INCREASED DOMINANCE OF HYBRID SEEDS ON ZAMBIAN MARKET IRKS STAKEHOLDERS

INCREASED DOMINANCE,CONTROL OF SEEDS BY MUTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES  IRKS STAKEHOLDERS

....they claim the development poses serious threat on household nutrition, climate resilience, good health, and sustainable income.

By Alfonso Kasongo

Increased presence, control and dominance of hybrid seeds supplied by transnational corporations  on Zambia's market over  local seed, have triggered concerns among environmental and smart agriculture champions noting the development poses serious threats on food sovereignty, household nutrition, climate resilience, good health, and sustainable income.

They argue that the proposed amendments to seed related pieces of legislation and the calls for Zambia to join an International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), provide conducive environment to further consolidate control of Zambian seed and agriculture for foreign profit.

Over the years, multiple groups have challenged the Zambia Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) for their assertion that Zambia should join UPOV. 

Despite objections, the formal intention is now evident through proposed changes to the Plant Breeders Rights (PBR).
They contend that since independence, farmers have been waiting for equivalent laws to support their seed rights, diverse seed systems and agro-biodiversity to secure household nutrition, diversified incomes and climate resilience.
Speaking on global day of action against UPOV, on 2 December 2023,when Zambian farmers and human rights groups join the global campaign to protect farmers’ seed systems by stopping schemes to force countries to join UPOVU, Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) Director Charles Nkhoma says “It is absurd that 60 years after independence, farmers should still be fighting off the colonial seed system and struggling for legislative space for locally owned seed systems."

           Mr. Charles Nkhoma-Director  CTDT

And joining the campaign to stop UPOVU , the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB), a consortium of farmers, CSOs, and faith based organisations,  observes that Worldwide, countries are being pressured to join UPOV through biased trade deals which benefit the global economic superpowers, allowing powerful corporations to regulate, standardise and privatise seeds to expand their own markets.
The Alliance argues that UPOV has a reputation for its use of subtle lobby pressure and coercion of leadership through offers of financial assistance, lavish international meetings, and other incentives.
Meanwhile ZAAB reaffirms that diverse seed remains the basis for diversified food systems and underpins Zambia's potential income,household nutrition, good health, and climate resilience.


The Alliance warns that the actualistion of the proposal for Zambia to join an International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)  which is being tabled, is a threat to country's household nutrition, good health, Climate resilience and fiscal potential.


ZAAB National Coordinator Mutinta Nketani notes that, joining UPOVU will compromise the role of Zambia’s small scale farmers as custodians of the country’s seed heritage and national food security, further explaining that the situation will negatively affect real national development as enhanced nutrition, good health, well built Climate resilience and sustainable income are priorities for national development.

Ms Mutinta Nketani-National Coordinator-ZAAB

Ms. Nketani fears that the ongoing review of the Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) and Plant Varieties Protection (PVP) pieces of legislation  in Zambia have potential to seriously undermine farmer's rights by imposing additional restrictions on farmers’ seed rights: limiting seed diversity, availability, access, affordability, use and most importantly farmers’ freedom to conserve, share and exchange seeds, adding " this is what UPOVU wants."
Ms Nketani adds,"last week’s global campaign against UPOV is timely and that we (Zambians) need to learn lessons from other countries which are struggling with the shackles of neocolonial control of seed, and therefore food and ultimately the people."

Annie Mutale Katongo, farmer and seed custodian in Zambia's Shibuyunji district laments ..."We have had countless meetings with SCCI. They refuse to listen to us. The current seed laws do not fit our seed."

"We want our seed celebrated not shunned. We want legislative support for our seed rights, and wider rights as per international laws which Zambia has signed but is ignoring. We feed this nation, and the seed is in our care. We need support from SCCI - they need to listen to our needs."Katongo begs.

Last week, over 200 civil rights groups signed a statement against UPOV. The signatures represent the voices of millions of farmers world over, for the freedom to sow seeds, grow food and live decent lives.

“Today’s attack on seeds aims to put an end to peasant and indigenous agriculture, an end to independent food production. Where peasant food sovereignty prevails, it is difficult to turn us into cheap and dependent labour, people without territory and without history. Whether in Africa, Asia, Europe or the Americas, communities are fighting this pressure and we are united and mobilised to actively support them” (A call for civil disobedience against the privatisation of peasant seeds: sign-on statement for the global day of action against UPOV, 2 December 2023.)

 According to ZAAB ,in Benin, the national parliament ceased discussions of a law proposing to join UPOV, given stakeholders objections to its standards which drive seed privatisation in favour of transnationals like Monsanto/Bayer, Syngenta and Corteva. In Guatemala, Indigenous peoples are in the streets demanding that their government’s proposed bill to adopt UPOV standards be scrapped. 
They call it “the Monsanto Law” and its rejection is part of an ongoing nationwide strike.

In a statment ,ZAAB indicated that in the Philippines, multi-actors filed an environmental case to the Supreme Court to stop the commercial propagation of the genetically modified golden rice that is patented by Syngenta and other agrochemical corporations. Moreover, Filipino farmers are spearheading the fight for the recognition and strengthening of farmers’ rights to seeds and farmers’ seed system by forwarding seed commoning as an alternative to the UPOV-like laws in the country. Extract from the Global Day of Action Statement.

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