FNI project: The Farmers’ Rights Project: Implementing farmers' rights under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

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The Farmers’ Rights Project: Implementing Farmers' Rights under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

The Farmers' Rights Project is about farmers' rights related to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as they are recognised in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). There is substantial uncertainty as to how the provisions on farmers' rights under the International Treaty can be implemented and what the role of the Governing Body of the Treaty should be in this regard.

The overall objective of The Farmers Rights' Project is to provide an empirical basis for constructive proposals to the Governing Body of ITPGRFA on the realisation of farmers' rights as they are formulated in the International Treaty. Three project objectives have been developed towards this end:
1) To provide an overview over, and assessment of, options available for the domestic implementation of farmers' rights under different conditions.
2) To identify potential ways and means for the Governing Body of ITPGRFA to promote the realisation of farmers' rights.
3) To contribute to the understanding of the options available for the implementation of farmers' rights under ITPGRFA among its Parties and stakeholders.

The main components of the project are as follows:

Survey on the history of Farmers’ Rights, based on a document and literature review.

International multi-stakeholder questionnaire survey on Farmers’ Rights.

Case studies on Farmers’ Rights in India, Peru, Ethiopia and Norway.

Documenting Success Stories from the Realization of Farmers' Rights.

The Lusaka informal international consultation process on Farmers' Rights (together with the governments of Zambia and Norway).

Website on Farmers' Rights.

Workshop Module on Farmers' Rights.

Various workshops and consultancies on the realization of Farmers’ Rights.

Research on civil society strategies for the implementation of Farmers' Rights.

Various side events and lectures on Farmers' Rights.

The intention of the project is to move ahead from earlier controversies, and – based on the consensus formulations in the Treaty – build bridges to a joint perception of needed action, in respect of the countries' freedom to choose measures according to their needs and priorities.

Much more information and publications available on the project website

Project leader: Regine Andersen

Project period: 2005-2012

Publications:

Andersen, Regine, Plantemangfold i jordbruket og bønders rettigheter i Norge ('Plant Genetic Diversity and Farmers’ Rights in Norway'). FNI Report 11/2011. Lysaker, FNI, 2011, 116 p. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine and Tone Winge, The 2010 Global Consultations on Farmers' Rights: Results from an Email-based Survey. FNI Report 2/2011. Lysaker, FNI, 2011, 161 p.

Andersen, Regine and Tone Winge, with contributions from Bell Batta Torheim, Global Consultations on Farmers’ Rights in 2010. FNI Report 1/2011. Lysaker, FNI, 2011, 131 p.

Andersen, Regine and Tone Winge, 'Linking Community Seed Banks and Farmers’ Rights'. In Banking for the Future: Savings, Security and Seeds. Oslo, Development Fund, 2011, pp. 5-7.

FAO, Input paper submitted by Ethiopia based on Global Consultations on Farmers' Rights in 2010. Information Papers for the Fourth Session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA. IT/GB-4/11/Circ.1. Rome, The Secretariat of the ITPGRFA, 2011, 16 p.

Andersen, Regine, 'An issue of survival', D+C, No 4, 01.04.2010. (German version available here.)

FAO, Information Paper on Farmers' Rights Submitted by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway, based on the Farmers' Rights Project. Information Papers for the Third Session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA. IT/GB-3/09/Inf. 6, Add. 3. Rome/Tunis, The Secretariat of the ITPGRFA, 2009, 31 p.

Andersen, Regine, Norwegian Plant Variety Protection and Seed Laws: Lessons for South Asian Countries, Trade Insight, Vol 5, No 1, 2009, pp. 12-14.

Andersen, Regine, Information Paper on Farmers' Rights Submitted by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway, based on the Farmers' Rights Project. Information Papers for the Third Session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA. IT/GB-3/09/Inf. 6, Add. 3. Rome/Tunis, The Secretariat of the ITPGRFA, 2009, 31 p.

Andersen, Regine and Tone Winge, The Plant Treaty and Farmers' Rights: Implementation Issues for South Asia. SAWTEE Discussion Paper. Kathmandu (Nepal), South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE), 2009, 48 p.

