Agrobiodiversity and farmers' rights : proceedings of a technical consultation on a implementation framework for farmers' rights

The term agrobiodiversity refers to genetic variability in plants, animals and micro-organisms of economic value. In the past, several thousand plants were used for purposes of food, feed, fibre, fuelwood, fertilizer and medicine. As agriculture advanced, the human food secruity systems began to depend not only on fewer and fewer plant species, but also on a small number of varieties. Such genetic vulnerability to pests and diseases as well as to soil and climatic stresses. At the same time, the habitats rich in biodiversity like forests were getting destroyed. The on-farm conservation traditions of rural communities are also giving way to monoculture, thereby accelerating the pace of gene erosion. Agrobiodiversity provides the fooed-stock for the breeding and biotechnology enterprises. The future of food and health security depends on the conservation and sustainable use of such diversity. Genetic engineering technologies help move genes across sexual barriers and hence no plant or other living organism in useless, as Charaka reminded us centuries ago. Contents: Background Paper Inaugural Session Technical Session I The National and International Context Technical Session II Plant Variety Protection and the Convention on Biodiversity Technical Session III Viewpoint of the Plant Breeding Industry Technical Session IV Viewpoint of Public Sector Plant Breeding Institutions Technical Session V Tribal and Rural Farmer-Conservers Technical Session VI Role of the Mass Media Recommendations of Participants Annexure i Financial Aggrangements for the Realisation of Farmer's Rights Appendix i Plant Variety Protection and Farmers' Rights Act Appendix ii National Income Accounts Annexure iii Uncommon Opportunities for Achieving Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security List of Acronyms List of Participants