The Infrastructures Required to Strengthen the Seed Industry in Iran as a Result of Becoming a Member of the UPOV Convention

Abstract

The purpose of this research is the identification and prioritization of required infrastructures to strengthen the Iranian seed sector, which affects the decisions related to the observance of plant breeders' rights. This paper has used semi-structured interviews with practitioners to extract the essential infrastructures. The results are based on the considerations mentioned by the opponents and supporters of the UPOV Convention. After the interviews were carried out, a survey was taken where a researcher-made questionnaire was employed. The data from 106 questionnaires, which were answered by various stakeholders, were then analyzed. The significance of the Freedman test (p <0.0001) confirmed the difference in rank and importance of infrastructures. Comparison of the average scores shows, creating a cultural infrastructure based on building respect for Intellectual Properties is attributed the highest importance with a score of 21.07 and the protection of traditional knowledge is given the least with a score of 13.67; these scores were based on the study of 33 identified items. This paper found that the following were among the top ten priorities: Improving and establishing legal infrastructures for biodiversity conservation, access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, registration and protection of national genetic resources, farmers' rights and a holistic seed system, research infrastructures focused on purposeful RandD and using native bioresources, and supporting the RandD units and experts.Moreover, Items involving economic infrastructures mostly have a middle of ranking (10-20) and the rest, including political infrastructures and several items in cultural and research infrastructures are at the bottom.