From: Deborah James (deborah@globalexchange.org)
Date: Wed Apr 10 2002 - 20:02:02 EDT
Dear Fair Traders,
Enclosed please find an Action Alert from the
Africa Trade Policy Working Group. We urge you to support this action and
write your legislators on this important issue for small farmers! For more
information, please contact Larry Goodwin at goodwin@afjn.org or
202.832.3412.
Thanks, Deborah and Melissa
***************************************************************
ADVOCACY NETWORK ON AFRICA (ADNA)/
AFRICA TRADE POLICY WORKING GROUP
3035 Fourth Street N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017, U.S.A.
Phone: 202/832-3412
Fax: 202/832-9051
E-Mail: afjn@afjn.org
Action Alert
Contact:
Larry J. Goodwin, (202)-832-3412, goodwin@afjn.org
AFJN Associate Director; Chair, Africa Trade Policy Working Group
Kathleen Sengstock, (202) 225-2201
Legislative aide to Rep. Maxine Waters
URGE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO COSPONSOR
The Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous Communities of Africa
Resolution
(The AFRICA Resolution - H. CON. RES. 260)
Trade rules threaten African farmers' rights!
Backed by the WTO with strong support from the U.S., multinational
corporations are increasingly laying claim to food crops and medicinal
plants in developing countries that have been used by farmers and local
communities for countless generations. Patents over African agricultural
resources threaten the ability of local farmers to freely safeguard, access,
use, save, exchange and sell their seeds and crops. Patents put local food
security and farm income at risk by taking control of traditional resources
away from local farmers. The commercial monopolization of agricultural
resources, accompanied by the promotion of herbicides, pesticides and other
agricultural inputs by outside interests, threaten long-term harm to
bio-diversity and encourage an industrial type of agriculture ill-suited to
small scale farmers and African patterns of land ownership.
The AFRICA Resolution
On 02 Nov 01, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA35) introduced the Agriculture and
Farm Resources for the Indigenous Communities of Africa Resolution (H. Con.
Res. 260) to uphold the rights of African farmers over their seeds and food
crops. Based on an initiative by the organization of African unity, the
AFRICA resolution expresses the sense of congress, that African farmers'
rights to safeguard, access, use, exchange and share their agricultural and
biological resources should be upheld under international trade law. The
resolution is consistent with the position of the Africa Group of delegates
to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that seeds, plants, crops and other
agricultural genetic resources should not be patented.
Help protect African farmers' rights! Please contact your Congressional
Representative immediately. Urge her/him to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 260 -
the AFRICA resolution.
… Contact your representative by phone at 202/224-3121
… Or write to your representative at:
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
You can view the full text of the AFRICA Resolution on the Africa Faith &
Justice Network web site at http://afjn.cua.edu
Please feel free to use the sample letter on the reverse side of this page.
Sample Letter to Congress
Representative _____________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative _________________,
Please cosponsor the Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous
Communities of Africa Resolution (H. Con. Res. 260). This resolution
upholds the rights of African farmers to freely safeguard, access, use,
save, exchange and sell their seeds and crops.
International trade rules permit corporations and individuals to patent
agricultural and natural resources. This practice threatens the ability of
African farmers to ensure their food security, livelihoods and culture, and
to safeguard Africa¹s bio-diversity. Their right to control and use their
own seeds, crops and plants according to the customs of generations must be
upheld under international law.
Agricultural resources are part of the common heritage of humankind. Please
protect African farmers¹ rights by cosponsoring H. Con. Res. 260.
Respectfully,
___________________________________
The AFRICA Resolution has been referred in the House to both the
International Relations Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. See the
names of committee members below, listed in order of seniority. If your
representative is on either of these committees, urge her/him to pass H.
Con. Res. 260 in committee and move it to floor action.
International Relations
Republicans : Henry Hyde (IL06), Benjamin Gilman (NY20), James Leach (IA01),
Doug Bereuter (NE01), Christopher Smith (NJ04), Dan Burton (IN06), Elton
Gallegly (CA23), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL18), Cas Ballenger (NC10), Dana
Rohrabacher (CA45), Edward Royce (CA39), Peter King (NY03), Steven Chabot
(OH01), Amo Houghton (NY31), John McHugh (NY24), Richard Burr (NC05), John
Cooksey (LA05), Tom Tancredo (CO06), Ron Paul (TX14), Nick
Smith (MI07), Joseph Pitts (PA16), Darell Issa (CA48), Eric Cantor (VA07),
Jeff Flake (AZ01), Brian Kerns (IN07), Jo Ann Davis (VA01).
Democrats: Tom Lantos (CA12), Howard Berman (CA26), Gary Ackerman (NY05),
Eni Faleomavaega (AS), Donald Payne (NJ10), Robert Menendez (NJ13), Sherrod
Brown (OH13), Cynthia McKinney (GA04), Alcee Hastings (FL23), Earl Hilliard
(AL07), Brad Sherman (CA24), Robert Wexler (FL19), Jim Davis (FL11), Eliot
Engel (NY17), William Delahunt (MA10), Gregory Meeks (NY06), Barbara Lee
(CA09), Joe Crowley (NY07), Joe Hoeffel (PA13), Earl Blumenauer (OR03),
Shelly Berkley (NV01), Grace Napolitano (CA34), Adam Schiff (CA27)
Ways and Means
Republicans: William Thomas (CA21), Philip Crane (IL08), E. Clay Shaw
(FL22), Nancy Johnson (CT06), Amo Houghton (NY31), Wally Herger (CA02), Jim
McCrery (LA04), Dave Camp (MI04), Jim Ramstad (MN03), Jim Nussle (IA02), Sam
Johnson (TX03), Jennifer Dunn (WA08), Mac Collins (GA03), Rob Portman
(OH02), Philip English (PA21), Wes Watkins (OK03), J.D. Hayworth (AZ06),
Jerry Weller (IL11), Kenny Hulshof (MO09), Scott McInnis (CO03), Ron Lewis
(KY02), Mark Foley (FL16), Kevin Brady (TX08), Paul Ryan (WI01)
Democrats: Charles Rangel (NY15), Pete Stark (CA13), Robert Matsui (CA05),
William Coyne (PA14), Sander Levin (MI12), Benjamin Cardin (MD03), Jim
McDermott (WA07), Gerald Kleczka (WI04), John Lewis (GA05), Richard Neal
(MA02), Michael McNulty (NY21), William Jefferson (LA02), John Tanner
(TN08), Xavier Becerra (CA30), Karen Thurman (FL05), Lloyd Dogget (TX10),
Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL)
-- Deborah James, Fair Trade Director Global Exchange deborah@globalexchange.org 415.255.7296 x245 415.255.7498 fax 2017 Mission Street #303, San Francisco, CA 94110 http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/coffee http://www.globalexchange.org/cocoaCheck out Global Exchange's moderated listserves, updated weekly. Human Rights in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Palestine, California; Global Economy campaigns on Fair Trade and corporations; and more: http://www.globalexchange.org/getInvolved/lists.html
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