DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY, FARMERS RIGHTS, ON BIODIVERSITY, FARMERS RIGHTS, FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE FACE OF RIO+ 20 CONVENTION. IN THE FACE OF RIO+ 20 CONVENTION. BY ANDREW MUSHITA COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TRUST P. O. BOX 7232 HARARE June 2012
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DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY, PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY, FARMERS RIGHTS, FOOD SECURITY FARMERS RIGHTS, FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE FACE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE FACE OF RIO+ 20 CONVENTION.OF RIO+ 20 CONVENTION.
BY ANDREW MUSHITACOMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TRUSTP. O. BOX 7232HARARE
June 2012
BACKGROUND TO CTDT’s CROP DIVERSIFICATION RELATED INTERVENTIONS
Community Technology Development
Trust(CTDT) is a Zimbabwe-based non-governmental organization, working with marginalized communities in Zimbabwe and Zambia. CTDT works through four thematic program areas
Food security and livelihoods Agro Biodiversity Environmental Management Policy and Advocacy
Community Seed Banking Community Seed Banking and Seed Fairsand Seed Fairs
These events are intended to highlight three but complementary elements which include:
Community crop –diversification through on-farm agro-biodiversity conservation and sustainable use
On-farm research and use of community seed banks as repositories of local crop germplasm
Table1. Germplasm Accessions at Chibika Community Seed Bank in UMP District, in Mashonaland East Province:
Source: CTDT 2012
The Objectives of Seed The Objectives of Seed Fair EventsFair Events
Creating awareness amongst farmers, researchers, policy makers, extension staff and the media on the status of crop diversity within an area (village/ward or district)
Showcasing how farmers are managing community seed banks that are integrated with on-farm crop research, germplasm storage, bulk seed production and storage for own seed security which is an important pre-requisite for household food sovereignty
Enabling farmers and seed experts to meet and exchange local knowledge and experiences (IKS) on local crop diversity conservation, management and utilization;
Creating opportunities and market linkages for farmers to exchange and/or sell on-farm produced seed between and among themselves and private sector seed industry through contract on-farm seed production
Contract seed production in collaboration with the private-sector
Why Farmers Rights? Why Farmers Rights?
There is need to promote traditional knowledge relevant to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture;
Provide the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from the utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; and
The right to participate in making decisions, at the national level, on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources
Biodiversity Farmer Biodiversity Farmer Training GroupsTraining Groups
PLANT BREEDERS FARMERS 1.Have legal status 1.No legal Status
2.Intellectual Property Rights 2. No Recognition to Farmers Intellectual Rights
3. Patents 3. Piracy of Farmers Knowledge and Innovations
4. Terminator Technology 4. Legislated Restriction to Market Access
5.Market Access With Monopoly 5. No Institutional Support Other Than Customary Practices and Systems
6. Mergers of Seed and Chemical Companies
6. No Support and Recognition of Farmers Research, Knowledge and Innovations
7. Institutional Support at National, Regional and Global Levels
7. Prohibitive Cost to Externally Developed Technologies
8.Research Capacity (Access to Public Funds and Materials)
8. No Framework for Capacity Building Farmers to Maintain their Systems /Practices of PGR Mgt.
9. Free Access to Farmers PGR, Knowledge and Innovations
9. No Support to Farmers Organizations in Terms of Agro-Biodiversity Mgt.
Table 2: Whose Rights are Being Served Currently
Source: Andrew Mushita, 2007
Proposed Farmer’s rights Proposed Farmer’s rights legislative frameworklegislative framework
Provision for the establishment, function and powers of a national biodiversity authority
Community rights and traditional knowledge Access to biological resources and
community knowledge (PIC)Establishment of biological diversity
management committees at national and community levels
Implementation of Farmers Rights (IT Art. 9) Traditional practitioners rightsEstablishment of a biodiversity fund
Crop Season Crop Type Participating Farmers
Hectares Planted
Amount of Seed Sold(MT)
Buying Seed Company
2002/03 Pearl-Millet Cowpeas
26810
368
21 3.5
Seed-Co
2003/04 Pearl-MilletCowpeas
28512
13638
12115
Seed –Co
2008/09 Pearl-MilletCowpeas
22434
3647
6011
Agri-Seeds
Table 3 Highlights the Results of Farmer Contract Seed Multiplication Initiative:
CTDT’s EXPERIENCE ON COLLABORATING WITH THE PRIVATE
SECTOR SEED COMPANIES
ConclusionConclusionEssential to develop national policies
and strategic plans for conserving sustainability of plant genetic resources.
Promote efforts to conserve biodiversity Farmers‘ Rights realization and
domestication should be considered as a key precondition and basis for food and agriculture production in the world.