Law for Agrobiodiversity, Seeds and Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture (2017)

This law was developed under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and entered into force in 2017. The main objectives are to protect, revitalize and promote dynamic conservation of agrobiodiversity; ensure production, free and permanent access to quality seeds, including by strengthening scientific research and promoting sustainable agricultural production models. It also respect the diverse identities, knowledge and traditions that guarantee the availability of healthy, diverse, nutritious and culturally appropriate food to achieve food sovereignty and contribute to the ‘Good Living’ (‘Sumak Kawsay’). It guarantees the free use and exchange of peasant seeds, and establishes rules for the production, certification and commercialization of certified seeds. The law is a normative instrument that would allow the conservation of diverse agricultural biodiversity species of nutritional and economic importance, as well as with industrial potentials. The law consists of three chapters: (1) conservation of native seed; (2) regulation of certified seed; and (3) sustainable agricultural practices. It includes a clarification of rights in the context of PGRFA as well as provisions for the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, including monitoring, research and innovation activities; knowledge sharing and seed exchange. A technical committee is currently developing the implementation modalities of this new law.