TITLE: Basmati Rice AUTHOR: Paul Collins PUBLICATION: ActionAid Press Release, London DATE: 19 September 2000 URL: http://www.actionaid.org/ ActionAid is campaigning in support of India's demand for the World Trade Organisation to protect basmati rice from "biopiracy". India will urge the WTO to extend rules which safeguard products from specific regions like champagne and scotch whisky. This move will be made in Geneva at two-day global talks - starting on Thursday (Sep 21) - about trade-related property rights. The Indian government has filed a legal challenge against a patent held on basmati by US-based corporation RiceTec Inc. The company is owned by Prince Hans Adam II, who rules Liechtenstein, the world's richest country per head of population. Britain has ratified a European directive which allows patents on plant genetic resources. But ActionAid is backing African-led calls at the meeting for the WTO to ban patents on plants. The development agency says multinational firms are rushing to take out patents on staple crops poor farmers grow to survive. India's plea will come days before a unique rally over farmers' suicides as transnationals' bosses gather in Bangalore. Global People's Seed 2000, a series of events, will feature the first hearing of its kind in India where farmers will tell of their crises. A tribunal will hear evidence on how farmers condemn big business for crop failures and tight control over the seeds market. It will happen on Sep 24-25, just before the annual conference of the Asia and Pacific Seed Associations in the Karnataka capital. Chief executive officers from international seed firms are expected to attend the conference (Sep 26-28). Please contact me for any more details. Tel - calls from within UK 020 7561 7614 calls from outside UK +44 20 7561 7614 Best wishes. Paul Collins Press Office ActionAid PCollins(at)actionaid.org.uk