Open letter to the secretary of the ITPGRFA on farmers rights

In 2013, the the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) adopted Resolution 8/2013 on implementation of Article 9 (on Farmers' Rights), which requests the Secretary of the Treaty to “to invite UPOV and WIPO to jointly identify possible areas of interrelations among their respective international instruments".

This was aimed at highlighting the inconsistencies between the language of ITPGRFA which promotes farmers rights and the activities/instruments of UPOV and WIPO, which are seen as hindering full implementation of farmers' rights.  

Following this Resolution, the Secretariat of the International Treaty has written to the UPOV Secretariat suggesting a joint publication on innovation and platen genetic resources. This proposed suggestion is unlikely to address the key issues in particular conflicts around farmers' rights.

Therefore 54 Networks and Organizations from all over the world sent an open letter to the Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) requesting an independent commission that will investigate implementation of Article 9 on Farmers Rights by UPOV and WIPO with regard to their respective instruments and activities.

• Open letter to the secretary of the ITPGRFA on farmers rights