At lunch time on the 2nd Day of the 2nd Governing Body Meeting of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), CBDC Network held its side event entitled: Farmers' Report on the Status of Farmers' Rights Realization in Brasil, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Philippines and Lao PDR. The side event was attended by minimal number of people (about 20) because it coincided with the meeting of the G77.
The official delegate from Lao PDR was present to provide support and so are few key people pushing for the implementation of Farmers' Rights within the Treaty.
Farmers' Rights was never defined by farmers themselves thus, on the occasion of the 2nd GB of the ITPGRFA the CBDC Network initiated discussions with farmers and different actors on what they think constituted Farmers' Rights and what are the gaps in the implementation of Farmers' Rights. The whole side event was packed with presentations from the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Venezuela, Cuba and Brasil which run the entire length of the session.
Mrs. Estela Calamba and Mr. Candido Baldapan of the Farmers' Consultative Council, a federation of six people's organization in Bohol, Philippines presented how farmers contribute to conservation and sustainable use of rice plant genetic resources through their work on rice breeding, seed banking, seed exchanges, varietal evaluation, regeneration of traditional varieties as well as their work in improving soil fertility and marketing organic produce. Mrs. Calamba likewise highlighted how they share their experiences to other farmers, students, government agencies and non-government organisations as well as their victories in policy - like the declaration of Bohol as GMO Free Province and the development of community registry at the municipal level.
This was followed by the presentation of Mr. Avelino Sarino from SEEDS, a federation of people's organisation based in North Cotabato working on the sustainable agriculture and strengthening. He presented, on behalf of the various peoples' organizations consulted in regional and national fora, the results of farmers' assessment of the status of Farmers' Rights implementation in the Philippines. He started off by tracing the process in 2003 when a national fora was held composed of different stakeholders but mostly of the major national farmers' federation in the Philippines on what they think constitute Farmers' Rights. This resulted to the Cebu Declaration which identified 38 elements of Farmers' Rights as a bundle of rights. This was followed by regional consultation processes in 2004 identifying the gaps in implementation/realization of the38 elements. In 2007, the 38 elements and their realization was revisited, particularly the rights to seeds. Farmers present in the fora identified lack of recognition of efforts and initiatives on conservation and use, lack of participation in decision making in crafting agricultural policies/seeds issues, lack of access to information on technologies, programs and research results related to seeds has led to the emergence of government bias for the promotion of GMOs and hybrid seeds, enactment of Plant Variety Protection Act which impedes farmers from further developing their materials, lack of support mechanisms (market infrastructure, credit facility) due to absence of clear programs to support local initiatives, lack of appropriate mechanisms to protect varieties from misappropriation and patenting (PVP not the answer). Despite these, farmers continually assert their rights through continuous organizing, farmer research and dialogues with government officials. Farmers recommend to repeal the PVP Law and enact laws that recognize and protect farmers' rights to seeds and traditional knowledge in seed conservation and development. Farmers Rights should not be treated in isolation from other identified Farmers' Rights. Farmers' Rights are Human Rights.
Mr. Gracian Banda from CEPA in Malawi, then made a presentation of the results of the consultation process in Malawi and Zimbabwe. They found that in general there is lack of awareness on Farmers Rights (as enshrined in the Treaty) even with farmers themselves. He noted too that for most farmers, Farmers' Rights encompass other rights to water, land, credit, technology, markets etc. In both Zimbabwe and Malawi there is lack of legislation to implement fully Farmers' Rights. There is a constraint too with the participation of farmers in decision making issues that affect them. Some of the key aspects of Farmers' Rights identified through the consultation with various stakeholders are:
- recognition of local farmers' efforts
- recognition of local land races as the basis of plant breeding
- conservation and protection
- secure farmers' practices
- access and benefit sharing
Several factors limit the promotion an protection of Farmers Rights:
- absence of policy and legislation - no legal framework dealing with Farmers' Rights
- linkages of government policy and legal framework - although there may be policies related to agrobiodiversity they all seem to be developed in isolation
- current management of access and benefit sharing
- market forces
- barriers to farmers entering into seed markets
- loss of habitat
- limited awareness and vision
- role of NGOs and government extension staff in promoting hybrid varieties
- weak coordination of smallholder farmer activities
- capacity of local level farmers' institutions
- emphasis of research
- privatization of the seed industry.
Mrs. Charity Mapira, a farmer from Zimbabwe highlighted a case where they were able to produce 180 tons of seeds (their farmer group) but under current legislation, they are not allowed to sell these seeds because they are not recognised as seed growers and there is no 'certification' for the seeds they produce. They were forced to sell their seeds to a company which provided them with low price.
Mrs. Jean Chiumia, a farmer from Malawi also highlighted their concerns, the absence of knowledge and information about the whole Farmers' Rights, the absence of legislation that support farmers.
Mr. Enrique Gonzales from IPIAT, Venezuela presented a background of their work in Venezuela and proceeded to share the results of the consultation process. Farmers Rights include:
- rights to water which include the rigth to participate, select water resources to be used in enough quantity and quality along with other elements,
- rights to land which include eliminating the legal concept of useless lands,
- rights to culture including right to recognise and respect the tradition and knowledge of farmers of afro-descent and indigenous peoples,
- political rights which include right to guarantee forms and ways of access to institutions of public and private policy without political or market pressure with respect to autonomy and interest of the family and farming communities,
- right to technology including right to alternative and appropriate technology,
- right to markets,
- right to education which encompass right of farmers to teach children about agriculture,
- right to social security including rights of farmers to be granted social security and
- right to seeds which include rights to conserve and use traditional seeds, rigth to recognise the genetic quality of traditional seeds by farmers, right to consider the seed to be of cultural values, to give tribute and deep sense, right to recognise the knowledge of farmers, right to recognize he contribution of farmers, right to sovereignty of towns and communities of farmers and indigenous peoples in the genetic valuation of its seeds.
Mr. Genevevo Hernandez from ANAP in Cuba, presented the results of the consultation process and identified Farmers Rights to include:
- collective rights
- organizational representation
- representation in parliament
- rights to land
- right to participate in agricultural planning and socio-economic aspects of the country
- right to credit
- right to social security
- right to fair prices
- right to market/commercialise products of agriculture
- right of women
- right to protect innovations (machineries)
- right to seeds
The last presenter was Mr. Gabriel Fernandes from AS-PTA, Brasil who in a way provided too a good synthesis of all the presentations made. He noted that the concept of Farmers' Rights is no incorporated literally to the debate of organizations in Brasil but htere is common understanding among these organisations that while seeds are material, economic and property resources, they integrate the cultural heritage of the people growers and the conditions of its very existence. This understanding of the seed as cultural, highlights the inextricable relationship established by farmers between their knowledge and resources of biodiversity. There is a large number of community experiences of farmers in exercising Farmers; Rights - thru networks of seedbanks, exchanges among communities and establishment of registered agro-ecological seed trade. Among the threats to the rights of farmers are agribusiness model of farming, push for GMOs and other seed technologies, programs that protect commercial interest of private companies - leading to a growing privatization of genetic resources and its exploitation through different monopoly mechanisms of protection by industry.
The general feedback was that the side event provided rich information, and a number of those present asked for copies of the power point presentations. CBDC Network provided draft copies (in CD) of the country reports. In the following days, CBDC Network will likewise attempt to upload the power point presentations here in the blogsite.
