THE BANNA DECLARATION ON BIODIVERSITY

WE, THE PARTICIPANTS from farmer’s groups and indigenous communities, NGOs and academics from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Thailand, gathered here at Banna (rice-growing village) district, Nakorn Nayok Province, Thailand, from 28 October 1 November 2001 for the Asian Regional Conference-Workshop on Local Management of Agricultural Biodiversity. After sharing of experiences, deliberations and joint analysis,

WE HAVE AGREED THAT:

1.       Our countries in Asia, the diversity centers, and our people have conserved much of the biodiversity through sustainable use in our daily lives.

2.       Our seeds are our heritage, our today, our tomorrow had been freely shared through the years. Farmer-to-farmer exchanges have kept this tradition alive; this sharing helps sustain our local knowledge.

3.       Agricultural biodiversity and our lives, which are closely linked, are threatened by external forces, particularly globalization.  Impositions by World Trade Organizations (WTO) and other regional trade agreements, particularly those on intellectual property rights have threatened our biodiversity, and hence our cultural identities.  

4.       "Free trade", privatization and monopoly control of resources is a threat, not only to this free exchange but also to our fundamental freedom.

5.       The domination of multinational corporations (MNCs) over the seed industry and the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our fields, in collaboration with agricultural research centers and some governments, have caused the loss of traditional seeds and biodiversity and are threats to our agriculture, our health our environment, and our livelihoods;

6.       These MNCs are taking control over our natural resources and land; the basic means of agricultural production.

7.       Mainstream reductionist "science", controlled by profit motivated MNCs do not recognize our local knowledge. Instead, these institutions had pirated the seeds and wisdom of our people.

8.       We are deeply concerned about International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs) being hijacked by the trade agenda. 

9.       Our governments are being dictated by the MNCs through the trade agreements.  With this agenda, our governments failed to protect the interest of its people.

WE THEREFORE DECLARE THAT:

1.       We reject globalization and the profit-oriented capitalist model of development that is being imposed on us. In the apparent inversion of the state, where governments no longer safeguard the sovereignty of our peoples, we declare local self-rule.

2.       We reject GMOs, patenting of our seeds and local knowledge because they are a threat to biological diversity and our cultural identities.

3.       We uphold the rights of the communities to our genetic resources, and strongly support initiative such as Thailand’s lawful claim on Jasmine rice and India and Pakistan’s ownership of Basmati rice. To express this support, we are elevating these issues at the Asian regional level.

4.       We ourselves shall manage our biological resources and not let any other forces control them. We have sustainably used and conserved our biological resources the natural way on our farms and we shall continue to do so. 

WITH THE FOREGOING, WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO:

1.       Protect and enrich our local knowledge and organize local seed exchanges.

2.       Continue and expand the role of women in agricultural biodiversity conservation.

3.       Organize peoples’ movements. With little or no support from governments, grassroots initiatives to protect biodiversity are necessary.

4.       Establish an effective exchange and flow of information amongst us to coordinate future actions and campaigns against the threats to biodiversity.

5.       Compel Northern governments and aid agencies to reorient their aid programs so as not to interfere with local initiatives of conservation and resource management.

6.       Think globally while acting locally.

Enriched and energized by our individual and collective struggles for the local management of agricultural biodiversity, we commit ourselves to this pledge of conservation of, and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity.

And before we return to our countries as a token of our pledge, today in the spirit of friendship we exchange life – we exchange our seeds, knowledge and wisdom past on from generations to generations.

Banna District, Nakorn Nayok Province, Thailand, 1 November 2001

Participating and signing organizations

PUSSPAINDO (Centre of Study and Development of Indonesian Rice/Indorice)

ILFA (International Life and Food Association)

MASIPAG

The Sloth Club/The Seed Savers’ Network

UBINIG-Policy Research for Development Alternative

CEDAC (Centre d’Etude et de Developpement Agricole Cambodgien)

METSA Foundation

CEFRA (Campagao Farmers Production and Research Association)

SEARICE

IRDF (Integrated Rural Development Foundation of the Philippines

Calamcam Fisherfolk Organization

SIBAT

CART
GRAIN

Green Foundation

Gram Vikas

Northern Farmer Network of Thailand

RRAFA (Rural Reconstruction  Alumni and Friends Association)

AAN - Thailand (Alternative Agriculture Network-Thailand)

BioThai (The Thai Network on Community Rights & Biodiversity)

Oscar B. Zamora, Pamela G. Fernandez, Alfinetta B. Zamora, Lucille Pareno- de Guzman, and Ma. Lourdes S. Edano, UPLB-College of Agriculture (in their individual capacities)