New Iraqi Law May Endanger Traditional Seed Saving

A recent report issued by international NGOs GRAIN and Focus on the Global South, scrutinizes the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rules that were included in a new patent "order," number 81 of 100 orders that were made into law in Iraq by the Coalition Provisional Authority of Paul Bremer, in April 2004.

According to the NGOs, the PVP provisions will make illegal much of the traditional seed saving and seed exchange practices currently practiced in Iraq. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated in 2002 that 97% of Iraqi farmers were using their own saved seed or were buying seed from local markets. These new laws, unless overturned by a new Iraqi government, could dramatically change this scenario and place in jeopardy traditional agricultural practices according to the GRAIN report. www.grain.org/articles/?id=6

New Study Enlists Coffee in Slug Control

For anyone gardening in cool moist climates, slugs can be a primary pest problem. As reported by the Organic Trade Association, recent research by a team of scientists at the USDA Research Station in Hilo Hawaii points to an unlikely deterrent for these slimy pests. While trying to develop controls for a small, introduced frog that has a habit of destroying potted plants, they discovered that strong coffee with 1-2% caffeine ( a normal cup has .5-1%) will actually kill slugs, while extremely weak concentrations (.01%) will deter them from eating crops. Others report success with coffee grounds spread around targeted plants. For more information on slug control: www.theorganicreport.com/pages/506_slug_and_snail_baits.cfm