Saturday 15 June 2024

#StopUPOV - It should not be illegal to save and swap seeds

 

It's time to #StopUPOV

Imagine being unable to share your seeds with your neighbours - all because a corporation on a different continent owns the rights. 

Now imagine that doing so could land you with a criminal record - as is the case in Indonesia, where farmers have been prosecuted for saving and sharing particular crop varieties. 

An obscure trade convention called UPOV91 is the reason behind this - and the UK is complicit in spreading it around the world. 

UPOV91 makes it illegal for farmers to freely save, swap or sell some of their own seeds - and it's currently present in 19 UK trade deals with 68 countries around the world - 19 in the Global South.
 
Add your name and stand against corporate overreach that criminalises farmers - and together, we can #StopUPOV. 

Trade justice doesn't happen overnight - but by joining us today, you're standing with the farmers worldwide constrained by corporate overreach into the land they tend to every day.

Trade mechanisms like UPOV91 work best for big business when they aren't well known - but we want to change that.

Sign the Petition

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