Global Information System

Number of records: 233

131) Development of biodiversity, seed and culinary fairs

The Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical ‘Alejandro de Humboldt’ (INIFAT), together with the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA) and several other organizations, have organized several biodiversity, seed and culinary fairs as part of their research activities. The first seed and biodiversity fairs were organized in the Biosphere Reserves ‘Sierra del Rosario’ and ‘Cuchilla del Toa’ in 1999; culinary fairs started from 2003 onwards in Sierra del Rosario and other locations. The objective of the seed and biodiversity fairs is to encourage the exchange and selling of seeds among farmers. These fairs allowed farmers from different regions of the country to participate and to engage in knowledge sharing and seed exchanges. While at the culinary fairs, women have played their fundamental role and showed their knowledge and skills in preparing various traditional foods. The fairs have resulted to recovering and reviving various traditional foods that are associated with certain regions, festivities and celebrations and times of the year. It stimulated creativity and interest by showing the range of culinary uses. The fairs highlight the need to link conservation of crop diversity with food dishes or family meals. Also, found important to share this knowledge with larger population groups.

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

Type of measure/practice: Technical; Others

132) Implementing sui generis plant variety protection systems that recognize farmers’ seed systems, farmers’ varieties and advances Farmers’ Rights

WTO Members have complete freedom to develop sui generis plant variety protection (PVP) systems that recognize and support farmer managed seed systems and implement Farmers’ Rights. Hence several countries, including India and Malaysia have opted to depart significantly from the one-size fits all model of UPOV 1991 and adopted effective, innovative national PVP legislation, implemented through the PVP authority of each country, that includes unique features to balance the interests of commercial breeders, farmers and the public, as well as advances the key requirements of the ITPGRFA, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol. India’s ‘Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act’ (2001) grants PVP protection while recognizing rights of farmers to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell their farm produce, including seed of a protected variety. Many other measures in the legislation that protect farmers’ interests and needs. Malaysia’s ‘Protection of New Varieties of Plants Act’ (2004) includes provisions that recognize farmers’ seed systems with distinct criteria for registration of farmer variety: "new, distinct and identifiable". Both legislations include disclosure obligation, i.e. a PVP applicant to declare the source of the genetic material and present evidence of prior informed consent and benefit sharing.

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

Type of measure/practice: Legal

133) Catalogue of traditional varieties for common and Lima beans, maize, chilies and peppers

The Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical ‘Alejandro de Humboldt' (INIFAT), in collaboration with local organizations in the Biosphere Reserves ‘Sierra del Rosario’ and 'Cuchilla del Toa' and with financial support by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), participated in the project ‘Adaptive management of seed systems and gene flow for sustainable agriculture and subsistence improvement in the humid tropics of Mexico, Cuba and Peru’ (2003-2006). As part of the project activities, a catalogue of traditional varieties was established with the aim to facilitate learning on agrobiodiversity, promote seed exchanges and acknowledge the participating farmers. The use of variety names was found not always to be consistent within and among communities, or across regions; for this reason, other descriptors should also be used to ensure that the diversity and spatial distribution of varieties is correctly documented. The initiative was very well received by the farmers and allowed to sensitize decision-makers for the level of agrobiodiversity that existed in certain localities. This type of action should be expanded to arrive at a national catalogue as well, in order to enhance visibility of agrobiodiversity and acknowledge farmers.

Category: 4.Catalogues, registries and other forms of documentation of PGRFA and protection of traditional knowledge

Type of measure/practice: Technical

134) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Crop Germplasm Committees

The Crop Germplasm Committees (CGCs), established under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), comprise a cross section of National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) users, including farmers, who provide technical support to NPGS genebanks and collections. They serve as subject matter experts to guide curatorial staff on best practices, including the priorities and techniques for characterizing the collections. They also help review proposals that fund plant explorations and evaluate grants for scientific rigor. The first CGCs were established in the mid-1980s as outgrowths of commodity-specific crop improvement/breeding conferences; while initial CGCs covered primarily the major agricultural commodities (grains, pulses, oilseeds), there are currently 43 CGCs representing almost all major and minor crops of economic importance in the United States. Each committee includes a chair and members from government agencies, universities, and commercial interest groups, such as commodity groups and farmers/producers, who volunteer their time and expertise to support the NPGS.

Category: 8.Farmers’ participation in decision-making at local, national and sub-regional, regional and international levels

Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative

135) Federal Advisory Committee – National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board

The U.S. government has several federal advisory committees that provide opportunities for farmers to participate in making decisions relative to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, including National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB), established in 1996. The NAREEEAB provides advice to the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics.