Posted on November, 14, 2022 at 10:06 am
Small scale farmers in Uganda appealed to the Government to reject the African Union (AU) Seed Harmonization Guidelines in fear that they will sabotage their diversity of crop options which improve their livelihoods and guarantee food security.
Through their umbrella body the Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers' Forum (ESAFF), farmers said the national seed regulations generally only focus on crop varieties that are products of formal sector - plant breeding occasioned with bio piracy.
Mr Hakim Baliraine, the National Board Chairperson EASAF - Uganda said they intend to collect over five million signatures aimed at protecting farmer managed seed system.
Data collected from a national household survey conducted by the government between 2019 and 2020 indicated that 68 percent of the population is working in agriculture, forestry and fishing sector.
If such a guideline is adopted, it will hurt farmers like in Uganda where we are still practising the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) of 1978, according to Baliraine.
Further, he said the guidelines also side-line small scale farmers where harmonisation is not in favour of national interests of previous countries.
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that was established in 1961.
UPOV provides and promotes an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society.
“This seed guideline harmonisation takes away the sovereignty of farmers in the seed business because under the UPOV of 1991 (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) which was passed recently in COMESA (The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) under the Arusha protocol, it doesn’t allow the farmers to share, sell seeds which are not certified, it bans the seeds which are not certified.”
Of 78 countries which are members of the UPOV of 1991, only 7 African countries have joined including; Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia, South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania and Egypt.
In the East African region, Tanzania was the first country to assent to the international union for protection of new varieties of plants on November 22, 2015.
This was followed by Kenya on May 13, 1999, according to official data from UPOV website, with both countries having 0.2 number of distribution units.
In February 2022, the African Union (AU) came out in support of two sets of guidelines for the harmonization of seed and the use of biotechnology in food and agriculture in Africa despite public concern and outrage over the decision.
Biotechnology in agriculture revolves largely around genetically modified crops, which are typical of industrial agriculture and often have negative impacts on small-scale farmers.
In 2017 and 2019, President Museveni refused to assent to the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012 which seeks to provide a regulatory framework that facilitates the safe development and application of biotechnology, research, development and release of genetically modified organisms.
Initially, among the concerns raised by the president, were issues about containment, labelling and patent rights on indigenous farming products were emphasized.
The name of the Bill was then changed from National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill to Genetic Engineering Regulatory Bill to make the Bill/law more regulatory than promotional, insisted by the President.
Parliament then passed the ‘GMO Bill’ for the second time but the President is yet to sign it into law, citing health concerns.
Source: Monitor