP]

4. GM seed peddling is US sanctioned murder, IMO

"The GM genocide: Thousands of Indian farmers are committing suicide after using genetically modified crops"



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1082559/The-GM-genocide-Thousands-Indian-farmers-committing-suicide-using-genetically-modified-crops.html