El día 23 de diciembre de 2015, la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela aprobó una nueva Ley de Semillas que prohíbe la importación, producción y siembra de semillas transgénicas o genéticamente modificadas (OGM); y protege la producción e intercambio libre de variedades de semillas pertenecientes a las comunidades agrícolas de Venezuela (indígenas, campesinas y afrodescendientes), entre otras disposiciones. La prohibición de los OGM se basa en el principio de precaución, dado que los efectos de la tecnología transgénica aún no se conocen completamente y lo que se ha documentado hasta hoy, en términos de impacto a la salud humana y el medio ambiente, suscita preocupaciones significativas. A esto se suman las preocupaciones relacionadas al impacto socio-económico y a los derechos humanos de los pequeños productores y productoras, quienes conforman la mayor parte de la población que padece hambre en el mundo. La protección especial de semillas adaptadas localmente, reconoce la importancia de la conservación local para mantener el máximo de diversidad genética. Algo cada vez más importante para para enfrentar con resiliencia el cambio climático. Adicionalmente, la ley es producto de la formulación de políticas desde abajo con apoyo institucional, al estilo “abajo-arriba”; resultado de un proceso de tres años en el cual movimientos sociales se opusieron a un proyecto de ley de semillas que tenía franco respaldo del sector agroindustrial. Contrariando los intereses de dichos sectores, estos movimientos presionaron para obtener una legislación más transformadora, y a través de una serie de consultas públicas-participativas en todo el país, desarrollaron esta alternativa. La aprobación de la Ley marca una victoria histórica para los movimientos de agroecología y soberanía alimentaria en Venezuela y más allá. Es quizás una de las pocas leyes nacionales en el mundo que garantiza y protege el derecho de los campesinos a las semillas. Sin embargo, a pesar del amplio apoyo nacional y el interés internacional que ha cosechado, la ley está siendo atacada por representantes de la industria y sus seguidores por considerarla “anti-científica”. Esto coloca a la Ley de Semillas en riesgo de ser anulada por la Asamblea Nacional actual, la cual se constituye de una mayoría opositora, desde enero de este año. Como científicos, profesionales y defensores involucrados en alimentación y agricultura, ponemos en duda y cuestionamos los fundamentos de estos ataques. La idea central de la Ley es priorizar las prácticas de agricultura agroecológica, sosteniéndose en el creciente consenso científico sobre la importancia de esta transición de la agricultura convencional a sistemas de agricultura basados en la ecología, que valoran los conocimientos de los productores y productoras locales y los involucran en la toma de decisiones. Esto ha sido enfatizado por ejemplo en la Evaluación Internacional del Papel del Conocimiento, la Ciencia y la Tecnología en el Desarrollo Agrícola (IAASTD por sus siglas en inglés) desarrollado por 400 destacados expertos mundiales y respaldado por 59 países. Por lo tanto, estamos acompañando con mucho interés esta emergente lucha en defensa de la Ley de Semillas de diciembre del 2015 y su implementación, no solamente por sus implicaciones para Venezuela, sino también por todas las posibles implicaciones de mayor alcance, en un escenario donde ocurre una consolidación corporativa del acaparamiento de los recursos genéticos, tan necesarios para el presente y futuro de la seguridad y soberanía alimentaria. Apoyamos a los productores y productoras de alimentos, las y los científicos y los movimientos de base local que en Venezuela impulsan esta defensa y esta construcción, instando a la Asamblea Nacional a que mantenga la integridad de esta Ley y apoye su implementación plena. Firmado: Olivier De Schutter, Co-Chair, International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2008-2014), Member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Professor, University of Louvain, Belgium Jack Kloppenburg, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder, Open Source Seed Initiative, USA Sofia Monsalve, Secretary General, FIAN International Frances Moore Lappé, Small Planet Institute, USA Miguel Altieri, Professor, University of California Berkeley, USA Fred Magdoff, Professor Emeritus, Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont, USA Philip McMichael, Professor, Cornell University, USA Ian Scoones, Professor, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK Eric Holt-Giménez, Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy, USA Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Professor, Wageningen University, Netherlands Bernardo Mançano Fernandes, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Brazil Gayatri Menon, Assistant Professor, Azim Premji University, India Esteve Corbera, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain Frederick Mills, Professor, Bowie State University, USA Anna Lappé, Small Planet Institute, USA Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability and Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Canada Ivette Perfecto, Professor, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, USA Juliette Majot, Executive Director, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, USA Sophia Murphy, Researcher and Scholar, University of British Columbia, Canada Alastair Iles, Professor, University of California Berkeley, USA Susanna Hecht, Professor, Luskin School of Public Affairs and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA, USA Nettie