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Greenpeace Invites you for a Round Table consultation (Date:20th December, Place:Greenpeace India Office,Delhi)
Dear Friends,
On May 21, 2003, European Patent office (EPO) granted Monsanto a patent on Indian Wheat variety (EP 0445929 B1) following the company’s claims that it had ‘invented’ a soft milling variety of wheat. The patent has been granted for this variety, and all edible products made from it. However the specific trait for
which the patent has been granted exists in an Indian variety thereby questioning the very basis of this patent.
It is well understood that these patents are important tools for 'corporate control' in order to restrict access to plant genetic resources and also to facilitate the genetic engineering of these resources and consequently threaten agro-biodiversity. The implications of patenting plant genetic resources such as Mexican maize, Indian mustard seed, Jasmine and Basmati rice and Chinese soya pose a serious threat to centers of diversity in the countries of the south.
The rapid accumulation of patents on plant genetic resources and their concentration in the hands of the major “life science” corporations poses a serious, long-term threat to our capacity to prevent the release and inevitable contamination of Genetically modified organisms in our fields thereby undermining the possibility of ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Monsanto the second biggest seed company infamous in the world for it corporate crimes, now seeks to control the staple food of our country.
In this context Greenpeace would like to host a round table consultation with other groups/ individuals who are concerned about the issue to draw up a strategic plan of action to fight this patent.
We invite you to be a part of this process on
19th December 2003, in New Delhi (
venue to be confirmed).
In order to make the necessary arrangements kindly confirm participation at the earliest on any of the following e mail ids given below.
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