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: 235

    191) Germplasm collection in ‘gap areas’ of the West and Central African region

    In 2013, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), together with national agricultural research organizations of the respective countries, initiated a project aiming to fill gaps in the ICRISAT genebank collections and enhancing utilization of germplasm for food and agriculture. Core components were collection missions targeting pearl millet, sorghum and groundnut. In addition to these crops, national partners collected also other crops that are not part of ICRISAT’s mandate crops, such as cowpea, okra, sesame, Bambara groundnut, maize, etc. Trainings were offered to participating staff on collection and conservation techniques; these trainings also addressed Farmers Rights and traditional knowledge. Key outcomes include the collection of 5,057 germplasm accessions; seed samples were distributed across African, USA and European countries, including to researchers, breeders, farmers organizations, agro-dealers, processors and students. Key lessons learned include the awareness of the need for communication with and consent from local communities; building trust with local partners: and getting the necessary agreement from local authorities.

    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; Administrative

    192) Building on community traditional knowledge and practices for food security

    Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) implemented ‘Putting Lessons into Practice: Scaling up Peoples’ Biodiversity Management for Food Security’ (2012-2015), in collaboration with partners from government, non-government and research institutions. Objectives were to develop adaptation strategies for food security by bridging traditional knowledge and science; to influence policies on food and agriculture from local to international level toward realizing the right to food of indigenous and smallholder farmers; and to strengthen their adaptive capacities in plant genetic resources conservation, including access to and sustainable use of PGRFA, by scaling up successful and/or innovative models. Components include capacity-building through collaborative strategies, e.g. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) and community seed management, and policy support by providing a venue for farmers to articulate their concerns and issues to government leaders. The Farmer Field School approach was used as a learning and empowering methodology, while the system of rice intensification and PPB were introduced as climate-change mitigation measures. The initiative targeted 75,000 low-income farming households from several regions of Vietnam. Farm productivity and yield increased by 10%, while periods of food scarcity were reduced from a maximum of 17 weeks to a maximum of 7 weeks across all regions by its conclusion.

    Category: 7.Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    193) Community seed multiplication of farmer varieties in Zambia

    Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) is a private NGO registered in Zimbabwe, formed in 1993, in response to the livelihoods challenges facing the poor rural communities and households in Zimbabwe and regionally. It has expanded its office in Zambia, implementing projects on farmer-managed seed system since 2011 in partnership with Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, and the farming communities of Chikankata, Rufunsa and Shibuyunji. The farmer-managed seed system project was focused on: (1) strengthening the conservation of local crop genetic diversity; (2) improving household food and nutrition security using local crop diversity; (3) improving the capacity of local communities to adapt to climate change using local biodiversity resources; and (4) advocating for amending seed policies to promote the realization of Farmers’ Rights. The project have targeted about 8,000 farmers in rural communities in the three districts, of which about 60% are women. Through this project, the availability of local seed crops in the target areas where seed of sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet and cowpea are being multiplied by the community and distributed through the established community seed banks. Capacity development of farmers to better adapt to climate change and enhance their resiliency were carried out, thereby promoting enhance awareness on the importance of local crops and traditional knowledge.

    Category: 7.Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    194) Safeguarding Farmers’ Rights in Swiss intellectual property law

    In Switzerland, national measures concerning intellectual property rights that are relevant in the context of Article 9.3 of the ITPGRFA include the Federal Law of 20 March 1975 on the Protection of New Varieties (status as of 1 January 2011) and the Federal Act of 25 June 1954 on Patents for Inventions (Patents Act, status as of 1 January 2019). The so-called ‘farmers’ privilege’, allowing farmers to save and use seed and propagation materials from their own harvest, including of protected varieties, was introduced into both Acts in a similar way in 2008. Farmers who wish to make use of the farmers’ privilege do not have to pay any remuneration to the holder of the right, provided that they have previously acquired original seed or planting material placed on the market by the holder of the plant breeders’ right or patent, or with his consent. So far, the Federal Council has determined 23 plant species to which the farmers’ privilege shall apply. Furthermore, Article 9.1 f. of the Patent Act protects farmers from excessive claims in cases where the patented genetic information was bred into his/her planting material without his/her knowledge or against his/her will (e.g. by wind-pollination).

    Category: 11.Other measures / practices

    Type of measure/practice: Legal

    195) Balancing Plant Variety Protection (PVP) and Farmers' Rights

    Intellectual property rights protecting plant varieties are relevant regarding farmers' rights to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seeds. Norway became a member of UPOV in 1993, based on the 1978 Act of the UPOV Convention. Even though the 1991 Act was adopted by many other countries at that time, Norway chose to adhere to the 1978 Act. In 2004, the government proposed changes to the Plant Breeders' Rights Act and to join the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention. However, this proposal spurred public debate. After the election in 2005, the new government withdrew the proposed changes in the PVP legislation on the grounds that they limited Farmers' Rights. At the same time, the breeding industry was promised to receive stronger government support for the development of varieties that are suitable to Norwegian conditions and adapted to climate change. Based on this agreement, farmers in Norway could continue to save and use farm-saved seed and propagating material of protected varieties without paying any remuneration to the holder of the plant variety protection right.

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

    Type of measure/practice: Legal