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Recognition of farmers’ varieties/landraces and voluntary registration

The Brazilian Ministry of Agrarian Development (distinct from the Ministry of Agriculture), in cooperation with farmer associations, NGOs and others, developed Seed Law #10711 of 2003, recognizing farmer varieties/landraces and offering opportunities for voluntary registration. The objectives are to recognize smallholder family farmers’ varieties/landraces and to facilitate public support to their conservation, maintenance, enhancement, production, use and dissemination through government programmes. Article 48 of the Law forbids restrictions on the inclusion of local, traditional and Creole varieties in publicly funded programmes for family farmers. Ministerial Directive 51/2007 provides criteria for the voluntary registration of these varieties. Legal recognition has made possible government (financial) support for various projects and initiatives undertaken by NGOs and farmers and contributed to integrating farmer varieties/ landraces into national food and nutrition security programmes. Key conditions for success are farmers’ and civil society organizations’ engagement, mobilization and practical work on farmer varieties and seed and exemptions for farmers’ seed from laws and regulations addressing commercial varieties; furthermore, linking conservation and use of farmer varieties to public procurement programmes can provide incentives to sustain such initiatives.

DOI	(not set)
Most relevant categories	Legal measures for the implementation of Farmers’ Rights, such as legislative measures related to PGRFA.
Also relevant categories	Recognition of local and indigenous communities’, farmers’ contributions to conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, such as awards and recognition of custodian/guardian farmers Approaches to encourage income-generating activities to support farmers’ conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites 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. Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels Training, capacity development and public awareness creation
Institution/organization	Government organization; Research Centers and Academic Institution; Farmers Organization; Non Governmental Organization
Provision of Art. 9 addressed	Art. 9.1; Art. 9.2a; Art. 9.2b; Art. 9.2c; Art. 9.3
Types	Administrative; Legal
Countries	Brazil
Regions	Latin America and the Caribbean
Keywords	Farmers’ Rights; Food security; Local varieties; Seed system; Smallholder farmers
Resource link	https://www.fao.org/3/ca7793en/ca7793en.pdf

DOI

(not set)

Most relevant categories

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

Also relevant categories

Recognition of local and indigenous communities’, farmers’ contributions to conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA, such as awards and recognition of custodian/guardian farmers
Approaches to encourage income-generating activities to support farmers’ conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA
Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge
In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites
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.
Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection
Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels
Training, capacity development and public awareness creation

Institution/organization

Government organization; Research Centers and Academic Institution; Farmers Organization; Non Governmental Organization

Provision of Art. 9 addressed

Art. 9.1; Art. 9.2a; Art. 9.2b; Art. 9.2c; Art. 9.3

Types

Administrative; Legal

Countries

Brazil

Regions

Latin America and the Caribbean

Keywords

Farmers’ Rights; Food security; Local varieties; Seed system; Smallholder farmers

Resource link

https://www.fao.org/3/ca7793en/ca7793en.pdf