Protect farmers' rights under WTO: Suman Sahai

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 15. ``The society and those campaigning for welfare of farmers have to be vigilant to ensure that farmers' and plant breeders' rights are not diluted through rules and regulations,'' said Dr. Suman Sahai, scientist and activist, who is heading the Gene Campaign, a Delhi-based voluntary organisation working for farmers' rights in 17 States, including Karnataka.

Dr. Sahai, who was in the City recently, addressed a seminar on ``Protection of farmers' rights in Indian legislation and WTO accord'' organised by Gene Campaign -- Karnataka and Loknayak JP Vichara Vedike.

He said although farmers' rights to save, use, sow, resow and exchange, share and sell his farm produce were protected by the Plant Variety Protection and Farmers' Rights Bill recently passed by Parliament, it has to be ensured that these rights were not constrained through conditions put by the Agriculture Ministry.

Dr. Sahai told The Hindu that Gene Campaign along with the Centre for Environment and Agriculture Development had drafted an alternative treaty to UPOV, a western platform regulating Plant breeder's Rights, to provide a forum for developing countries to implement their farmers' and breeders' rights. This treaty, called ``Convention of Farmers and Breeders'' (CoFAB), would address the problems, strengths and vulnerabilities of developed nations and see that their interests, in terms of agriculture, were safeguarded.

``UPOV did not address the needs of farmers in developing countries such as India because it embodied the philosophy of industrialised countries where farmers were fairly small in numbers compared to India or other developing nations. The UPOV system only protected the rights of the seed companies and it would be drastic to follow the UPOV model here. But some vested interests in the country are pushing the cause of UPOV which would only protect the interest of MNCs,'' she said.

On the other hand, CoFab had been described by the UNDP Human Development Report as a strong and co-ordinated proposal which offered developing countries a better alternative to the European legislation. The purpose of drafting CoFAB by Gene Campaign was to initiate a discussion on these lines.

``Meanwhile, Gene Campaign has launched a postcard campaign to mobilise support for protection of farmers rights and 10,000 such postcards will be sent to citizens to spread awareness,'' she said.

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