26 May 2011 | News | Food Sovereignty
Privatization of life
Chilean Senate passed law to grant patents on seeds to transnational corporations
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While the public attention was focused on the mobilizations that aimed to avoid the privatization of the Chilean Patagonia in the hands of the hydroelectric plants, the Chilean Senate ruled once again in favor of transnational corporations by passing the Seed Breeders Law.
The law directly hands property rights of seeds of almost all vegetable species to transnational corporation for a 20-year period. US corporation Monsanto is one of the main beneficiaries of the law.
However, ten senators told the Constitutional Tribunal that the passing of the law was illegal in terms of procedure, because it failed to consult indigenous peoples in a matter that affects them directly. In order to enter into effect, the law should be passed by the House.
The government’s arguments are that the agreement protects the interests of medium and small scale Chilean farmers, unlike what has happened globally with local varieties after a transnational corporation monopolizes seeds.
In India, for example, thousands of rice varieties were lost as a result of the imposition of genetically engineered varieties. The companies withdraw the traditional seeds from the market and decide to sell only what is more profitable for them: their patented seeds.
The situation in Chile is similar to that of its neighboring country, Peru, where a Presidential Decree issued by outgoing president Alan Garcia, decided to allow the use of GM seeds during the government transition.
Viviana Catrileo, of Anamuri and Luis Sanchez of Rankil talked about the repercussions of the passing of this law.
“This means the loss of food sovereignty”, Luis told Real World Radio. He linked the passing of this law with the recent visit of US President Barak Obama to the country. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between the US and Chile was also crucial in the approval of this law.
Meanwhile, Viviana highlighted the opposition of the organizations that are part of the Latin American Coordinator of Rural Organizations (CLOC-Via Campesina) to this law. In fact, La Via Campesina International has managed to promote within multilateral agencies like the United Nations, the re-appreciation of the local seeds multiplied by the peasant communities.
“There needs to be a debate in the society on this project that represents an assault against our condition as peasants, by favoring the businessmen”, Viviana told Real World Radio.
