Seeds of Change - Democracy in Iraq and the Criminalization of Traditional Farming Methods

Mesopotamia. The Fertile Crescent. The birthplace of western culture. That is to say, Iraq where wheat was first cultivated, sheep first domesticated and the origins of agriculture allowed the development of civilization as we know it.

Fast-forward 10,000 years. The Cradle of Civilization is attempting to recover from six years of war, which followed three years of drought, which followed sanctions restricting the importation of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural tools, which followed another couple of wars and the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.

The seed bank at Abu Ghraib has been destroyed. Other seed disappeared, looted, lost in the cataclysm of war.

Iraq needs to rebuild. It needs to reestablish itself as a functioning country. It has become a democracy!

The primary need of a people is food. Agriculture must recover – the people must eat! Since the dawn of cultivation, farmers followed certain, simple methods of sustainability. They grew their grain – wheat and barley – saving up to 1/3 of the seed of the crop for replantation the following year. In the past, 97% of Iraqi farmers used their own seed or the local market for the new crop.

But, the American government, the very power that promised democracy and freedom, has forbidden the time-tested practice of seed saving. Order # 81, enacted by the Administrator of Coalition Provisional Authority,
L. Paul Bremmer states in part:

“- the court may order the confiscation of the infringing variety (of plants) as well as the materials and tools substantially used in the infringement of the protected variety.”

That is to say, if a field planted with normal grain is cross-pollinated with a genetically modified, patented grain, that field can be destroyed and the farmer’s implements taken. Saving seed from genetically modified grain for use the following year is forbidden. If genetically modified seed blows off a truck into a field and grows, the farmer is in violation of Order 81.

Now, you might argue that Iraq is now a democracy. Those farmers have a choice, don’t they? But recall that the war has decimated the seed supply. There are no choices. But you don’t have to worry too much about the poor foolish criminal farmer who illegally saves seeds – most of the seeds are sterile, terminator seeds.

     Imagine that you are an Iraqi farmer. You meet with American agricultural representatives who smile, glad-hand, and ready to get you started with the 107 million dollar USAID agricultural reconstruction project. You have six choices of seeds, three of which produce the wheat used to make pasta, a food product that in Iraq, just ain’t on the menu. Perhaps you are informed that you can’t save the seed. Perhaps you don’t actually believe or think you understand the concept of the seed police. Maybe, you’re just desperate.

      In 2003, the United States agricultural tsar (why are they so crazy to use the word ‘tsar’ with all its diabolical connotations?) was Daniel Amstutz, the former vice president of Cargill Corporation, a giant grain conglomerate. The aid for poor, beleaguered Iraqi farmers to buy seeds has been earmarked my the US government for the purchase of patented, genetically modified ‘improved seed.’

      Now, this Order 81 was imposed by the US government. It was not voted upon by the Iraq ‘democracy.’ Another rule of the Bremmer Orders states that no elected Iraqi government will have the power to alter US imposed laws. Another rule, Order 39, restricts taxation of corporate profits.

      Genetically modified seeds are defined as ‘new,’ ‘distinct,’ and ‘stable,’ and as such are officially a ‘protected variety.’ Indigenous seeds or regular seeds, the seeds of grains developed by Iraqis for nearly ten thousand years are referred to as ‘infringing varieties.’

      The time-honored tradition of seed saving saves money, creates genetic diversity (a protection from famine) and strengthens the farming community by avoiding debt.

      In a country decimated by war, drought and sanctions, a farmer has no choice. Is this democracy? Should democracy hold the rights of multinational corporate profiteers over the rights of traditional farmers?

       In his book the Seeds of Deception, Jeffrey Smith describes a biotech conference in 1999. When asked how the corporation sees the future of world agriculture, a representative of Monsanto (agricultural megopoly) hoped for a time when 100% of all commercial seeds would be genetically modified and patented and planned to influence the US government to promote the technology at home and abroad.

     Control of the seed market is control of world food supply. To control the world food supply is to control the world.

     Is that democracy?