Abstract
The availability of a wide diversity of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture is necessary to ensure continuous food production and food security. However, the expansion of intellectual property protection into agricultural field has raised concerns as to its impact on farmers’ traditional agricultural practises and the recognition of farming communities’ efforts in development and conservation of plant varieties. This paper serves as an exploratory study on few issues relating to farmers in Malaysia, the Farmers’ Rights concept and plant variety rights in Malaysia. The paper provides a brief review on the current Malaysian plant variety law and suggests further in depth study to identify gaps in the current legislation in realising the four core components of the Farmers’ Rights concept.
Highlights
Farmers have been using plants and animal genetic resources for a long time for breeding purposes
This paper serves as an exploratory study on few issues relating to farmers in Malaysia, the Farmers’ Rights concept and plant variety rights in Malaysia
Present and future contributions of farmers in all regions of the world, those in centres of origin and diversity, in conserving, improving and making available these resources, is the basis of Farmers’ Rights. Such affirmation is again confirmed in Article 9.1 of the FAO Treaty, emphasising the importance of PGRFA as a source for food and agricultural production globally and the role played by farmers in conservation and development of PGRFA
Summary
Farmers have been using plants and animal genetic resources for a long time for breeding purposes. According to Nadine, Sperling and Ahsby as the main source of genetic material for development of food crops and medicinal plants, PGR value in the world’s economy is incalculable (Saad, Sperling &Ashby, 2009). It is the most essential category of biological resources providing foundation for all food production and the key to feeding unprecedented number of people in times of climate and environmental change. Seeds are chosen based on specific characteristics deemed appropriate by farmers for their farming environment, with high economic value, displaying agronomic stability and tolerance to disease and pests These seeds are acquired either from the harvest of their own fields or through sale or exchange with neighbouring farming communities (Mushita, 1992). The informal communal seed system, which values agricultural biodiversity, created and preserved such diversity to be in tandem with local environment
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