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French organic seed producers Association Kokopelli fined |
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Monday, 03 March 2008 |
French organic seed producers Association Kokopelli finedAssociation Kokopelli, which is a French independent organic seed saving and selling organisation was fined €35,000, last week, after being taken to court by corporate seed merchant Baumaux.
Association Kokopelli were found guilty of selling traditional and rare seed varieties, which were not on the official EU-approved list. Such seeds are deemed illegal to sell on the grounds that it gives the seller an “unfair trading advantage”.
 The European Commission met this week to draft the new legislation for seed control, which is planned for 2009, and the case of Association Kokopelli being found guilty sets a dangerous precedent and will potentially further restrict the geographic movement and range of crop varieties. Association Kokopelli, is a non-profit French group set up in 1999 to safeguard endangered seed strains and produces seeds of 900 varieties of heirloom varieties which are sold all over Europe, but unfortunately it may now be driven out of existence by the massive fine it cannot afford to pay. Dominique Guillet, who is the founder of Association Kokopelli said: "Seeds are the very beginning of the food chain. He, who controls the seeds, controls the food supply and thus controls the people."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 March 2008 )
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