Corporate conquest, global geopolitics: Intellectual property rights and bilateral investment treaties by Aziz Choudry | 26 Jan 2005 Seedling - January 2005 Since the breakdown of World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun in September 2003, there has been much talk of the rise of bilateralism. But bilateral trade and investment agreements aren’t so much replacing the multilateral agreements that have foreshadowed them in the last decade as working with them to create a ratcheting system to increase the levels of intellectual property protection worldwide. Interestingly, and perhaps more significantly, bilateral trade and investment agreements are also proving to be quite effective in pushing the foreign policy goals of the US and EU. Since the breakdown of World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun in September 2003, there has been much talk of the rise of bilateralism. But bilateral trade and investment agreements aren’t so much replacing the multilateral agreements that have foreshadowed them in the last decade as working with them to create a ratcheting system to increase the levels of intellectual property protection worldwide. Interestingly, and perhaps more significantly, bilateral trade and investment agreements are also proving to be quite effective in pushing the foreign policy goals of the US and EU.
Berlin Manifesto for GMO-free Regions and Biodiversity in Europe by European Conference on GMO free Regions | 25 Jan 2005 "In most cases and for most species there is no realistic chance for coexistence between GM and non-GM farming, just as there is none between silence and noise in a room." "In most cases and for most species there is no realistic chance for coexistence between GM and non-GM farming, just as there is none between silence and noise in a room."
Territory, autonomy and defending maize by Carlos Santos interviews Aldo Gonzalez | 24 Jan 2005 Seedling - January 2005 Aldo Gonzalez is an indigenous person from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, where community organisations are leading a major resistance movement against the contamination of native maize by transgenic seeds. The movement is guided by the ancestral relationships between people and their natural surroundings. Politically, the resistance movement is linked to the struggle for autonomy by and for local communities, and is rooted in a particular indigenous vision of the world. In Oaxaca and in other Mexican states, defending maize is a cornerstone of defending a community's autonomy . Aldo Gonzalez is an indigenous person from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, where community organisations are leading a major resistance movement against the contamination of native maize by transgenic seeds. The movement is guided by the ancestral relationships between people and their natural surroundings. Politically, the resistance movement is linked to the struggle for autonomy by and for local communities, and is rooted in a particular indigenous vision of the world. In Oaxaca and in other Mexican states, defending maize is a cornerstone of defending a community's autonomy .
Diversa dominates global search for blockbuster microbes by GRAIN | 22 Jan 2005 Seedling - January 2005 In the last decade the US' Diversa corporation has expanded its bioprospecting activities all over the globe, placing it very high if not top of the list of the worlds bioprospectors. In the last decade the US' Diversa corporation has expanded its bioprospecting activities all over the globe, placing it very high if not top of the list of the worlds bioprospectors.
Uncultivated food: food that money can't buy by SANFEC | 16 Jan 2005 Seedling - January 2005 The presence of uncultivated food in the food systems of South Asia is a survival issue for many of the poorest families, some of whom rely on uncultivated food for 100% of their dietary needs. This article underlines the critical connection between the conservation of the local diversity of food sources and the broader social goals of poverty alleviation, livelihood enhancement and sustainable development. The presence of uncultivated food in the food systems of South Asia is a survival issue for many of the poorest families, some of whom rely on uncultivated food for 100% of their dietary needs. This article underlines the critical connection between the conservation of the local diversity of food sources and the broader social goals of poverty alleviation, livelihood enhancement and sustainable development.
New amendments to India's Patents Act to affect farm sector by GRAIN | 5 Jan 2005 BIO-IPR (1997-2009)
Several articles on German law concerning liability for GM contamination by New Scientist, Financial Times, Friends of the Earth | 28 Dec 2004
Support the call to keep Paraguay free of GM crops by | 16 Dec 2004 Follow the link above to sign a petition supporting SOBREVIVIENCIA, Friends of the Earth Paraguay's, Transgenic-free Paraguay campaign Follow the link above to sign a petition supporting SOBREVIVIENCIA, Friends of the Earth Paraguay's, Transgenic-free Paraguay campaign
Paraguay: Land battles a forerunner of crisis by Jorge Jorquera | 15 Dec 2004 People's movement resists the soy-isation of the country and calls for a revocation of the decree deregulating GM soy People's movement resists the soy-isation of the country and calls for a revocation of the decree deregulating GM soy
The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional knowledge - Elements of the obligation to disclose evidence of prior informed consent under the relevant national regime by Bolivia et al. | 10 Dec 2004 IP/C/W/438 of 10 December 2004 IP/C/W/438 of 10 December 2004