In July 2015, Zambia and other members of the regional body, adopted the ARIPO Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Protocol against the advice of the Zambia Alliance for Agro-ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (ZAABC) and other concerned citizens of Zambia and internationally. This will sell both food and farmers to multinational corporations such as Monsanto.
According to the Ecologist African governments, ignoring the protests of their farmers and civil society, last year agreed on an oppressive ‘plant variety protection protocol’ that will open up their countries to commercial seed monopolists, while limiting farmers rights to save, use, exchange, replant, improve, distribute and sell the seeds they have developed over countless generations.
This is a critical matter that will negatively affect national food security and small scale farmers rights and livelihoods in Zambia and the wider region.
Below is a PRess release by the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation (ZAABC)
“Reject draft ARIPO regulations – Protect farmer’s rights”
The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Arusha protocol makes it illegal for farmers to save, reuse and exchange seed amongst themselves as they have always done.
Zambia and other members of the regional body, adopted the ARIPO Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Protocol in July 2015 against the advice of the Zambia Alliance for Agro-ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (ZAABC) and other concerned citizens of Zambia and internationally.
The draft ARIPO Regulations represent a ferocious campaign against seed saving by farmers in Africa. The draft regulations require small scale farmers to pay for the seed they save and propagate on their own holding, or face fines and punishment.
Zambia and other members of ARIPO will be reviewing the draft regulations for the implementation of the ARIPO protocol from 14-17 June 2016 in Harare Zimbabwe. A significant portion of these draft regulations are targeting farmers in a manner that is unduly punitive and intent on extorting the small scale farmer to the point where the country is in danger of losing all the progress made so far where small scale farmers have contributed massively to food production including maize which is now even available to countries around us that have maize deficits.
The Regulations contain provisions requiring farmers, seed processors, and certification agencies to provide information and monitor the use of farm saved seed by farmers. Clearly these provisions are designed to intimidate and force seed processors, seed suppliers, government certification officers and even farmers’ organizations to police and spy on farmers who use farm-saved protected seed. If they do not, the regulations allow the right holder (who could be an international seed company) to take legal action and sue the member state.
Zambia already has its own suis generis PVP Act of 2007 in place. This balances plant breeder and farmers’ rights. There is no legal obligation for Zambia to adopt a different regional protocol which will then override our national Act.
Our small-scale farmers should be allowed to freely exchange with other farmers and sell to local markets their farm saved seed and propagating material.
We, the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation (ZAABC), a network of civil society organizations, farmer groups and concerned individuals, call upon Government to bring this process of developing the regulations for implementing the ARIPO protocol to a halt until more background work is done in order to prevent any harm to our farmers and the national agriculture production system.
Clueless PF. Vote them out on Aug 11 for your own good.
That is PamaFi for you at their best!!!
With their CLUELESS DRUNK & THIEF!!! Everything they put pen to, THEY HAVE BARELY BOTHERED TO READ, which isn’t bad in itself, THE MOST EVIL IS THAT THEY DON’T Bl.oo.DY UNDERSTAND A WORD OF WHAT THEY ARE PENNING THEIR SIGNATURES TO!!!
IT IS TIME WE REALLY WOKE UP TO REALITY – becoz these F.oo.LS ARE GOING TO THROW US OFF THE CLIFF, yet you have KAPONYAS on here who SWEAR BY THESE USELESS NINCOMPOOPS!!!
You can hardly believe this story – IT MEANS MY & YOUR RELATIVES IN THE VILLAGE CAN’T STORE ANY SEEDS TO PLANT NEXT YEAR, BUT WILL HAVE TO BE FORCED TO BUY IT FROM SOME CONGLOMERATE!!
Yet we will have SIMPLETONS on hear SCREAMING THEIR HEADS OFF “IFINTU NI MAFI MAFI LUNGU!!!
Vote WISELY 11/8/2016!! Vote ZAMBIA FORWARD!! VOTE UPND!!…
….Vote WISELY 11/8/2016!! Vote ZAMBIA FORWARD!! VOTE UPND!! Abantu baya!!
#chagwamustfall!! #PamaFIkuyabebele!!
I thank you!!
This is how groups like monsanto plan to control people. You cant use their seeds for a new season unless you get authorization from them even if you are taking the seeds from your previous harvest. That way, they will control when we plant consequently the poverty levels in the country. A hungry man is vulnerable to manipulation. PLease, let our people be. we dont want monsanto. Like i said before, we have few thinkers in africa. we dont see. So they have cheated people in academia telling them to do research and develop seeds which are drought resistant and disease tolerant. Not knowing that the funds for research are coming from Monsanto who have a bigger agenda. Thats why i say, if you dont know yourself, most of your education serves to enslave african people further. Academic…
bourgeosie takwata wisdom, akwatafye knowledge.A research paper on education shows that most of the students who travel for post graduate education to the west do projects which have very little impact for their communities where they are coming from.Ati i did a PhD dissertation on the animal migration patterns in areas of extreme cold climate: Antarctica and Arctic regions.What has that got to do with zambia or africa.Not knowing that this academic bourgeosie has been used by the whites at a very cheap labor price to make it possible for them to exploit and claim these land masses for themselves.When in actual fact he should have concentrated on migration patterns and habitat of endangered species in south luangwa park.You are being used to kill your own people.We need thinkers in Africa…
nomba monsanto is at your door step, bringing poverty in the name of good seeds and the usual lies. Totalitarian tip toeing to effect global change in which we will all be manipulated and controlled. watch out politicians.
sure why allow gmo seeds
GOOD. LET US PROTECT AND CONSERVE WHAT IS OURS, WHAT IS INDIGENOUS AND WHAT HAS WORKED FOR US FOR AGES. VIVA HH VIVA! VIVA CHANGE VIVA!
Problem with Zambian delegates is that all they do is get allowances and scratch their balls instead of paying attention to deliberations at international fora. No one will get my hard earned seeds..
You just made my afternoon…Zambian delegates are just that, scratch balls….and na p*ssy (wacilaboko)..That makes the too of us who hate Mwamba with a passion..Now that PF brough in guns in Zed, bullet holes I can assure you on Mwamba I would make without thinking
and that imbecile Emmanuel litole Mwamba was busy boasting that he brought commercial framers to Zambia…for what for heavens sake. Emmanuel Mwamba i hate your ugly face with passion. akanwa kwati umusula wa nsofu
Useless article poorly presented no preamble and no mention of relevant government scientists responsible and also government response and position on the matter…Probably written by a UPND cadre as expected…
you work for Monsanto
True.
Its time to prepare for the implementation of the 666 program! One seed maker, one fertilizer maker, one world leader, one world currency, one world passport, one world
language, one world spiritual leader, etc.
The platform has already been laid and you and me are easily being captured in this dragnet!!!!
Too late, we are in for it as this is a heavily funded program!!!!!!!
Good point and we need to be vigilant when clueless people are running things. This ZAABC could also increase its credibility by at least signing a person’s name to the statement
Zakeyo leave UPND out of the picture. Don’t play politics with matters of life and death
we the people of Zambia should say no to this rubbish, we can start a petition to stop this before our clueless law makers causes more damages
Monsanto has been in Zambia for some years already, both by proxy and by direct representation… might be too little too late… hate to be the pessimist but people have been warned and have been crying foul for years on end about this agenda… it has been given the blessings from those who control us, not much we can do at the bottom of this pyramid…
sovereignty no longer exists, there is no longer any freedom, banks own us, big companies will take over and farms become factories! sickness!! there will be big problems when your neighbour plants these seeds and your crop gets infected and they claim your crop as well…the beginning of the end for any hope of independence. this folly must be stopped!!