Participation in decision-making

Farmers and their organizations have a multitude of channels to participate in and influence on policy processes in Norway. For ex¬ample, there are annual negotiations between the Government and the farmers’ unions, resulting in the Annual Agreement on Agriculture. This agreement stipulates the financial support to agricultural purposes. Farmer cooperatives are major actors in Norway’s breeding and seed sector, offering opportunities for participation; the major breeding company as well as the main seed distributing company are owned by such cooperatives. There are also projects for developing new varieties with a high level of farmer participation. In addition, farmers are represented in the advisory board on plant genetic resources at the Norwegian Genetic Resource Centre, which aims to maintain close working relationships with farmer cooperatives and unions as well as with farmers who are actively involved in issues related to seed diversity and cultivation of traditional varieties. The reason is that all farmers do not necessarily have competencies or special interest in PGRFA. During the last few years, farmers cultivating traditional varieties, including loose networks of interested farmers, have become more organized. Through this development, it has become easier for the authorities to involve dedicated ‘diversity farmers’ in various processes.