Farmers' Rights under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FR Act) in India, seeks to address the rights of plant breeders and farmers on an equal footing. It affirms the necessity of recognizing and protecting the rights of farmers with respect to the contribution they make in conserving, improving and making Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) available for the development of new plant varieties. The PPV&FR Act recognizes the multiple roles played by farmers in cultivating, conserving, developing and selecting varieties. With regard to developing or selecting varieties, the Act refers to the value added by farmers to wild species or traditional varieties/ landraces through selection and identification for their economic traits. Accordingly, farmers’ rights encompass the roles of farmers as users, conservers and breeders. This brochure explains the nine Farmers' Rights granted in the PPV&FR Act.