An encouraging little Asterix story: I spent the weekend in a little town (or pueblo?) called Treinta y Tres (well, I can explain the name, but as that is a long story, I will add it at another time!) at the Fiesta de la Semilla criolla (Local/Regional seed festival). It is an Asterix story because here, as anywhere else in the world, transnational seed companies are doing all they can to monopolize the seed markets, trying to homogenize, patent, and ultimately eliminate local diversity of seeds. But, just like Asterix, Obelix and their Gaul village resisted roman occupation, the little enclave of Treinta y Tres is trying to resist the take-over by profit-seeking transnational companies, by establishing a local seed bank. The seed bank collects and stores the local seed diversity, protecting biodiversity. Some of you
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