9th November 2001

No compromise on 27.3b


No compromise on 27.3b, Action Aid

The TRIPS Agreement for the first time globalises the application of Intellectual Property rights on plants and seeds. ActionAid believes this has the potential to damage the livelihoods of the 1.4 billion women and men farmers worldwide who rely on farm saved seed.

There are 900 patents on staple food crops - 4 MNCs hold 44% of these.

Patents on genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA) compromises farmers’ right to save, grow, exchange and sell (protected) seed. They raise the cost of seeds and patented technology thus putting a greater burden on poor women and men farmers.

· About 66% of world’s population depends on food provided by the use of indigenous knowledge of plant, animals and farming systems.

Patents on GRFA accelerate corporate control of the seed sector. Three companies, Cargill, Pioneer, CP-DeKalb control 70% of the Asian seed market. This has potential for reduced biodiversity due to strong marketing push from the agri-business firms for particular types of seeds.

The 4th WTO Ministerial Conference at Doha provides WTO members with an opportunity to make progress on the nature and substance of the review of Article 27.3b.

ActionAid is calling for the Doha declaration to support the African group demand for a substantive review of 27.3b to ensure that
· there are no patents on genetic resources on food and agriculture
· there exists flexibility in implementing the sui generis option at the national level to protect farmers’ rights
· the provisions of 27.3b are made consistent with the CBD provisions on prior informed consent and benefit sharing to protect the rights of communities over plant genetic resources

The successful adoption of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources of the FAO in Rome last week, provides us with hope that genetic resources for food and agriculture, and protection of farmers’ rights that are crucial to ensuring food security are not threatened and made subservient to the WTO TRIPS Agreement.

FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE FROM ACTIONAID’S POLICY ANALYSTS: Gichinga Ndirangu: 5391847, Ruchi Tripathi and Adriano Campolina: 00 44 7775794239 And Abid Suleri, Sustainable Development Policy Institute: abid...@hotmail.com