Weibe, Farmer and Professor, St. Andrew’s College – University of Saskatchewan, Canada Tamara Wattnam, M.Sc. in Agroecology and PhD candidate in Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA M. Jahi Chappell, PhD, Senior Research Fellow (as of August 2016), Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK Nora McKeon, Terra Nuova, Italy Mindi Schneider, Assistant Professor, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Rachel Bezner Kerr, Associate Professor, Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University, USA Peter Newell, Professor of International Relations, University of Sussex, UK Robin Broad, Professor, School of International Service, American University, USA Tony Weis, Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario, Canada John Vandermeer, Asa Gray Distinguished University Professor, University of Michigan, USA Edmund Oh, Associate Professor, ELM Graduate School, HELP University, Malaysia Jessica Duncan, Assistant Professor, Wageningen University, Netherlands Josh Brem-Wilson, Research Fellow, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK Laura Enríquez, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California Berkeley, USA Elizabeth Fitting, Graduate Coordinator & Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, USA Sarah Lyon, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Kentucky, USA Simon Nicholson, Director of the Global Environmental Politics Program, American University, USA Molly D. Anderson, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Food Studies at Middlebury College, USA Brian Tokar, Lecturer in Environmental Studies, University of Vermont, USA Dr Francisco Dominguez, Head of Latin American Studies, Middlesex University, London, UK Marc Edelman, Professor of Anthropology, Hunter College & the Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA Wendy Wolford, Polson Professor of Development Sociology, Cornell University, USA Timothy A. Wise, Researcher, Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University, USA Michel Pimbert, Professor, The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University, UK John Bellamy Foster, Professor, University of Oregon and Editor, Monthly Review, USA Hannah Wittman, Associate Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Academic Director, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Canada Jun Borras, Professor, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Eva Frankova, Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Czech Republic David Primrose, Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney, Australia Stephen Bartlett, Agricultural Mission, USA Dave Murphy, Food Democracy Now!, USA Joan P Mencher, Emerita Professor, Anthropology, City University of New York (CUNY), USA Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, The Oakland Institute, USA Dr. Charles Francis, University of Nebraska, USA Natalia Mamonova, PhD Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Sara Keene, PhD Candidate, Cornell University, USA Huei-Ling Lai, PhD Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Judith McGeary, Esq., Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, USA Youjin Chung, PhD Candidate, Development Sociology, Cornell University, USA Wittawat Prayookwong, alumnus, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Shoshana Perrey, Graduate Student in Development Sociology at Cornell University and Gardener & Chef at Liberation Supper Club, USA Arnim Scheidel, PhD, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Lisa Stokke, Executive director, The Next 7 Project, USA Pierre Merlet, AGTER, Nicaragua/France Sharmini Selvarajah, Research Programme Manager, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Amelie Huber, PhD Candidate, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain Elyse Mills, Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Alberto Alonso-Fradejas, Transnational Institute (TNI), Netherlands & Instituto de Estudios Agrarios y Rurales (IDEAR), Guatemala Tsegaye Moreda, PhD Candidate, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Elizabeth Henderson, Organic Farmer, Peacework Organic CSA, Newark, New York, USA Hana Bernardová, AMPI (Association of Local Food Systems), Czech Republic Salena Tramel, PhD Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Will Fantle, Co-director, The Cornucopia Institute, USA Mercia Andrews, Rural Women’s Assembly, Southern Africa Nancy Romer, Professor Emerita, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, USA Grace Gershuny, Faculty, Green Mountain College, MS in Sustainable Food Systems, USA Andrianna Natsoulas, Food Voices, USA Martin Dagoberto, Mass. Right to Know GMOs, Massachusetts, USA Ken Thesing, ICR, Rome, Italy Eneko Garmendia, Ikerbasque Research Fellow, Spain Ben McKay, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Hannes Lammler, founding member of the European Cooperatives of Longo Mai, France Amy & Bryan Willoughby, Patchwork Farm, Copper Hill, VA, USA Russell Dale, Science and Society, USA Angela Adrar, Ecohermanas, USA Andrew Kang Bartlett, Food in Neighborhoods Community Coalition, USA Tania Salerno, PhD Candidate, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Marta Zygadło, Lawyer and Masters Student of Food, Society and International Food Governance at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain LaDonna Sanders Redmond, Campaign for Food and Community Justice Now, USA Laurence Levine, Co-Founder, Kids Can Make a Difference, USA Antonio Roman-Alcalá, Alumnus, International Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands, and