Global Information System

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: 233

201) The Three Sisters Project

The ‘Three Sisters’ is an agricultural system in which corn, squash and beans are grown together. This type of system is very old and continues to be used in some communities and family gardens. From 2015 to 2018, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which is a Department of the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Agricultural Society for Indigenous Food Products, implemented the Three Sisters project. Its main purpose was to study characteristics of varieties of corn, squash and beans and the products derived from them in order to develop added value for indigenous stakeholders, while also studying health benefits. Research activities included studies of traditional knowledge, e.g. on ancestral lineages of the Three Sister crops and their respective seed keepers, combined with studies relating to production, processing and use. Existing instruments identified in Canada were used in the project to select good practices. The project looked for principles, rules and mechanisms that enable Indigenous people to control the circulation of their resources and knowledge at each step of the research project (access, utilization and valorization), and also resulted in new knowledge on health and nutritional benefits and possible ways to protect and preserve genetic material of ancestral crop genetic resources.

Category: 5.In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites

Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative

202) Creation of a micro value-chain for a local variety of rye, the ‘Iermana’

This measure demonstrates the role that local authorities can play in supporting local development through on-farm conservation of traditional varieties. The objective was to support farming activities in marginal areas, rather than establishing some sort of an ‘open-air museum’. During the period 2013-2014, Agenzia Lucana di Sviluppo ed Innovazione in Agricoltura (ALSIA), an agency of the regional government of the Basilicata region supporting agricultural development and innovation, carried out a survey among farmers of the region to identify rye growers. Four farmers cultivating a total area of 2 ha with an old variety called ‘Iermana’ or ‘Germana’ were identified. In 2018, ALSIA succeeded in registering the local ‘Iermana’ rye variety on the Italian National Seed Catalogue in the ‘Conservation Varieties’ section. Activities for value-chain development allowed to increase the area cultivated with ‘Iermana’ rye from 2 to 15 ha, while the number of farmers cultivating the variety increased from 4 to 30. This success demonstrates the importance of the ‘conservation through use’ approach for the conservation of local PGRFA.

Category: 3.Approaches to encourage income-generating activities to support farmers’ conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA

Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative

203) Transfer of technology to farmers and its application for the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (II)

From 2015 to 2019, the Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tripoli, in cooperation with Dalia Agricultural Investment Company, supported technology training programme to enhance the knowledge of farmers, to learn and acquire new skills and technologies, to increase their production and to be able to supply the local markerts with high quality products. The programme activities included training of farmers on growing, breeding and pruning fruit trees (e.g. grapes, olives, citrus fruits), so as to improve farm productivity and eventually to increase their household incomes. The training is comprised of inviting 40 to 50 farmers annually plus a number of interested participants from all over the country who were keen to learn fruit trees management. Key outcomes included raising farmers' awareness and learning the importance of the technical and scientific methods of fruit trees management.

Category: 9.Training, capacity development and public awareness creation

Type of measure/practice: Technical

204) A human rights impact assessment of the UPOV 1991 plant variety protection

Between 2012 and 2014, a network of seven civil society organizations conducted a study to better understand and raise awareness of the potential implications of the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention for the realization of human rights. Based on the policy tool Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA), a methodology was developed to assess such implications based on a series of case studies. They revealed that from a human rights perspective, UPOV’s restrictions on the use, exchange and sale of seed/propagation material of protected varieties could adversely affect the right to food as well as other human rights, by reducing the amount of household income which is available for food, healthcare or schooling as well as by limiting access to seed of preferred quality; beneficial interlinkages between formal and informal seed systems would be cut off. Other negative impacts include limitations to the farmers’ rights on the protection of traditional knowledge and to participate in decision-making at national level. While the case-studies were carried out in Kenya, Peru and the Philippines, the developed methodology could be used as a basis for impact assessments in other countries and contexts as well.

Category: 11.Other measures / practices

Type of measure/practice: Others

205) Federal Seed Act

The Federal Seed Act (FSA) (7 U.S.C. 1551–1611) of 1939 is a truth-in-labelling law that ensures the accuracy of plant genetic resources used by farmers. Federal enforcement actions typically involve the assessment of a monetary penalty against seed companies that ship mislabelled seed in violation of the law. The FSA requires that seed shipped in interstate commerce be labelled with information that allows seed buyers to make informed choices. Seed labelling information and advertisements pertaining to the seed must be truthful. The FSA helps promote uniformity among state laws and fair competition within the seed trade.

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

Type of measure/practice: Administrative; Legal