Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

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    The Inventory

    This online version of the Inventory presents, for each measure, the title and a brief description with information on implementing organization(s), start year, objectives, core elements, key outcomes, and, if applicable, lessons learned. It thus allows users to quickly identify those examples that may be of interest to them. A hyperlink to the original submission is provided, which includes additional information, such as on the history and context of the presented measure, challenges encountered, or target groups reached. In this way, users can get a more comprehensive idea of the measure in question and the specific context for which it was developed.
     
    To facilitate navigation, the Inventory is subdivided into eleven categories. Measures or practices that fall under more than one category are listed under each one that applies. Furthermore, information is provided on the type(s) of measures that are typically involved, such as technical, administrative, legal, and/or others, and on the relevant sub-article of Article 9 that is addressed. Additional search options allow searching by country, region, free text and keyword.
     
     
     
     
     
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    Number of records: 234

    86) Building a vibrant seed sector, improving access to quality seeds and connecting farmers to the market (ISSD Africa)

    ISSD Africa is a research project (2014-2017) coordinated by a consortium of Wageningen Centre of Development Innovation (WCDI) of Wageningen University & Research, the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the Future Agricultures Consortium and Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development in Nairobi, Kenya, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project united African seed experts, seed programmes and associated organizations in a community of practice, aiming to increase farmers’ access to quality seed through the development of market-oriented, pluralistic and vibrant seed sectors in Africa. The ISSD approach is a seed sector-wide, demand-driven and inclusive approach, designing interventions tailored to specific crops, value chains and seed systems. During the first project period, action learning focused on four themes: (1) promoting seed entrepreneurship; (2) increasing access to varieties from the public domain; (3) matching global commitments with national realities; and (4) supporting seed sector development under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the African Union-lead Agriculture, Seed and Biotechnology Program. The community of practice provided a structure for experimenting, sharing and learning, enhancing collaboration and promoting synergy.

    Category: 6.Facilitation of farmers’ access to a diversity of PGRFA through community seed banks, seed networks and other measures improving farmers’ choices of a wider diversity of PGRFA.

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    87) Policy analysis to identify gaps in the legal framework for seed regarding the implementation of Farmers' Rights in Niger

    In 2016 and 2017, farmers' and civil society organizations of Niger that are members of the agroecology platform RAYA-Karkara, conducted an analysis of the current normative framework, including policies and laws relating to seed, from the perspective of farming communities and their rights to seed. The analysis resulted in the following key observations: (1) farmers’ seeds and seed systems are of crucial importance for food security and sovereignty as well as biodiversity conservation; (2) farming communities exercise their rights over seeds mainly through their seed systems; (3) the realization of Farmers' Rights thus depends on the recognition and legal protection of farmers’ seeds and seed systems. However, the current normative framework has significant shortcomings in this regard, which have been illustrated by a case of biopiracy against Niger, in which a foreign seed company claimed ownership of the onion variety ‘Violet de Galmi’, originating from Niger; this claim was contested by the Government of Niger, alerted by civil society organizations and its own services. The in-depth analysis of the current normative framework has created the basis for a political dialogue between farmers' organizations and the government, in order to identify the necessary measures.

    Category: 11.Other measures / practices

    Type of measure/practice: Others

    88) Supporting farmer seed systems and promoting farmers’ rights and the sustainability of seed in emergency situations

    Eighty per cent of the seed requirements of the smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique are sourced from the farmer seed systems. The local seeds or farmers varieties, adapted to local conditions play a significant role in meeting their food and nutrition, cultural and livelihood needs. With Cyclones Idai and Kenneth impacting Southern Africa in March and April of 2019, affected over 3.8 million people and destroyed nearly 800 000 ha of standing crops in these countries. Farmers lost their local seed reserves and crops that were ready for harvest. In response, with funding support from the government of Germany, FAO-ITPGRFA is working with governments, national genebanks and farmers to rebuild seed systems through a project called "Foundations for rebuilding seed systems post Cyclone Idai: Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi". The project started in September 2019 and will end in May 2021, aims at supporting national genebanks to undertake studies to understand what has been lost in cyclone-affected communities in the way of seed reserves and seed diversity, as well as identify what types of crops (including endangered species) small-scale farmers would like to continue to grow, eat and sell. The project also aims to increase knowledge and skills in the restoration of local community-based farmer seed systems and build the capacity of national partners for policy engagement at the national and regional level.

    Category: 11.Other measures / practices

    Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative; Others

    89) External funding – public and private sources

    Both public and private entities in France provide funding for farmers, farmers’ organizations and other stakeholders engaging in the conservation of PGRFA. In addition, Article 28 of the Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) requests Member States to establish measures in order to provide support for farmers and other stakeholders for the conservation and sustainable use and development of genetic resources in agriculture; genetic resources and breeding are also considered under the EU research program Horizon 2020 as a societal challenge. Examples are financial support of around 200,000 € annually for the national PGRFA conservation structure provided by the French Ministry of Agriculture through the French Variety and Seed Study and Control Group (GEVES), in addition to other contributions to support stakeholders and networks involved in the conservation and characterization of PGRFA, especially those under threat. Furthermore, the Groupement National Interprofessionnel des Semences et plants (GNIS), the French interbranch organization for seed, decided to contribute 175,000 € annually to the Benefit-sharing Fund of the ITPGRFA and the same amount to support French national PGR collections, both on a voluntary basis.

    Category: 2.Financial contributions to support farmers conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA such as contributions to benefit-sharing funds

    Type of measure/practice: Others

    90) National IPR tools and measures supporting Article 9 of the ITPGRFA: geographical indications, trademarks and the new ‘swissness’ regulation

    In Switzerland, several intellectual property right tools and measures are mutually supportive to Article 9 of the Treaty, including geographical indications, trademarks, as well as the new ‘swissness’ legislation. The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) is the leading entity for geographical indications for agricultural products, and the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) is responsible for trademarks and the ‘swissness’ legislation. The system for registration of geographical indications has been in place since 1997 and is contained in the Federal Act on Agriculture. The Trademark Protection Act dates from 1992 and the ‘swissness’ legislation is in place since 2017.The latter establishes rules in the Trademark Protection Act concerning the conditions under which a product or service may be labelled as being ‘Swiss’. In particular, it strengthens the protection for using 'Made in Switzerland' and the Swiss Cross, and it contributes to preventing any wrongful use of the ‘Swiss made’ brand. This set of measures ensures the long-term value of products developed from specific regional PGRFA, through fostering public awareness and recognition of farmers’ efforts to use and maintain these PGRFA, in the sense of Article 9 of the Treaty.

    Category: 10.Legal measures for the implementation of Farmers’ Rights, such as legislative measures related to PGRFA.

    Type of measure/practice: Administrative; Legal