General Subjects > Flowers and Foliage Now
Regulatory threats to seed exchanges and plant movements
Hillview croconut:
Hi Maggi,
I recently read a piece in The Garden about this crazy scheme for disallowing seeds that weren't registered.
This is yet another example of the point I was trying to make in my article: there is a massive disconnect between what gardeners do and what governments and business do. And it is becoming increasingly apparent to anyone watching these things that gardeners are not considered legitimate stakeholders and are becoming increasingly marginalized. Some of this is because we are not organized around a common goal of optimizing our self interest or defending it. As a result our interests, our activities and our opinions are "below the radar" to those who have other powerful agendas.
Cheers, Marcus
PS Sadly us gardeners run a very poor second to more sharply focused groups like organic farming and permaculture.
Hillview croconut:
I will add one final observation. One powerful reason why this situation has arisen is because "the market" determines all. All of us are now regarded as passive consumers rather than active participants. If you don't have a business number or a lobby group you don't have a right. I'll stick my neck out here and venture to suggest that's why many people in the UK feel disappointed in the EU and want their government to leave.
John Kitt:
This certainly seems like a genuine issue that Garden Clubs of Australia might take up on behalf of its 800 odd Garden Clubs and probably more than 30,000 members. It seems to me that they do little more than arrange Club Insurance and publish a magazine. If there are other GCA members reading this Forum, the Secretary is John Graham (galstongardens@gmail.com)
I'll send you a separate email over the weekend Marcus re this.
John
Maggi Young:
These two papers are related to the main subject of the thread
Plant Hunting.
The text of a talk on the legal restrictions on plant hunting given by Michael Wickenden at the Museum of Garden History, Lambeth, London on 1st October 2012. ( Download as a pdf)
The Nurseryman as Plant-Hunter
Plant Breeders Rights
Michael Wickenden is to be featured in 'Gardener's World' BBC TV programme 23/08/13
John Kitt:
Maggie,
Your post on this issue and in particular the issue of Plant Breeders Rights rang some warning bells for me and I have done just a little research. (I don't want this to be a long diatribe). In Australia, and I guess in other countries, there is Plant Breeders Rights legislation that protects the intellectual property of breeders (good thing). It also prohibits unlawful sale of these plants for profit. My concern is that Garden Clubs all over Australia, mine included, operate a "trade table" at meetings and members donate plants etc for sale. I don't know whether I am drawing a long bow, but if we sell a plant (potted-on from a cutting by a member) to another member and that plant is covered by Plant Breeders Rights, are the "directors" of the Garden Club liable? Have other Garden Clubs to which forum members belong, faced this issue? Does this situation imply that we have to identify every plant, seed, bulb and satisfy ourselves that they are not covered by Plant Breeders Right before we can sell them to our members? HELP!!
John
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