Key US Senator Backs Farmers
Seed Rights & Liability for Genetic
Polluters

USA: KEY SENATOR SUPPORTS FARMERS' RIGHTS AND
GM LIABILITY REGIME
US Senate majority leader Thomas Daschle (Democrat, South Dakota)
sent the following letter to the head of the U.S.delegation to the Food and
Agriculture Organisation of the UN in the final hours before the recent
agreement on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture.

From: Tom Daschle, South Dakota, United States Senate, Office of the
Majority Leader, Washington, DC 20510-7020

November 1, 2001

To: Ms. Barbara Tobias, Director OES/ETC, Department of State,
Washington DC 20236

Dear Director Tobias:

I am writing to express my concerns regarding negotiations related to
rights of farmers in the use of agricultural seed. I urge you to do
all that you and the U.S. delegation can to oppose any provision that
limits farmers' right in this regard.

Specifically, I support proposals to exempt farmers from paying
royalties on patented farm animals and technical fees on seeds that
have been genetically modified. We support their right to plant seed
derived from prorietary organisms on their own land, and a prohibition
on the development and selling of seed that are sterile. Additionally,
patent holders or owners of genetically modified organisms and related
technology should be liable for health, safety and environmental
impacts. Finally, any damages caused to farmers through lower prices,
lost markets or contamination due to genetically modified products
should be reimbursed by the company producing any such product.

In sum, I believe, like many of my colleagues in the Congress, that
agricultural research and resulting products or processes funded by
and conducted in the public domain should remain in the public domain.

Thank you for your assistance on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Tom Daschle