Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition referring to the right to save seeds. These citizens of Canada recognize the inherent right of farmers, derived from thousands of years of custom and tradition, to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or to the Plant Breeders' Rights Act through Bill C-18, an act to amend certain acts relating to agriculture and agri-food, which would further restrict farmers' rights or add to farmers' costs.
Furthermore, they call upon Parliament to enshrine in legislation the inalienable right of farmers and other Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange, and sell seeds.