International Seed Day

Join us to endorse and publicize April 26th as
International Seed Day
and/or organize an event on April 26.

International Seed Day (ISD): An International Day for Patent-Free Seeds, Organic Food and Farmers' Rights
April 26, 2011

April 26th is International Seeds Day source: twinenfp.org

Organizations and activists from around the world will observe April 26 as International Seed Day (ISD) advocating for patent-free seeds, organic food and farmers' rights. ISD will be an educational day for the public to learn about genetically modified food, its health hazardous effects and the monopoly over worldwide agriculture by major US and European agribusiness companies.

For a list of ISD Endorsers click here

* On April 26 celebrate with your community, friends and family by cooking healthy organic food.

* Bring awareness to bills and policies that restrict farmers from saving and breeding their seeds such as bill C-51 in Canada, BRAI in India, Order 81 in Iraq and bill S-510 in the USA.

* On April 26, write a letter to your newspaper! Call the media and/or organize an event and discuss with the public the importance of saving and protecting seeds.

* Plant a food crop with a young family or community member.

* Endorse this special day by e-mailing your full name or organization name and website to INEAS@aol.com & info@INEAS.org by April 20.

Why April 26?
Order 81 was signed on April 26, 2004 by Paul Bremer, the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq to control Iraq's agriculture. The Order was a declaration of war against farmers. Article 14 of this law states "Farmers shall be prohibited from re-using seeds of protected varieties," Order 81 mends Iraq's original law No. 65 on patents, created in 1970. The most significant part of Order 81 is the subject of 'Plant Variety Protection' (PVP), which ensures not the protection of biodiversity, but rather the protection of the commercial interests of USA and European major seed corporations. In order to qualify for PVP, seeds have to be 'new, distinct, uniform and stable'. Therefore, the sort of seeds being encouraged to grow by corporations such as World Wide Wheat Company (WWWC), Monsanto and others will be those registered under PVP.

Press Release | pdf version

More details about the events listed will be updated and other events will be added daily.

1. United States of America
Phone Campaign to Iraqi farmers, farm owners, agriculture experts and women in Iraq to educate about terminator seeds, Order 81 and seed keeping and resistance by the volunteers at INEAS.

Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS), Cambridge, MASS

INEAS@aol.com and INEAS_1994@yahoo.com

2. Iceland: "Awareness for April 26th International Seeds Day"
University of Iceland April 27 3-6 pm
Location: Rm 101, Háskólatorg, Sæmundargata 4, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Organized by: activists Anouk Petzoldt, Charlotte Ferrier and Oscar-Mauricio Uscategui
Presenting: "The world according to Monsanto" film

3. Albuquerque, NM, USA: "GMO Teach-In"
Celebrating the 20th Annual Earth Festival
Location: Local Food Coop - Albuquerque, New Mexico April 26
At the Tent on the West End of the Festival Site - on Silver Street behind the Coop.
Time: 10:30 am
Sponsored by: La Montanita Coop, Cuatro Puertas, Arid Crop Seed Cache and GMO Free NM 4.

4. Chicago, IL, USA: "Food Sovereignty in Iraq, India & the Midwest"
Topics of discussion: GMO and food safety, Iraq's Order 81 and BT brinjal in India
Location:Logan Sq. - Chicago
Time:April 26 4:30 pm
Sponsored by: Twine

Organizations

Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) (Cambridge, MA, USA)

Navdanya (New Delhi, India)

Institute of Science in Society (London, UK)

Grain International (Barcelona, Spain)

The Green Party of the United States (DC, USA)

Focus on the Global South (New Delhi, India)

GMO Free New Mexico (New Mexico, USA)

Slow Food Rio Grande (New Mexico, USA)

GMO-FREE Maui (Maui, Hawaii)

Iraq Solidarity Association (Stockholm, Sweden)

Hawai`i Seed (Hawaii)

Hawaii Farmers Union (Hawaii)

Deccan Development Society (Pastapur, India)

Alliance for Food Sovereignty in South Asia (Hyderabad, India)

Millet Network of India (Zaheerabad, India)

European GMO-free Citizens (Holland, Europe)

Europe-Iraqi Turkmen Friendships (Brussels, Belgium)

Umoja UASO Women's Group (Samburu, Kenya)

Iraq Solidarity Campaign (Manchester, UK)

MADGE Australia Inc. (Australia)

 

Individuals

Dr. Vanadana Shiva Navdanya (New Delhi, India)

Wafaa' Al-Natheema INEAS (MA, USA)

Brian John, Ph.D. GM Free Cymru (Wales, UK)

Yasir Allawi Dental Tribune (Dubai,UAE)

Paola Pisi uruknet.info (Rome, Italy)

Merry Fitzgerald Europe Turkmen Friendships
(Brussels, Belgium)

Dr. Souad Naji Al-Azzawi Iraq's Environment (Baghdad, Iraq)

Jeremy Smith Innovations (London, UK)

Dr. Naqid Khamis (N. Caroline, USA)

Andrew Bosworth, Ph.D. (Okinawa, Japan)

Dr. Maha Alsakban (Diwaniya, Iraq)

Naba Al-Barrak (Mississauga, Canada)

Amy Mall (Chicago, USA)

Anouk Petzoldt (Reykjavík, Iceland)

Charlotte Ferrier (Reykjavík, Iceland)

Oscar-Mauricio Uscategui (Reykjavík, Iceland)

Devinder Sharma (New Delhi, India)

Bhaskar Goswami (New Delhi, India)

Walaa' Ali (MA, USA)

Rania Masri (Beirut, Lebanon)

Sylvia Fernandes-DeMelo (Nairobi, Kenya)

April Hurley, MD (CA, USA)

Garda Ghista (Kentucky, USA)

Ali Saleh Allawi (Baghdad, Iraq)

Rajashekar Tummala (Secunderabad, India)

Miep Bos (Lelystad, Holland)

Jan Diek van Mansvelt (Broek, Holland)

Barbara H. Peterson (Oregon)

Dr. D. Uma M. Rao (New Delhi, India)

Dilnavaz Variava (Maharashtra, India)