Another example of how weird the regs can be.
In Great Britain it is illegal to sell seeds unless they're included on the White List. Essentially, that means hybrids from the big seed companies who can afford the process of being accepted on the list.
Heirlooms (what the Brits call "heritage") seeds, because they're not on the list, can only be sold by special permit. Those permits are issued, by and large, to research institutions.
In practical terms, the only folks who can sell them are HDRA (Henry Doubleday Research Assn.) and the British Museum.
The operative word there is "sell."
I just sent Bughut a selection of heirlooms. Because the customs declaration specifies that they are a gift, with no money value, there will be no problems with delivery. At least, based on past experience, there shouldn't be.
However, if I had sold her those seeds, they would be confiscated at the gateway port.
Now let's bring this home. SSE (Seed Savers Exchange), the largest seed preservation group in the world, promulgates heirloom seed several ways. By far the biggest method is via it's annual Yearbook, in which members list the seed they have available. If you want a particular seed, you send a set fee established by SSE, and the member sends you the seed.
Simple enough. And, frankly, the fee is so low it barely covers the costs of growing and shipping the seed. But it's a great method for spreading, and therefore preserving, these varieties.
However, if the U.S. had a White List (which big agriculture is striving for), then such transactions would, technically, be illegal.
So, what we have to ask ourselves re: cured meats, and cheeses, and many similar foodstuffs, is: who's ox is being gored? Are there really health concerns involved? Or are the rules actually a thinly-veiled non-tarriff barrier, protecting the big importers and processors?
eace:
