Agrobiodiversity, food production and farmer rights are at stake! Farmers are losing control over plant breeding and seed production. The expansion of patent laws driven by multinational corporations such as Monsanto further threaten this. This does not only mean farmers (and hobby gardeners!) always have to buy seeds every year, it also means they are not the one’s choosing the qualities of the crops they grow. This threatens the capacity to develop varieties that are well adapted to a specific area (resistant to local pests, well-yielding on your soils without too many chemical inputs, with the taste your specific consumers ask for) you have very limited choice.
Linda Coenen (Aseed) will talk about the underlying power dynamics and the consequences. René Groenen (Bingenheimer Saatgut, Kultursaat) will talk about an farmer controlled breeding system with sustainability gains and through which farmers were able to regain control over their seeds.
When: February 21 at 19:30h
Where: Forum building in Wageningen
Organisation: Otherwise, Boerengroep, and Ruw.
Register: Please register at Grassroots Science website
Read more:interview with Renee Groenen, Reclaim the Seeds! Weekend March 2 and 3, scientific paper on Kultuursaat by TAD chairgroup of WUR, about hybrid breeding by the Bolster
This evening is part of the Grassroots Sciences series
