NFU: Conservative Statements on C-18 Misleading

[Oscar]

Conservative statements on C-18 Farmers’ Privilege provisions are misleading, says NFU

[ http://www.nfu.ca/story/conservative-st ... g-says-nfu ]

For Immediate Release February 28, 2014

(Saskatoon) - The Conservative talking points on the “farmers’ privilege” provisions under Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act omnibus bill, claim the law would “enshrine” the privilege to save seed for replanting. However, National Farmers Union President, Jan Slomp, states, “the essence of a privilege is that is it granted by some authority, and may just as easily be taken away -- you cannot enshrine a privilege.”

The NFU analysis of the “farmers' privilege” as put forward in Bill C-18 is detailed in its fact sheet, Bill C-18 and Farmers' Privilege -- What is the whole story? [ http://www.nfu.ca/sites/www.nfu.ca/file ... VILEGE.pdf ]

“To bring Canada under the UPOV ’91 Plant Breeders Rights regime, Bill C-18 would create and enshrine exclusive rights for plant breeders (including the largest global seed companies) to control the sale, reproduction, conditioning (cleaning and treating), stocking (storing), importing and exporting of PBR-protected seed, “Slomp explained. “Only after giving these extensive and exclusive rights to plant breeders does C-18 then grant farmers the “privilege” to use seed we harvest to replant on our own holdings. What is currently our customary practice under existing law, would, under C-18 become a mere privilege.”

Slomp added, “Stocking of seed is not included within this “farmers’ privilege”, so if a farmer saves more than one year’s seed as a precaution against crop failure, frost or disease, he or she could be sued for infringing on the plant breeder’s exclusive right.”

And the NFU says that this hollow “privilege” will shrink over time, as Bill C-18 also gives the government the authority to create regulations that further limit and restrict the farmers’ use of the seed they grow.

“The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away,” said Randall Affleck, NFU Board member from Prince Edward Island. “The point of UPOV ’91 is to ensure the plant breeder gets paid first. It directs governments to trim the rights of farmers in favour of the plant breeder.”

“We reviewed the UPOV ’91 Guidance Documents that advise governments on how to interpret and implement the new, restrictive plant breeders rights regime to understand what the future regulations are likely to do,” said Ann Slater, NFU Vice-President (Policy) and Ontario farmer. “UPOV clearly recommends that governments only allow farmers’ privilege for crops where seed-saving is the usual practice, such as for small grains. Under Bill C-18, regulations can be put in place to exclude, restrict or put conditions on the classes of farmers and plant varieties included within the “farmers' privilege”. This direction has serious implications, not only for farmer autonomy, but also for biodiversity, as seed-saving would become ever more restricted,” Slater added.

“Bill C-18 does not enshrine farmers’ right to save seed, and it is not required to promote plant breeding research,” Affleck concluded. “There is no logical connection between controlling farmers’ seed-saving activities and the ability of plant breeders to do research. C-18 is simply a tool for these companies to pry yet more money from the farmer’s pocket.” - 30 -

For more information:

Jan Slomp, NFU President: (403) 843-2068 or (403) 704-4364 (cell)

Ann Slater, NFU Vice-President (Policy): (519) 349-2448 or aslater@quadro.net

Randall Affleck, NFU Region 1 (PEI): (902) 887-2597 or (902) 432-0930 (cell)

- - - -

NFU Fact Sheet: Bill C-18 and Farmers’ Privilege – What is the whole story?

[ http://www.nfu.ca/sites/www.nfu.ca/file ... VILEGE.pdf ]

[Oscar]

NFU Testifies on Bill C-18 before Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee

[ http://www.nfu.ca/story/nfu-testifies-b ... -committee ]

For Immediate Release February 9, 2015

(Saskatoon) - On Tuesday, February 3, 2015, Terry Boehm, Chair of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Seed and Trade Committee appeared as a witness before the Senate's Agriculture and Forestry Committee as part of its study of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act.

“Our presentation argued that Bill C-18’s changes to Canada’s plant breeders’ rights legislation, making it conform with UPOV ’91, are completely unbalanced," said Terry Boehm. "The Bill grants plant breeders a long list of exclusive rights that give them total control over seed, while it offers farmers a transient privilege to save and reuse seed on their own holdings – a mere privilege which can be modified or diminished at any time through regulation without amending the Act."

During the same meeting, statements by Pat Mooney of ETC Group and Devlin Kuyek of GRAIN, both internationally known for their knowledge of plant breeders’ rights, reinforced Boehm's points. All pointed out that seed company’s claims this legislation is necessary to produce new plant varieties are suspect and have not been borne out by the experiences of other countries where the UPOV '91 regime has been adopted.

“Since 1990 when our current Plant Breeders’ Rights Act was passed, the government promised to continue public plant breeding. Instead it has been reduced,” said Ian Robson, NFU Region 5 (Manitoba) Coordinator. “What are we to conclude?”

"Bill C-18 is not about fostering innovation. It is about giving plant breeders powerful tools to extract wealth from farmers through the control of seeds," reiterated Boehm. "Seeds are powerful. Those who control seed control the food system, and ultimately, control people. The federal government is giving control over seed to Monsanto, Dow, Pioneer, Bayer and Syngenta. Do we trust them with that kind of power?"

“A healthy food system includes the consumers, and they need to keep contributing to the seed research and not give it up to all patent-holders and Plant Breeders’ Rights holders,” added Robson.

"To construct seed policy for this country and beyond, Canada should really be looking at the NFU's document The Fundamental Principles of a Farmer's Seed Act,” concluded Boehm. - 30 -

For more information:

Terry Boehm, Chair, NFU Seed and Trade Committee: 011 33 1 44 84 72 50 (Paris)

Ian Robson, NFU Region 5 (Manitoba) Coordinator: (204) 858-2479

Video: In Committee from the Senate of Canada, Agriculture and Forestry - February 3, 2015
[ http://www.cpac.ca/en/digital-archives/?program=182 ]