BACKGROUND

Trade rules threaten African farmers’ rights
September 22, 2003

The following alert asks that you urge your representative to co-sponsor the AFRICA Resolution, H. Con. Res. 269. It is sent by our colleagues at the Washington Office on Africa, 212 East Capitol Street, Washington, D.C.; 202-547-7503; woa@igc.org; www.woaafrica.org. To read the statement by Maryknoll missioners who attended the recent WTO meetings in Cancun, go to http://www.maryknollogc.org/ecojustice/mrlee.htm

Backed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), with strong support from the U.S., patents and other forms of intellectual property rights (IPRs) over African agricultural resources threaten the ability of local farmers to freely safeguard, access, use, save, exchange and sell their seeds and crops. IPRs 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.

On July 25, 2003, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-35-CA) re-introduced the Agriculture and Farm Resources for the Indigenous Communities of Africa Resolution (H. Con. Res. 269) to uphold the rights of African farmers over their seeds and food crops. Originally introduced in the previous Congress and based on an initiative by the African Union, 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 WTO that seeds, plants, crops and other agricultural genetic resources should not be patented.

You can view the full text of the AFRICA Resolution at the Africa Faith & Justice Network website: http://afjn.cua.edu/News

ACTION

Given security delays with regular mail, contact your member of the House at 202/225-3121. You can access e-mail links by going to http://www.house.gov. Write to members of Congress at the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515.

Here is a sample letter, which we encourage you to adapt to make your own. Do make sure he or she understands that you are a constituent.

*** Sample letter to Congress ***

Representative _____________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative _________________,

I strongly urge you to cosponsor the AFRICA Resolution (H. Con. Res. 269). This resolution upholds the rights of African farmers to freely safeguard, access, use, save, exchange and sell their seeds and crops.

International trade rules encourage corporations and individuals to claim exclusive rights over agricultural and natural resources in Africa. This threatens the ability of African farmers to ensure their food security, livelihoods and culture, and to safeguard Africa’s bio-diversity. Farmers’ rights to control and use their own seeds, crops and plants according to the custom of generations must be upheld under international law.

Agricultural resources are the common heritage of humankind. Please protect African farmers’ rights by cosponsoring H. Con. Res. 269 right away.

Respectfully,

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns:
Peace, Social Justice & Integrity of Creation
PO Box 29132
Washington DC 20017
ph (202)832-1780
fax (202)832-5195
ogc@maryknoll.org
www.maryknoll.org/
www.maryknollogc.org

*** Key members ***

Note: 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. 269 in committee and move it to floor action.

International Relations
Republicans: Henry Hyde (IL06), James Leach (IA01), Doug Bereuter (NE01), Christopher Smith (NJ04), Dan Burton (IN05), Elton Gallegly (CA24), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL18), Cas Ballenger (NC10), Dana Rohrabacher (CA46), Edward Royce (CA39), Peter King (NY03), Steven Chabot (OH01), Amory Houghton (NY31), John McHugh (NY24), Tom Tancredo (CO06), Ron Paul (TX14), Nick Smith (MI07), Joseph Pitts (PA16), Jeff Flake (AZ06), Jo Ann Davis (VA01), Mark Green (WI08), Jerry Weller (IL11), Mike Pence, (IN06), Thaddeus McCotter (MI11), Bill Janklow (SD-AL), Katherine Harris (FL13).

Democrats: Tom Lantos (CA12), Howard Berman (CA28), Gary Ackerman (NY05), Eni Faleomavaega (AS), Donald Payne (NJ10), Robert Menendez (NJ13), Sherrod Brown (OH13), Brad Sherman (CA27), Robert Wexler (FL19), 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 (CA38), Adam Schiff (CA29), Diane Watson (CA33), Adam Smith (WA09), Betty McCollum (MN04), Chris Bell (TX25).

Ways and Means
Republicans: William Thomas (CA22), Philip Crane (IL08), E. Clay Shaw (FL22), Nancy Johnson (CT05), Amory Houghton (NY29), Wally Herger (CA02), Jim McCrery (LA04), Dave Camp (MI04), Jim Ramstad (MN03), Jim Nussle (IA01), Sam Johnson (TX03), Jennifer Dunn (WA08), Mac Collins (GA08), Rob Portman (OH02), Philip English (PA03), J.D. Hayworth (AZ05), Jerry Weller (IL11), Kenny Hulshof (MO09), Scott McInnis (CO03), Ron Lewis (KY02), Mark Foley (FL16), Kevin Brady (TX08), Paul Ryan (WI01), Eric Cantor (VA07).

Democrats: Charles Rangel (NY15), Pete Stark (CA13), Robert Matsui (CA05), 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 (CA31), Lloyd Doggett (TX10), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Max Sandlin (TX01), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH11).