founder, San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, USA Giulio Locco, Food Activist, Italy and Netherlands Denise O’Brien, Farmer and Farmer Activist, USA Jane Hodge, Rise & Root Farm, USA Jose Oliva, Food Chain Workers Alliance, USA Sarah Laeng-Gilliatt, Owner, Main Street Cheese LLC, USA Monica Ibacache, Beyond Organic Design, USA Christina M. Schiavoni, PhD Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Madison Monty,Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, USA Kelly Moltzen, Franciscan Action Network, USA Annie Shattuck, Fellow, Food First, USA Zainil Zainuddin, Local Food & Urban Agriculture Advocate/Researcher and PhD Candidate, RMIT University, Australia Fern Gale Estrow, FGE Food & Nutrition Team, USA Joann Lo, Food Chain Workers Alliance, USA Denis Mpagaze, Journalist, Author, Lecturer and Right to Food Activist,Tanzania Arnaud Apoteker, Coordinator of the International Monsanto Tribunal, France Klara Kyralova, Friends of the Earth Czech Republic John Wilson, African Food Sovereignty Activist Yunan Xu, PhD Student, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Karen Washington, Farmer, Rise & Root Farm, USA Rev. Dele, Nature’s Friends, USA Johanna Rosen, Community Organizer and Communications Specialist, Massachusetts, USA Philip L Bereano, Professor Emeritus, Technology and Public Policy, University of Washington, USA Claire Robinson, Editor, GMWatch, UK Elsadig Elsheikh, Researcher, University of California Berkeley, USA Dr. Laura Rival, Department of International Development, University of Oxford, UK Cécile Famerée, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands Erika Allen, Growing Power – Chicago, USA Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South, India Colleen Cordes, Director of Outreach and Development, The Nature Institute Michael O’Callaghan, Director, Global Vision Foundation, Switzerland Afsar Jafri, Focus on the Global South, India Prof. Dr Arpad Pusztai, FRSE, formerly at the Rowett Research Institute, UK Prof. Dr. Susan Bardocz, FRSE, formerly at the Rowett Research Institute, UK Judith Hitchman, President, Urgenci International Network for Community Supported Agriculture Catherine Ponte, Master of Landscape Architecture, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, USA Margaret Nakato, Katosi Women Development Trust, Uganda Simon Anoumou Todzro, West Africa Producers and Consumers Network Gertrude Kenyangi Kabusimbi, Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN), Uganda Hannah Twomey, Alumnus University of Oxford, UK Beatriz Gascó Verdier, Diputada en Corts Valencianes, Spain Ivo Zdráhal, Associate Professor, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic Scott Freeman, Professorial Lecturer, American University, USA Laura Calvet-Mir, Associate Researcher, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, UAB, Spain Frank Ademba, Program Officer, MVIWATA- Kilimanjaro Network of Small Scale Farmers Groups in Tanzania GRAIN ETC Group FIAN International IFOAM – Organics international Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy, USA Alianza Biodiversidad, Latin America Terra Nuova, Italy La Red por una América Latina Libre de Transgénicos, Latin America El Grupo Semillas, Colombia La Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad, Costa Rica Sociedad Científica Latinoamericana de Agroecología (SOCLA), Latin America National Family Farm Coalition, USA Community Alliance for Global Justice, USA Kenya Food Rights Alliance (KeFRA) The Second Chance Foundation, USA Rural Advancement Foundation International, USA Food Empowerment Project, USA Research Institute of Agriculture and Peasant Policy – Established by Korean Peasants League & Korean Women Peasant Association,South Korea Global Justice Ecology Project Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), USA Family Farm Defenders, USA Rural Vermont, USA Arid Crop Seed Cache, USA Growth Partners Africa, Kenya Movement Generation Justice and Ecology Project, Oakland, CA, USA WhyHunger, USA National Farmers Union/Union Nationale des Fermiers, Canada The Oakland Institute, USA GMWatch, UK Border Agricultural Workers Project, El Paso, Texas, USA Community to Community Development, USA Hawai`i SEED, the Island Chain of Hawai`i The MOM Hui, the Island Chain of Hawai`i GMO Free Kaua`i, Kaua`i, Hawai`i The NETWORK for Sustainable Development Organization, Thailand African Centre for Biodiversity, South Africa and Tanzania Food Sovereignty Ghana, Ghana Pan-Africanist International, Belgium USC Canada Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA), USA Friends of the ATC, USA/Europe/Nicaragua Red de Semillas “Resembrando e Intercambiando”, Spain Washington Biotechnology Action Council, Seattle, Washington, USA Roughwood Seed Collection, Devon, PA, USA Philadelphia Seed Exchange, Philadelphia, PA, USA Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), Canada Farmworker Association of Florida, USA Becket Films, USA CONAMUCA (Confederación Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas), Dominican Republic Focus on the Global South, Thailand Urgenci International Network for Community Supported Agriculture JINUKUN, National Network for Sustainable Management of Genetic Resources, Cotonou, Benin (Focal Point of the Coalition to Protect African Genetic Heritage, COPAGEN) Friends of the Earth Australia Friends of the Earth Australia Semillas de Vida, México Via Organica, Mexico Para mas información visite: http://semillasdelpueblovzla.blogspot.com/2016/05/investigadores-y-academicos-de-28.html *Para suscribir la declaracion enviar un correo al [email protected]