The global food supply faces significant challenges due to laws that criminalize peasant seed systems. In their recent report to the Human Rights Council, UN experts highlighted that up to 90% of seeds in numerous countries stem from traditional practices. These systems are fundamental, allowing farmers to produce, share, and access seeds via local markets, thus bolstering food security and fostering biodiversity.
Shalmali Guttal, Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on the rights of peasants, stated that these traditional seed systems are pivotal for global food sustenance and should not face legal barriers. The importance of seeds extends beyond commerce, being integral to life, culture, and the environment.
However, the commercialization and protection of plant varieties pose a growing threat. Laws prevent the exchange of unregistered seeds, which often applies to the diverse varieties used by peasants, potentially criminalizing their age-old practices. Nations such as Ghana and Japan impose strict penalties, including jail terms, for violations involving protected seed varieties, reflecting a worrying trend towards stringent enforcement as detailed here.
The issue is compounded by the monopolistic control industrialized seed systems have over agricultural inputs. These entities benefit from intellectual property rights and plant variety protection laws, limiting access and increasing the cost burden on rural farmers. The World Bank’s investment strategies have also been criticized for disproportionately supporting commercial agribusiness, thereby exacerbating the seed monopoly, as discussed by UN News.
Recommendations from UN experts emphasize integrating the right to seeds, as specified in article 19 of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Peasants, into national legislation. They advocate for the elimination of criminal penalties associated with peasant seed practices and call for traditional systems to be exempt from industrial market regulations, ensuring a sustainable path forward for global agriculture.