Andersen, Regine, Information Paper on Farmers’ Rights Submitted by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway, Based on the Farmers’ Rights Project. Input paper submitted to the Secretariat of the Plant Treaty. Lysaker, FNI, 19 May 2009.

Scurrah, Maria, Regine Andersen and Tone Winge, Los Derechos del Agricultor en el Perú: Las perspectivas de los agricultores. Estudio de antecedentes 8 ('Farmers' Rights in Peru: Farmers' Perspectives. Background Study 8'). FNI Report 3/2009. Lysaker, FNI, 2009, 63 p. In Spanish.

Scurrah, Maria, Regine Andersen and Tone Winge, The Farmers' Rights Project – Background Study 8: Farmers' Rights in Peru: Farmers' Perspectives. FNI Report 16/2008. Lysaker, FNI, 2008, 57 p.

Andersen, Regine and Tone Winge, The Farmers' Rights Project – Background Study 7: Success Stories from the Realization of Farmers' Rights Related to Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. FNI Report 4/2008. Lysaker, FNI, 2008, 72 p.

Andersen, Regine and Gunnvor Berge, Informal International Consultation on Farmers' Rights, 18 - 20 September 2007, Lusaka, Zambia. Report M-0737 E. Oslo, Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, 2007, 141 p. (Summaries also available in French and Spanish.)

Andersen, Regine, 'Protecting Farmers' Rights in the Global IPR Regime: Challenges and Options'. Trade Insight, Vol 3, No 2, 2007, pp. 30-32.

Andersen, Regine, Farmers' Rights and Agrobiodiversity. Issue Papers: People Food and Biodiversity. Eschborn, GTZ, 2006, 4 p. (Also available in German, Spanish and French.)

Andersen, Regine, Realising Farmers’ Rights under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Summary of Findings from the Farmers’ Rights Project (Phase 1). FNI Report 11/2006. Lysaker, FNI, 2006, 13 p.

Feyissa, Regassa, The Farmers' Rights Project - Background Study 5: Farmers' Rights in Ethiopia - A Case Study. FNI Report 7/2006. Lysaker, FNI, 2006, 64 p.

Ramanna, Anitha, The Farmers' Rights Project - Background Study 4: Farmers' Rights in India - A Case Study. FNI Report 6/2006. Lysaker, FNI, 2006, 52 p.

Muller, Manuel Ruiz, The Farmers' Rights Project - Background Study 3: Farmers' Rights in Peru – A Case Study. FNI Report 5/2006. Lysaker, FNI, 2006, 109 p.

Andersen, Regine, Bønders rettigheter – resultater fra en internasjonal undersøkelse ('Farmers' Rights – Results from an International Survey'). Frø & Formering Report 6D. Sandefjord, Vestfold Bondelag, 2006, 7 p. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine, The Farmers' Rights Project - Background Study 1: The History of Farmers' Rights: A Guide to Central Documents and Literature. FNI report 8/2005. Lysaker, FNI, 2005, 50 p.

Andersen, Regine, The Farmers' Rights Project - Background Study 2: Results from an International Stakeholder Survey on Farmers' Rights. FNI report 9/2005. Lysaker, FNI, 2005, 117 p.

Commentary articles:

Andersen, Regine, 'An issue of survival', D+C, No 4, 1 April 2010. (German version available here.)

Andersen, Regine, 'Redningsaksjon for matplantene' ('Rescue Operation for Agricultural Plants'), Nationen, 11 November 2009. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine, 'Frøbytte er forbudt i Norge' ('Exchange of Seeds is Illegal in Norway'), Grobladet, No 69, May 2007. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine, 'Noas ark og plantemangfoldet' ('Noah's Ark and Plant Diversity'). Aftenposten, 3 February 2006. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine, 'Norway Says 'No' to UPOV 1991'. BIO-IPR Docserver, 8 December 2005.

Andersen, Regine, 'Historien om poteten Linda' ('The Story About the Potato Variety 'Linda''). Nationen, 11 August 2005. In Norwegian.

Andersen, Regine, 'Hvem skal eie bondens frø?' ('Who Shall Own Farmer's Seeds?'). Aftenposten, 18 May 2005. In Norwegian.

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