Protection of plant genetic resources in India- implications for farmers seed systems and grass root innovation
Student name: Ms Nikhila S
Guide: Dr M V Shiju
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: Third World Network, New Delhi
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr K M Gopakumar
Abstract: This study has been undertaken to understand the existing legislations dominating the intellectual
property regime on seeds and plant genetic resources in the Indian context .Further, to analyse the
implications of the existing legal framework on farmers’ seed system and grass root level innovation,
field data from a traditional farming practice in North Malabar region of Kerala using specific
saline resistant varieties was also collected.
The provisions for farmers, mainly their right to seeds and plant resources have been examined in the
backdrop of India’s compliance to TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
Several pieces of legislations that followed the introduction of Plant Variety Protection and Farmers’
Rights have been reviewed to understand the intersections in seed laws and intellectual property
rights.
The major finding are that even when elaborate R & D and elements of royalties help modern seed
industry and professional plant breeding thrive, small scale farmers innovate mostly to face the odds
of ecological constraints and to build climate resilient varieties. Benefits, from intellectual property if
any, reaped by farmers have been for innovations of an earlier period. Further farmers seed systems
thrive on sharing and exchange of knowledge while increasing dependence on so called “high
yielding varieties†also brings in intra farmer competition.
The significance of parallel infrastructure and informed methods of policy making has been drawn
out to underscore the challenges and to push for the formulation of global germplasm commons.
