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: 233

    156) Policy analysis to identify gaps in the legal framework for seed regarding the implementation of Farmers' Rights in Burkina Faso

    In 2017, the sub-regional civil society organization Comité Ouest-Africain des Semences Paysannes (COASP), as a member of Convergence Globale des Luttes pour la Terre et l’Eau and in colla¬boration with Réseau Mondial pour le Droit à l’Alimentation et la Nutrition (both networks to promote environmental rights and the right to food), conducted an analysis of the current normative framework relating to seed in Burkina Faso. The objective was to understand the implications of the transformation of seed systems in Burkina Faso from the perspective of farming communities and their rights to seed. The analysis resulted in the following key observations: (1) farmers’ seeds and seed systems are of crucial importance for food security and sovereignty as well as biodiversity conservation; (2) farming communities exercise their rights over seeds mainly through their seed systems; (3) the realization of Farmers' Rights thus depends on the recognition and legal protection of farmers’ seeds and seed systems. However, the current normative framework has significant shortcomings in this regard. The in-depth analysis of the normative framework has created the basis for a policy dialogue between farmers’ and civil society organizations and the government on the adoption of appropriate measures for the realization of Farmers' Rights.

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

    Type of measure/practice: Others

    157) Farmers’ seed systems and the conservation of agrobiodiversity in South Africa: the establishment and support of Community Seed Banks

    The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), together with Bioversity International and provincial governments of Limpopo, Eastern Cape and North-West provinces of South Africa, implemented a project aiming to strengthen farmers’ seed systems through Community Seed Banks (CSBs) and participation of farmers in national PGRFA conservation programmes. The initial project started in 2013 with a duration of three years; funding was then extended in order to spread the efforts to other parts of the country and to expand the activities towards crop improvement/Participatory Plant Breeding with participating farmers/communities. Core components included (1) Consultation with provincial extension services and farmers; (2) surveys of PGRFA availability; (3) establishment of CSBs; (4) training of farmers; and (5) monitoring CSB activities. Three CSBs were established, and traditional food/seed fairs were conducted; seed exchange among farmers from different provinces was facilitated and farmers were trained in CSB management. The accumulated experiences of establishing and supporting those three CSBs in South Africa have been used as input for the development of two manuals on CSBs for different target audiences. The importance of involving stakeholders from the initial planning process and throughout the implementation process was recognized.

    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

    158) ‘Single window’ system for joint implementation of ITPGRFA and Nagoya Protocol

    Since 2015, Benin has developed a system for joint implementation of the Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) provisions of the ITPGRFA and the Nagoya Protocol in the frame of a project implemented by the Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB) and the NGO Cercle de Sauvegarde des Ressources Naturelles (CeSaReN). Bioversity International, the Darwin Project and several other partners were involved in this initiative. Project activities entailed pilot work in two communities to raise farmers' awareness of their rights and enhance their capacities for sustainable management of resources. After a series of consultations, transitional provisions called ‘National Guidelines for Access and Benefit-sharing from the Utilization of Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (ABS)’ were developed, establishing a ‘single window’ system and delegating responsibilities to the competent national authorities. These ‘National ABS Guidelines’ were adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2017; the Decree on National ABS Guidelines was signed in September 2018. The rights of holders of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources are protected based on standard procedures for Prior Informed Consent and Mutually Agreed Terms. Benefit-sharing contracts must be established in accordance with the provisions of the national guidelines and can include monetary or non-monetary benefits.

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

    Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative; Legal

    159) Locally adapted varieties in Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala

    This good practice started in 1999 in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, with active participation of the Asociación de Organizaciones de los Cuchumatanes (ASOCUCH), technical support by Fundación para la Innovación Tecnológica (FUNDIT) and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Agrícola (ICTA) and financial support by the Norwegian Development Fund (Utviklingsfondet). The main objective was to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmer families and indigenous communities through the sustainable use of native agrobiodiversity, including for adaptation to climate change. The core components of the initiative include: (1) participatory characterization of local varieties of maize, beans, vegetables and native herbs with the participation of farmers organized in Community Seed Banks and/or Local Agricultural Research Committees (CIALs); (2) Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) of maize varieties adapted to specific conditions; and (3) improvement of local varieties, mainly maize, through the use of the Stratified Mass Selection method. The main results obtained include the generation of 10 improved varieties of maize; the dissemination of more than 3,000 seed packages

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

    Type of measure/practice: Technical; Administrative

    160) Advocacy work for the implementation of Farmers' Rights in national laws

    Since 1991, Confédération Paysanne, together with Coordination Nationale de Défense des Semences de Ferme (CNDSF), has engaged in advocacy work to defend the right of farmers to use seeds harvested from their own crops; the organization has further mobilized against transgenic crops on many occasions. In 2001, Confédération Paysanne partnered with organic producer associations and CNDSF to establish the Réseau Semences Paysannes (RSP), pooling the resources of organizations that support and develop peasant seeds for farmers’ and gardeners’ use. Confédération Paysanne and RSP have also participated in several European scientific programmes, which aimed, inter alia, at making proposals for legislative measures to protect and develop agrobiodiversity. In 2008, they initiated the civil society movement ‘Semons la biodiversité’ (‘Let’s sow biodiversity’) aiming to amend French national laws where they limit the rights of farmers. This movement has launched numerous public awareness campaigns (educational documents, petitions, public conferences, open farms, etc.), including with activities directly targeting Members of Parliament (e.g. public letters, internet campaigns, etc.). These campaigns have contributed to several achievements in terms of laws and regulations that facilitate, to a certain extent, the sharing and use of farm-saved seed and other planting materials, at the national and European level.

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

    Type of measure/practice: Others