Recommendations from a meeting on health implications of. Covering the objectives, scope, protection requirements, and examination provisions, the chapter compares the plant breeders rights system with the patent system and attempts to clarify specific puzzling issues. Economics and environment nepal, national farmers union canada see. Grassroots antigmo movements in ghana, including the group food sovereignty ghana fsg, are vehemently protesting the plant breeders bill, a piece of legislation that if passed could make it very difficult for small farmers to retain control over their seeds. We present the full keynote address given by prof richard tuyee awuah of the kwame nkrumah university of science and technology at the official launch of aflasafe gh02, in accra, ghana on the 29 th of june, 2018. In the future it is expected that nsta will play that role, and it holds the potential to be a voice for a growing industry going. West africa seed program wasp fact sheet november 2015. Food sovereignty demands parliaments report on plant. Meanwhile several prominent ghanaian experts in the field have dared to raise. Abstractthis paper examines the highly contested and ongoing biotechnology bt policymaking process in ghana.
Plant breeding capacity building in africa request pdf. Orphan crops to be sequenced for african plant breeders. Prospective analysis find, read and cite all the research you. The title of their petition declared, ghana s plant breeders bill lacks legitimacy. Jul 10, 2014 the plant breeders bill is all about gmos. If it is given bad publicity and is labelled as a gm product as some ghanaians and the press did for political expediency with the plant breeders bill, it will trigger negative. Opportunities and threats to harmonisation of plant breeders. Parliament calls for reintroduction of plant breeders bill csir takes steps to upgrade skills training in science and research.
The proposed legislation contains rules that would restrict farmers from an ageold practice. Passed by parliament and assented to by the president. Plant breeders rights were particularly designed to protect new varieties of plants, thus enabling the plant breeders to protect their interests and allowing a monopoly on commercial exploitation of their invention for an ascertained timeperiod. Plant reproductive biology leibniz institute of plant genetics and crop plant research ipk gatersleben, germany bradley j. Pdf implications of plant breeder bill on breeding. The plant breeders act seeks to establish a legal framework to promote the breeding of new plant varieties and improve food production in ghana adenle, 2014. A comprehensive overview of investments and human resource capacity in african agricultural research nienke beintema and gertjan stads april 2017 research program on policies. The parliamentary select committee on environment, science and technology has recommended to parliament to reintroduce and pass the plant breeders bill to protect the intellectual rights of seed. The plant breeders bill, pbb, declares a plant breeder right shall be independent of any measure taken by the republic to regulate within ghana the production, certification and marketing of material of a variety or the importation or exportation of the material.
Plant breeding capacity building in africa nature climate. Mar 02, 2018 the title of their petition declared, ghanas plant breeders bill lacks legitimacy. Food sovereignty ghana charges house speaker ghnewsnow on audio fsg interview with radio xyz on the need for further consultations on the plant breeders bill. Pdf implications of plant breeder bill on breeding activities in. I believe the new alliance can make an important contribution to tackling the underlying causes of poverty and hunger in africa, promoting growth in african agriculture through coordinated public. June 2014 volume 48, number 2 ghana medical journal 119 dations and health concerns are taken care of in a new parent biosafety act.
The proposed plant breeders bill of ghana and the food. Implications of plant breeder bill on breeding activities in. Implications of plant breeder bill on breeding activities. We call for a bill that will be both plant breeders and farmers like indias plant breeders and farmers act. However, farmer and civil society groups have expressed serious concern over the level of public consultation.
The plant breeders bill would give corporations such as monsanto rights above the laws of ghana. Csir predicts water crisis in 2030 may 16, 2016 48121. Reflections on intellectual property benefitsharing in. Agroecological zones found in ghana include the high rain forest, the semi deciduous forest, transitional zones. June 2014 volume 48, number 2 ghana medical journal.
The plant breeders bill laid in parliament on the 28th day of may, 20 on the other hand seeks among. An act to provide for the grant and protection of plant breeder rights and for related matters. The title of their petition declared, ghanas plant breeders bill lacks legitimacy. Wouldbe plant breeders often chose to pursue ms and phddegree programs in the usa or europe, and more than half of these did not return to africa to practice their profession once graduated. The representatives included food sovereignty ghana fsg, peasant farmers association.
Pprsd plant protection and regulatory services directorate. Advocacy for the passage of the plant breeders bill. On 20 february, some 50 civil society organisations from different parts of the world sent a letter pdf to the parliament of ghana, protesting against a currently pending plant breeders bill that they say is modelled after upov 1991. Ghana the council decided that the plant breeders bill of ghana, subject to certain modifications, was in conformity with the provisions of the 1991 act of the upov convention. For instance, in ghana, both the plant breeders bill and its predecessor, the plant and fertilizer act 2010, are designed to allow for, and promote, the breeding of foundation seeds by the private sector, a task previously held solely by state breeders. In addition, ghana is in the process of elaborating a plant variety protection legislation.
We seriously need to do everything in our power to pressure parliament to drop the upovcompliant plant breeders bill currently under consideration. Clause 1 of the bill defines the scope of application of the bill. Indeed, protests against gmos introduction have been flourishing in many parts of these. Farmers organizations, plant breeding and seed industry. Ghana has opted to apply the requirement for compliance with the international convention for the protection of new varieties of plants of december 2, 1961 and. Plant breeders rights bill as introduced in the national assembly proposed section 76. The ghana public health association organized a scientific seminar to examine the introduction of genetically modified organisms into public use and the health consequences.
Training tomorrows plant breeders until its privatisation in the late 1980s, the plant breeding institute in cambridge was renowned as a prolific stable for young plant breeders, combining the fundamental plant science, applied crop research and commercial breeding activities needed to train and prepare new entrants to the profession. The plant breeders bill is based on the upov convention 1991 and, following its adoption, the government intended to ratify and become a member of the upov convention 1991 see question 22. Mar 30, 2016 food sovereignty ghana fsg, has called on the speaker of parliament to order the publication of a report on the consultations that the selectcommittee on constitutional, legal, and parliamentary affairs undertook on the plant breeders bill pbb. Pbb plant breeders bill pbdu the participatory business development unit. Farmers rights at heart of plant breeding ip debate. The seminar was driven by current public debate on the subject. The bill would end ghanas full sovereignty and independence as a nation, enable biopiracy, and outlaw traditional farming practices. Evolving a plant breeding and seed system in subsaharan. Genetically modified food were introduced to ghana by the ghanaian government in 20.
For example, in 30 ssa countries, the average is about 5 breeders per country to cover all crops. Oct 26, 2016 however, the number of such breeders is limited 3,4. Farmers organizations, plant breeding and seed industry in. The fight against big ag and gmos in ghana crossed crocodiles. Proposed amendments to the plant breeders bill, 20. Publish report on consultations over plant breeders bill. Comments are invited on proposed revisions to the regulations, fees for services, and procedures established under the plant variety protection act. We analyse media content on how bt is viewed in the context of ghanas parliamentary debate on the plant breeders bill and within the broader public policymaking literature. Ghana food and agriculture organization of the united nations. Another option is to incorporate the health concerns and recommendations in the proposed plant breeders bill as appropriate.
Implications of plant breeder bill on breeding activities in ghana. This paper discusses the most probable implications of the plant breeder bill on breeding activities in ghana. In 20, the government of ghana brought a proposed plant breeders bill pbb to parliament for scrutiny and passage into law. The proposed revisions are needed to conform with recent amendments to the plant variety protection act, which added authority for the plant variety. The university of california uc, davis, will set up an academy next year in accra, ghana, to train 80 to 100 plant breeders in bioinformatics. Plants breeders bill, which would allow bt application has generated polarised public debate adenle, 2014. Regulations and procedures under the plant variety protection act.
Once the relevant law, on which the conformity was decided, is in force, ghana will be in a position to deposit its instrument of accession to. Memorandum to ghanas plant breeders bill stated that the object of the proposed law was to acknowledge the achievements of breeders of new varieties by making available to them an exclusive right on the basis of a set of uniform and clearly defined principles republic of ghana, 20, at i. Battling the monsanto law in ghana new internationalist. Food sovereignty ghana calls on parliament to completely withdraw the upovcompliant plant breeders bill and replace it with a sui generis plant variety protection pvp system suitable to our conditions. Till plant breeding and genetics laboratory joint faoiaea division of nuclear techniques in food and agriculture vienna, austria isbn 9783319450193 isbn 9783319450216 ebook doi 10. A consortium of biotech companies and nonprofit organizations plans to sequence the genomes of at least two dozen neglected crops in africa.
There has been controversy with their use their since then. Ghana is sleepwalking into selling our birth rights. Read on for a fascinating examination of aflatoxin in ghana and the different roles we can play across society in tackling it. The bill has not been enforced yet but several benefits for farmers, breeders and agriculture in the country have been predicted. Plant breeders rights pbr, also known as plant variety rights pvr, are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give the breeder exclusive control over the propagating material including seed, cuttings, divisions, tissue culture and harvested material cut flowers, fruit, foliage of a new variety for a number of years. Oct 20, 2014 this week, farmers in ghana are on the frontlines of a battle. A national seed policy was also developed which led to the liberalization of the seed sector and the coming on board of more actors. Plant breeders bill must be revised csos tell parliament. Jan 31, 2017 owusuafriyie akoto the peasant farmers association of ghana pfag has expressed disappointment in the attempt by the ministerdesignate of agriculture and some vetting committee members to misinform ghanaians about the implication of the plant breeders bill. Upov to examine aripo legislation on plant variety protection. Collaborating with faculty at makerere university in uganda, university of kwazulunatal in south africa, and kwame nkrumah university of science and technology in ghana and with funding from the bill and melinda gates foundation, our project team created a number of tools and resources to enhance delivery of the plant breeding in elearning in. We are in full agreement with this request, and pray on you to heed the call. Unfortunately, the plant breeders right bill pbb of ghana is one of the bills that has suffered vicious attacks especially from civil society organizations csos. Parliament calls for reintroduction of plant breeders bill.
