Our seed, our sovereignty - seed law victory in Indonesia

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.grain.org/bulletin_board/entries/4774-our-seed-our-sovereignty-seed-law-victory-in-indonesia

 

We don’t want to live as second class citizens anymore. We have always been discriminated against, but we are legal citizens of this country.

 

We had to breed our local seeds in hiding, since if government knew about this we wouldn't get any support from government.

 

This victory at the constitutional court gives us back our Dignity. Recognition and openness to continue our creativity is the dignity for farmers and breeders.

 

- Joharipin, a breeder from Indramayu , Kertasemaya, Indonesia)

 

Between 2005 and 2010, more than a dozen farmers from Kediri and Nganjuk regencies in East Java were prosecuted after seed companies accused them of stealing seed. But a judicial review by Indonesia's constitutional court has found several key articles of the legislation used to go after the farmers are unconstitutional.