GLOBAL SYMPOSIUM ON FARMERS’ RIGHTS

From 12th to 15th September, Mr. Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture and National Focal Point for ITPGRFA (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) attended a Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights in New Delhi, India.

The Symposium was held to share knowledge and experiences on innovative approaches, effective policies, best practices and lessons learnt on implementing Farmers’ Rights, as set out in Article 9 of the International Treaty.  At this Forum the participants exchanged the challenges and opportunities for the effective implementation of Farmers’ Rights and insights and ideas for ways forward to promote the implementation of this important policy as stipulated in the International Treaty.

This meeting was a follow-up and a subset of the meeting, which was the 9th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) held in New Delhi, India from 19th to 24th September, 2022.

However, the main focus of this symposium was “Farmers’ Rights” in regards to the protection and support that would be afforded to these producers in solely owning the rights and entitlements for the work they have done pertaining to new specimens of plants and seeds that were created by them.

Concerns were brought to the ITPGRFA in regard to the fact that distributors/suppliers were taking full credit and reaping the benefits.  It was noted that billions of dollars were made but not to the benefit of those who engineered the actual process in creating these new and enhanced strains of vegetation.  Some of the improved qualities include withstand many plant diseases, weather and unfavorable conditions, producing better and larger yields.

Director Bailey expressed that there was a need to have this situation rectified, notwithstanding the fact that ownership needs to be given where it is due but the fact that these producers would also benefit from the fruits of their labour and gain the monetary rewards that could be further injected into their businesses and the Agricultural industry.