This week the European Commission is considering a new law that would give control of ALL seeds to a new organization–the EU Plant Variety Agency.  Controlling all seeds is not very far from controlling ALL food.  Just think about the extent of power of an organization, government, or corporation that controls ALL FOOD!

The EU’s Plant Reproductive Material Law regulates all plants–vegetables and woodland trees would be controlled immediately, and the law also gives the power to the new Agency to extend control to all other plants of any species without needing any further approval from the EU Commission. in the future. [source]

Under the new law it would be “illegal to grow, reproduce or trade any vegetable seed or tree that has not been tested and approved by . . . [the Agency], who will make a list of approved plants. Moreover, an annual fee must also be paid to the Agency to keep them on the list, and if not paid, they cannot be grown.” [emphasis added] [source]

The EU has already given patents for many seeds to Monsanto, including “36% of all the EU’s tomato varieties, 32% of all peppers, and 49% of all cauliflower—and this process has just begun.” [source]  The new law would give even more control to industrial agriculture.

The law would harm home gardeners because “varieties suitable for home use don’t meet the strict criteria of the Plant Variety Agency, which is only concerned about approving the sort of seed used by industrial farmers.” [emphasis added] “Although the Commission protests otherwise, it becomes obvious that the small farmer—meaning true organic farmer—and the home gardener will be subsumed.” [source]

In fact, there was so much protest over the law that last-minute changes were made that did lessen the impact on home gardeners and small organizations of fewer than 10 employees.  However, even with those added changes, the new law “will halt the professional development of vegetable varieties for home gardeners, organic growers, and small-scale market farmers.” [source]

What could this mean to people who value organic and small-scale farm production? According to Heidi Stevenson, writing at GreenMedInfo, “seed diversity will fade away, leaving us to the whim of Agribusiness and their monoculture slash and burn ethos. . . Rare and heritage seed varieties simply won’t have a chance under the planned regulations. Only those seeds with deep pockets behind them, such as Monsanto and other Agribusiness corporations, will be able to gain approval for their seeds.” [source]

Don’t think for a minute that this new law doesn’t have implications for the U.S.!  If industrial agriculture is behind it (and it almost certainly is), do you really believe that Monsanto, et al., will limit their desire for control of all seeds/food to the EU?

Sources:

All ABOUT THE New EU Seed Law
EU Taking Control of Seeds for Agribusiness Benefit
BREAKING: European Commission to criminalize nearly all seeds and plants not registered with government