While the servile canadian press was strangely silent on the event, the internet was certainly abuzz with Canada's turnabout at a UN meeting in Bangkok where they attempted to overturn an international moratorium on the universally condemned "suicide seed" technology which prevents 2nd generation seeds from regenerating. The original leak came from the canadian-based ETC Group. It was followed up with a report of a speech to the conference by Percy Schmauser, the Saskatchewan farmer who was sued by Monsanto for allegedly using "their" patented Canola seeds.
Monsanto versus Schmauser
The Canadian National Farmers Union, has initiated a
"Seed Saver Campaign" to prevent regulatory changes proposed by the federally-funded and corporate-dominated "Seed Sector Review Panel" preventing canadian farmers from saving and using seeds developed over decades, many in association with taxpayer funded agencies and universities. The NFU also issued a statement condemning the canadian delegation's Bangkok proposals.
There are at least 2 quickly-organized US letter-writing campaigns and a British one. here and here
After being swamped this week by protest emails and letters, the Canadian government was forced to soften its public position on terminator, but it continued to press a solidly pro-terminator view in the corridors and in a committee to negotiate a draft text on Terminator.
"The draft text on Terminator released thursday morning was appalling-it looked like it was written by the multinational seed industry", sid Jim Thomas of the ETC Group, speaking from Bangkok. "It strongly reflected the Canadian government's pro-terminator position as revealed earlier this week in the leaked document"
Thomas reported that the Canadian bid to overturn the moratorium on GM Terminator Technologies (GURTS) was backed only by the Governments of New Zealand and Australia in the UN meeting. The United States has never ratified the Treaty and was not part of the 174 nation deliberations. It has always been a strong proponent of "Terminator" technology.
The UN conference rejected the draft report proposal.
