India’s President, Droupadi Murmu, addressed the inaugural global symposium on farmers’ rights, highlighting India’s pioneering Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act (PPVFR).
She emphasized its potential for global emulation, especially in the face of climate change challenges.
The PPVFR Act aligns with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), aiming to safeguard farmers’ interests.
India provides farmers with a range of rights, including the use, re-use, saving, sharing, and selling of unbranded seeds from registered varieties. Farmers can also register their own varieties, which receive legal protection. This Act can serve as a model for the world, President Murmu stated.
The act focuses on conserving, exchanging, and sustainably utilizing global plant genetic resources for agriculture, contributing to food security worldwide.
President Murmu emphasized its significance in addressing climate change threats and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Traditional farmer varieties, particularly millets, play a crucial role in this context. They possess inherent resilience against ecological stressors and offer nutrition-rich profiles essential for both human and livestock consumption. The United Nations’ declaration of 2023 as the Year of Millets aligns with these efforts.
India is currently hosting the inaugural global symposium from September 12th to 15th. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of Rome’s International Treaty Secretariat, the event aims to advance the implementation of the treaty concerning farmers’ rights.
It seeks to stimulate discussions on innovative strategies, policies, best practices, and knowledge sharing. The symposium also aims to recognize farmers as essential custodians of agrobiodiversity and key contributors to global food security.
With India leading the way in protecting farmers’ rights through the PPVFR Act, the world has an exemplar to address agricultural challenges in the context of climate change.