EU fines firm E35,000 for selling 'illegal' seeds

Even in these days of oppressive monitoring and control I was naiive enough to think that a farmer for example could grow his traditional crops and either sell the produce or perhaps allow the seeds to develop and sell them on - seems a reasonable enough activity to me!

Now I have (belatedly) read about the independent seed saving and selling association Kokopelli which was prosecuted under EU laws making it illegal to sell seed varieties which are not registered and approved, even if the seeds are old varieties which have been around for thousands of years!

Do I hear you say "couldn't we just register the seeds then?", in the UK it costs £2,000 + to register a 'new' variety and then £300 every year to maintain that registration. Small beer to the big outfits like Monsanto but impossibly expensive for small or non-profit organisations.

On the brighter side :-) there are still ways around this:-

Kokopelli offer a membership scheme where different levels of members will be issued with various seeds to grow, you can even adopt a seed to culture and preserve.

Garden Organic use a similar scheme, whereby you become a seed guardian and pass the seed on to others.

At a more local level, you could hold a Seed Swap. Visit Seedy Sunday to find out more and for help in organising one.


READ MORE at:-
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news6221.htm

http://www.seedysunday.org/

http://www.kokopelli-seeds.com/

http://organicgardening.org.uk/hsl/