Santiago, Chile
September 3, 2009

Source: Inter Press Service via Meridian Institute Food Security and Ag-Biotech News
Author:Daniela Estrada

Environmental organizations and groups representing organic farmers and indigenous people in Chile oppose a proposed new law that would expand the intellectual property rights of plant developers and regulate plant breeders' rights, this article reports. The draft law was introduced by the center-left government of Chile's socialist President Michelle Bachelet. The government and seed companies argue that the law would have no negative impacts on small farmers and biodiversity. According to the government, the law would also bring Chilean legislation into line with the UN International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV-1991). But 11 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have launched an "Against the Privatization of Seeds" campaign to oppose the law. The groups began collecting signatures for a petition in August. The article says the proposed law is now under consideration by the Agriculture Commission in Chile's lower house of Congress.

The article can be viewed online at http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/09/03/2695

Website: http://www.merid.org/fs-agbiotech

Published: September 7, 2009