New resolutions from farmers in Canada, Germany and South Africa:

"Let's Liberate Diversity"

The Government of India has given final notification confirming the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act, Act 53 of 2001, which prohibits registration of varieties containing Terminator genes.

Indian farmers have expressed grave concern over the patent rights accorded to Delta & Pine Land in Europe and US over its controversial terminator technology.

Ottawa, October 25, 2005 – Today Greenpeace and the Ban Terminator Campaign revealed that new patents have been granted in both Canada and Europe for a Terminator technology owned jointly by US seed corporation Delta & Pine Land and the United States Department of Agriculture. The patents were granted on October 11 and 5 respectively. The move confirms the greatest fears of farmers’, Indigenous peoples groups and social movements across the world
that Terminator technology is once again being pushed towards commercialization.

Amsterdam, 25 October 2005 - Greenpeace today exposed details that the patent for the controversial "Terminator technology" was granted in Europe on 5 October 2005. The Terminator patent (1) has been approved for all plants that are genetically engineered so that their seeds will not germinate. Further research by the "Ban Terminator Campaign", a network of farmers' unions and environmental organisations revealed that a patent was also granted in Canada on 11 October 2005.

In response to a request from the United Nations for “new information” on Terminator, a number of groups and communities sent critical comments expressing how Terminator would uniquely impact their communities and cultures.

On August 30 2005, the Delta Democrat Times reported that a tornado in the United States has destroyed two of Delta & Pine Land’s greenhouses and damaged others. Delta & Pine Land is currently conducting greenhouse tests on Terminator. We do not know if Terminator plants were being tested in the greenhouses or what biosafety risks, if any, might be posed – but this event shows that even seemingly secure physical containment is vulnerable. (“D&PL storm losses top $1 million” Woodrow Wilkins Jr., Delta Democrat Times 30/08/05)

The International Indian Treaty Council resolves to fight TerminatorAt their annual convention August 3-5, in Alberta Canada, the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) passed a resolution urging the prohibition of Terminator.