*Action Alert for California USA residents - STOP PRE-EMPTION!

*Hungry? Global military spending reached $1.12 trillion in 2005 - 48% of the expenditure from the US *Meeting on International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
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FOOD First: We Are Fighting Back # 71

excerpts:

**Action Alert for California USA residents**

On June 28th, the California State Assembly Agriculture Committee will consider a bill (SB 1056) that will take away local government authority over seed regulation. If passed, this bill will override restrictions on genetically engineered crops and seeds, as well as all other local regulation of seeds.

In 2005, a groundswell of organizational and citizen response stopped the California pre-emption attempts - we need your help to prevent the passage of this bill once and for all.

1. Call, email or fax your own Assembly member to ask them to oppose SB1056. Cal GE-Free coalition member, True Food Network http://www.truefoodnow.org/ has set up an online action page or using the sample letter below. Call your local elected officials and encourage them to do the same.

2. Attend the Assembly Agriculture Committee hearing in Sacramento on June 28th to voice your opposition (for more details, contact Becky at 510-647-3733 or [email protected])

3. Forward this email to everyone you know in California and urge them to take action!

Sample letter

[Your Assembly member]
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0000
cc: The Honorable Barbara Matthews
Chair, Assembly Agriculture Committee
1020 N St., Rm 362
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Pre-emption of local authority with SB 1056—PLEASE OPPOSE

Dear Assembly member:

I am very concerned that there will be an attempt in the 2006 legislative session to pass legislation that will pre-empt local authority and I want to record my STRONG OPPOSITION to this. During the 2005 legislative session there were two attempts to amend bills in legislative committees with language that would prohibit counties, towns and cities from passing any local regulation on seeds (AB1508 and SB1056). Such attempts are an anti-democratic attack on the rights of local citizens and local governments to act in a legal manner to protect their interests, which are not otherwise protected by law.

I urge you to oppose any attempts to limit local jurisdiction over seeds and crops.

Sincerely,
(your name)
***

Also in the news

Global military spending reached $1.12 trillion in 2005 according to a recent report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. U.S. expenditures account for 48% of the world total.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-06-12T114509Z_01_L12351514_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARMS-SPENDING.xml&archived=False
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp
http://www.warresistersorg/piechart.htm

The first meeting between signatory states of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture took place in Madrid from June 12 to16. The goal of the treaty is to protect the genetic diversity of crops with the primary purposes of combating hunger and poverty through international cooperation. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf stated "The conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture are sine qua non conditions for food security and poverty eradication, particularly in the rural world." The Madrid conference is to solidify a plan of action between signatory states.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000324/index.html
http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=68274-fao-genetic-agriculture
http://allafrica.com/stories/200606130661.html

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This edition of We Are Fighting Back! was written by Food First intern Teresa Shellmon and edited by Marilyn Borchardt, Development Director at Food First. If you have any stories, questions or feedback, please contact: [email protected].
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This message was sent by:
Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy
398 60th Street
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 654-4400

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