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Disputation: David Rodriguez Goyes

David Rodriguez Goyes at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law will be defending the thesis; Biopiracy from a green criminological perspective for the degree of Ph.D.

Trial lecture - time and place

29th of January 10:15-11:00am in Gamle festsal, 1st. floor Urbygningen

Adjudication committee

Chair of defence

Head of Department May-Len Skilbrei

Supervisors

Summary

MONOPOLISING SEEDS, MONOPOLISING SOCIETY

The world faces an “ever increasing spiral of seed monopolisation” that can affect the lives of rural communities in any region of the world. Seed monopolisation is produced by everyday dynamics like marketplace interactions, loan agreements with banks, and dietary trends. These dynamics help corporations to appropriate seeds. How was this spiral established? What harms does seed monopolisation cause?

Colombian peasants are further impoverished

The thesis ‘A study about biopiracy from a green criminological perspective’ focuses on the seed monopolisation that takes place in Colombia. It describes how the legal framework that regulates the use of seeds has been greatly shaped by lobbying strategies implemented by multinational corporations. As result, the current seed governance has produced further impoverishment of rural communities as they end up losing their lands because of the impossibility of their being part of the market. Rural communities have also lost control over their daily practices given that foreign farming methods have been imposed on them.

Seeds are an important part of the lives of Colombian rural communities, not only in the productive sense, but also for their culture and for the strengthening of their social fabric. Simply put, seeds have been the element that knit rural communities together. Nonetheless, rural communities have lost control over seeds, and with them, over important aspects of their social life.

 

 

Published Jan. 10, 2018 1:07 PM - Last modified Oct. 16, 2023 2:44 PM