Resistance is Fertile
As we move towards the UN 'Rio + 10' World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002 in Johannesburg, Corporate Watchers have again been highlighting the corporate hijacking of the UN environmental process, this time at a key meeting in the Hague on the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD).

The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 gave birth to two major conventions: one aimed at addressing the preservation of the earth's declining biodiversity (the Convention on Biodiversity or CBD) and the other at halting the catastrophic process of climate change (the Climate Change Convention or CCC). After witnessing the corporate hijacking of the climate change talks in the Hague in November 2000, protesters gathered again, this time working against the privatisation of the 'genetic commons'. The ability to patent genes, cells, tissue, micro-organisms, and even entire plants was introduced through the WTO's TRIPs (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) agreement, and this has forced its weaker partner, the CBD, to comply. Industry logic claims that privatising carbon and genetic material, and allowing profit to be made from inventing new commodities out of the very stuff of life, are the best safeguards of biodiversity and a sustainable climate.
Under the banner, 'Resistance is Fertile' activists from all over the world came together in the Hague to argue the fallacy of these corporate claims. Whilst recognising the good work that many people have done within the CBD process, especially to bring about a 'Biosafety Protocol' and the 'Treaty of the Seed', this was our chance to say that the UN has proven its 'institutional incapacity' to preserve biodiversity. Corporate dominance and the lack of civil society representation and participation in the process (most notably by farmers, local communities and indigenous peoples) has forced people around the world to work independently to safeguard the world's environmental resources.

Biodiversity is not for sale, but neither is it free. It is priceless.
The key issues on the CBD agenda were protecting ancient forests from illegal logging, dealing with invasive species and 'access and benefit sharing of plant genetic resources' (ABS). This last agreement is an attempt to clarify arrangements for dealings between 'providers and users of biological genetic resources'. Indigenous peoples and small farmers in developing countries are the major 'providers', and biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations are the major 'users'. 'Access' refers to the desire of the biotech industry to profit from biodiversity mainly found in the tropical regions of the Global South. 'Benefit-sharing' recognises that those who created or hold the knowledge of a plant and its uses should benefit from its exploitation by others. This could be in cash, or other mutually agreed things like technology transfer. While Southern countries want robust rules to safeguard their resources and ensure a fair return, Northern corporations continue to use the large pool of stolen genetic resources with impunity (known as 'biopiracy').

On 9th April, activists invaded the European Patent Office (EPO) with a samba band and speakers from indigenous people's groups. Meanwhile climbers scaled the 18 storey building with banners proclaiming 'No patents on life!' and 'Verzet is Vruchtbaar' (Resistance is Fertile!). The EPO has been active in granting patents on life including 150 patents on human and animal genes and over 50 patents on seeds.
During the two weeks of the conference, actions happened in and around the Hague, including a guerrilla gardening community project which transformed a derelict and polluted space, destined for luxury housing, into a community garden. A bike demonstration around the Hague visited the CBD meeting, where it was met by the Dutch environment minister and chair of the CBD process, who gave a polite speech but refused to adopt demands for a moratorium on genetic engineering and no patents on life.
On April 17th 2002, the International Day of Farmer's Struggle against Genetic Engineering, actions took place around the world (see www.viacampesina.org). In the Netherlands, fifty farmers and eco-activists visited two GE test fields in Groningen, and planted organic potatoes, seeds and DNA scarecrows. Other events included an action on corporate lobby group Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD - see CW Newsletter 5), and a conference, 'Common Ground', which brought together grassroots activists, small farmers and people working on new rural initiatives across Europe together for the first time.

Also see the spoof newsletter from the conference, Earth Crimes http://squat.net/cia/gp/hom.php
For more information about actions in the Hague see www.resistanceisfertile.com
Captain Hook awards for Biopiracy - see Babylonian Times.