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

On-farm seed production, distribution and supply

Communities at the front-line of climate change

Indigenous Seed Diversity

CROP NUMBER OF ACCESSIONS

Sorghum 258Maize 37Pearl millet 67Cowpeas 233Groundnuts 88Round nuts 97Pumpkin 71Finger-millet (Rapoko) 68Beans 66Up-Land Rice 13Indigenous vegetables 46Mapudzi (gourds) 79Cucumber 39Okra 49Total 1211 (pop. 3 600HH)

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.

Integrated approach to climate change

Thank You !!!Thank You !!!