|
 |
|
|
|
| |
| Day 1 |
|
The objective of the seminar was to discuss various issues pertaining to farmers’ rights to genetic resources. Issues debated included the role and impact of the PVPFRA in India, registration of farmers’ varieties, farmers’ access to benefit sharing, and compensation due to crop loss, among others. All of these issues influence the future of agriculture in India, and more importantly, the need to preserve the Food Sovereignty of India. They ultimately have a far reaching impact on the food security and sovereignty of the world, and in particular, the developing nations. Presentations included comparison between UPOV and its implementation in present and future forms and India’s PVPFRA which has been under debate globally.
The role of India’s new Seeds Bill was also discussed in light of its relationship with and implementation of the PVPFRA. The lacunae in the proposed legislations and how they affect farmers’ rights to genetic resources was debated. The various contradictions and conflicts between India’s legislations and international trade agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity in relation to Agriculture, UPOV and TRIPS as well as TRIPS+ were presented by the speakers.
Open source policy was presented as a new perspective and approach which is based on collective innovation. Various issues relating to Farmers’ rights and access to benefit sharing in the light of changing practices in IP rights world wide, change in the nature of germ plasm and national laws, are addressed by Open Source, which serves as an alternative paradigm for innovation and is a new way to approach IP issues. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|