Abstract
Crop genetic resources constitute a ‘new’ global commons, characterized by multiple layers of activities of farmers, genebanks, public and private research and development organizations, and regulatory agencies operating from local to global levels. This paper presents sui generis biocultural community protocols that were developed by four communities in Benin and Madagascar to improve their ability to contribute to, and benefit from, the crop commons. The communities were motivated in part by the fact that their national governments’ had recently ratified the Plant Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol, which make commitments to promoting the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities and farmers, without being prescriptive as to how Contracting Parties should implement those commitments. The communities identified the protocols as useful means to advance their interests and/or rights under both the Plant Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol to be recognized as managers of local socio-ecological systems, to access genetic resources from outside the communities, and to control others’ access to resources managed by the community.
Highlights
IntroductionCrop genetic resources constitute a ‘new’ global commons, with a highly complex, internationally distributed, modular architecture, characterized by multiple layers of activities of farmers, genebanks, public and private research and development organizations, and norm setting organizations operating from local to global levels (Dedeurwaerdere 2012).Recent literature has analyzed the extent to which international policies and laws support or undermine the Uganda Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Rome, Italy Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Via dei TreDenari, 472/a, 00054 Maccarese, Fiumicino, Italy1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)production and sustainable use of the genetic diversity comprising the global crop commons (Frison and Coolsaet 2019; Halewood et al 2012; Kamau and Winter 2013; Wirz et al 2017; Onwuekwe 2004)
This paper addresses the question: What institutional innovations can enhance farmers’ agency in the evolving global crop commons—not by a return to ‘the way things were’ before the development of modern plant breeding and internationally linked genebanks—but by enabling farmers to take advantage of these developments and to continue to add value to the crop commons through use of their specialized knowledge and experience? In response, the paper presents a portfolio of measures that were designed to promote farmers’ agency in this way in Benin and Madagascar
The objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and of the Plant Treaty are identical: conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use
Summary
Crop genetic resources constitute a ‘new’ global commons, with a highly complex, internationally distributed, modular architecture, characterized by multiple layers of activities of farmers, genebanks, public and private research and development organizations, and norm setting organizations operating from local to global levels (Dedeurwaerdere 2012).Recent literature has analyzed the extent to which international policies and laws support or undermine the Uganda Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Rome, Italy Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Via dei TreDenari, 472/a, 00054 Maccarese, Fiumicino, Italy1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)production and sustainable use of the genetic diversity comprising the global crop commons (Frison and Coolsaet 2019; Halewood et al 2012; Kamau and Winter 2013; Wirz et al 2017; Onwuekwe 2004). Recent literature has analyzed the extent to which international policies and laws support or undermine the Uganda Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Rome, Italy Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Via dei Tre. Denari, 472/a, 00054 Maccarese, Fiumicino, Italy. The roles of genebanks and formal sector plant breeders in conserving and generating new crop genetic resources are recognized and relatively well incentivized/rewarded under the evolving international legal framework, and investments in both, while subject to unpredictable fluctuations, remain relatively constant and are likely to increase.. There has been progress in terms of formal recognition in international law of small-scale farmers’ contributions to the development and conservation of agricultural biological diversity.. There have been a number of projects to support small-scale farmers as managers/improvers of crop genetic diversity and a growing body of related literature There has been progress in terms of formal recognition in international law of small-scale farmers’ contributions to the development and conservation of agricultural biological diversity. there have been a number of projects to support small-scale farmers as managers/improvers of crop genetic diversity and a growing body of related literature
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
