The NEEM patents and biopiracy.

On May 9^th and 10^th the European Patent Office in Munich will conduct an "Oral Proceeding" to hear the arguments of both sides in the case of a patent granted to the United States Department of Agriculture and the multinational corporation W.R. Grace for a fungicide derived from the Neem, a tree indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.  This patent - one of many on products of the tree - was legally challenged in 1995 by Vandana Shiva of India, Magda Aelvoet (now Belgian Environment Minister), and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, who claim that it has been used for centuries in India and exemplifies how the patent system is being used to transfer biological wealth from the South into the hands of a few corporations and scientists (for details see Background Paper on the Neem Patent Challenge at http://www.ifoam.org).

Speakers

• Dr. Asfar H. Jafri, Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and  Ecology (India)
• Ranjith de Silva, (Sri Lanka),International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
• Steve Emmott, the Greens in the European Parliament (Brussels)
• Florianne Koechlin, European Coordination No Patents on Life! (Switzerland)
• Beth Burrows, the Edmonds Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA

A delegation of farmers and scientists from India knowledgeable in the use of neem will also be on hand to demonstrate a variety of locally produced neem products.

Vandana Shiva and Magda Aelvoet, Belgian Minister for Consumer Protection, Public Health, and the Environment, will be present for the Oral Proceeding,which begins on May 9^th at 9 a.m. in the PschorrHöfe of the European Patent Office, Room 3468, Bayerstrasse 34, D-80335 Munich. 

The press is welcome to attend.

• Interviews with Vandana Shiva, Magda Aelvoet and other participants in the Neem proceeding may be arranged by calling +(49 0) 172 896 38 58.
• At 12:30 on May 9^th there will be a symbolic event on the Neem Patents in front of the PschorrHöfe involving a real neem tree. 
• At the conclusion of the Oral Proceeding there will be a second Press Conference on the premises of the PschorrHöfe.  Journalists wishing to be informed when this happens may leave their coordinates with the organizers.
• Photos from the Press Conference and action may be obtained from... [agency, or Ruth supply name and number].
• A support event will take place in Paris on May 10^th, organized by Ecoropa.  Contact ... for further information.

Representatives of the following organizations will be represented at the Press Conference: 

• Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology;
• IFOAM;
• the Greens in the European Parliament;
• Kein Patent auf Leben;
• European Coordination No Patents on Life!;
• A-SEED;
• Oxfam-Wereldwinkels;
• Erklärung von Bern;
• the Edmonds Institute.

For further information, contact:

From May 6^th - 10^th:  +(49 0)172 896 38 58

Before and after, telephone one of the Opponents:

• Dr. Asfar Jafri at +9111 696-2589 (India)
• IFOAM at +49 6853 5190 (Germany)
• Steve Emmott at +322 284-2026 (Belgium)