German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 30/34, p.
3202.
Herr President. Valued colleagues.
It is about food security and the fight against hunger in
the world, with the thereto combined maintenance of the urgently required seed
variety. So that the seed of my speech falls on fruitful ground and we
recognize that the theme is essentially complex, let us begin for once from the
front.
Stephan Brandner (AfD): That is a good idea!
In the Bible is reported that in Eden a stream sprang forth.
This stream divides into four rivers, one of which is the Euphrates, another
the Tigris. In Iraq and Syria, these form the so-called Zweistromland, the Garden of Eden. Here, in the Mesopotamian flood
plain is a well-watered realm. Here, the grain culture was cultivated, from
here stem the oldest types of grain. All of this now unfortunately in a very
brief time changes extremely.
What has happened? In the course of the Iraq War, Iraq’s
existing seed bank in Abu Ghraib was destroyed. Thus in Iraq there are
injunctions, proceeding from the victorious powers, which forbid the farmers to
re-use the seeds. Thus hybrid plants must be used which they need to purchase
from large, Western concerns, inclusive of fertilizer and pesticide. This
brings the peasants to a maximum dependency and makes it too expensive for them
to be able to work profitably, especially since ever more grain imports arrive
in the country which are essentially cheaper. Beyond that, the water supply also
is not well arranged, since in upper Iraq there are ever more reservoirs, one
of which is the contested Ilisu reservoir in Turkey.
As you see, nothing in our ever faster, global world can be
considered in isolation. That leads to false outcomes. On that account, it can
truly be said, dear Union, that your motion is planted somewhat too short. Yet the
intention is correct and sensible; on that account, we support your motion. We
need to protect and strengthen the seed banks; they are after all likewise
security, protection and freedom.
The fact is, 60 percent of our food stems from hybrid corn,
wheat and rice plants; thus from plants which allow no seed reproduction. Meanwhile,
three great concerns with their seed patents dictate the world’s food. We thus
feed ourselves from the ever fewer seed holdings of ever fewer firms, which is
actually fatal; since the local, domestic samenfest
[pure line, open pollination] cultures are essentially more resilient against,
for example, viruses and invasive species of plants. The more ur-seeds, wild
seeds we have, the less becomes the likelihood of a thoroughly possible total
harvest failure.
If we want to live durably and soundly, if we want to make
our food system more resilient, and if we want to let the farmers and thereby
the peoples of the world more freely act and organize [gestalten], then we need to not only protect and strengthen the
world’s seed banks, but also actively commit to and implement the knowledge and
possibilities locally.
Thank you.
[trans: tem]