Aug 28, 2014 the plant breeders bill, pbb, declares a plant breeder right shall be independent of any measure taken by the republic to regulate within ghana the production, certification and marketing of material of a variety or the importation or exportation of the material. Despite adoption of bt in neighbouring burkina faso vitale, glick. Ams estimates that most pvpo customers would be considered small business entities under the criteria established by sba cfr 121. Fsg considers this as a clear insult to the respectable organisations that have so far petitioned parliament over the plant breeders bill. Ghana trips over the trips agreement on plant breeders. Plant breeders rights bill b11d2015 south african government. In 20, ghana passed the plant breeder bill, a sui generis system. Ayenan and others published implications of plant breeder bill on breeding activities in ghana. The case of ghana 2016 towards an integrated market for seed and fertilizers w africa. Asante pointing to flaws in the plant breeders bill special report 31 august 2014. If passed, this bill could make ghana dependent on certified seeds invented by mncs and other gm seed producers, thus surrendering ghanas food sovereignty to individuals and organizations citation needed. Joint submission of the association for plant breeding for the benefit of society. Asante pointing to flaws in the plant breeders bill special report.
This proposed provision creates the possibility of the regulator providing more space for smallholder farmer practices within the farmers privilege in south africa. The draft bill, which reflects upov 1991, above, n 49, is the subject of opposition by farmers organizations. Food sovereignty ghana fsg has met with the parliamentary committee on constitutional, legal and parliamentary affairs over the plant breeders bill. Opportunities and threats to harmonisation of plant. Chapter 1 the origins of plant variety protection and upov. In concurrence with the frimpongboateng campaign for public education on gmo inclusion, food sovereignty ghana filled suit against the national biosafety authority board for its plans to proceed with the introduction of gm products on the local market. So far, the farmers and people of ghana have stopped passage of the plant breeders bill in parliament. Replace plant breeders bill with a sui generis pvp. Regulations and procedures under the plant variety. Activist groups including food sovereignty ghana, the coalition for farmers rights, advocacy against gmos, ghana catholic bishops conference, convention peoples party, and various individuals have argued against its introduction. The plant breeders bill is designed to impose genetically modified organisms into ghana s food chain, a move that could change our entire agricultural system. A comprehensive overview of investments and human resource capacity in african agricultural research nienke beintema and gertjan stads april 2017 asti synthesis report.
A report for the global partnership initiative for plant breeding capacity building. Plant breeding is one of the most important ways of pgrfa utilization, as it aims. Legal and institutional considerations for plant variety. For example, in 30 ssa countries, the average is about 5 breeders per country to cover all crops, agroecological zones, and uses 2.
At the consideration stage publications parliament of ghana. This paper does not seek to take a position on bt or the bill, but to understand how policy actors. Plant breeders rights is one of the links in the plant variety development chain and an important tool for governments to support agricultural development and food security. Agriculture ministerdesignate misinformed parliament on. Although ghana is not a signatory member of the international union for the protection of new varieties of plants convention upov convention, there is explicit evidence that the plant breeders rights pbr s bill under consideration in the ghanaian parliament contains provisions modelled on the upov act 1991 rather than the potentially. Save ghanas sovereignty and our food supply news ghana.
The fight against big ag and gmos in ghana crossed. In 20, ghana drafted the plant breeders act, a sui generis. The council also examined the plant breeders bill of ghana, which was presented to the ghanaian parliament, and decided that changes made during the first reading of the bill by the parliament in june 20 did not affect the substantive provisions of the 1991 act of the upov convention. The plant breeders bill makes a gift of ghanas land and agriculture to the agribusiness tncs. The national parliament is due to return from its summer break and first thing on the agenda is the governments plant breeders bill. In 20, ghana drafted the plant breeders act, a sui generis system. Plant breeders rights bill b11c2015 south african government. With this law, the tncs can flood ghana with gmos and demand ghana pay the price they set. If it is given bad publicity and is labelled as a gm product as some ghanaians and the press did for political expediency with the plant breeders bill, it will trigger negative reaction from the ghanaian populace who are wont to label anything novel as aflasafe is as gm. National campaign against upov plant breeders bill food.
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