Page 33 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 18

Food Health

Security and Nutrition (NAFSN). all the seeds we need. We’re going to their property rights – that is, if they
The NAFSN was launched in 2012 end up with fewer types of seeds.’ patent their own seeds.
by the G8 with the goal to help 50
million people out of poverty and ‘I have seeds of my family, because ‘But who’s going to sell non-certi-
hunger in the ten African partner my great-grandmother used them. fied seeds? Small-scale farmers do
countries through a public-private She gave them to my grandmother, not have the means to get a patent
partnership. The initiative receives who gave them to my mother and for their seeds’, says Janet Maro.
the support of the EU, the US, the my mother then gave them to
UK, the World Bank and the Bill & me. I’ve planted them here in the “The government is working on a
Melinda Gates Foundation. demonstration garden in Morogoro revision of the seed legislation. We

and that’s why very rare plants now hope that they will add an excep-
Companies that invest in the grow here’, says Janet Maro. ‘Local tion for small-scale farmers and will
NAFSN are expected to pay farmers find it hard to understand expand the Quality Declared Seed
attention to small-scale farmers the idea that you can patent and System,” says Michael Farrelly.
and women in their projects, but own a seed. Seed should simply be
sometimes little of that is noticed. something that is easily available”, The Quality Declared Seed System
As a result, the NAFSN receives a says Janet Maro. gives quality guarantee for seed. It
lot of criticism from NGOs and is a kind of compromise, because
civil-society movements. Even the Ownership for investments quality is cheaper and easier to ob-
European Parliament issued a very tain than a patent.
critical report in May this year to ‘Intellectual property rights ensure
urge the European Commission to that farmers have better access to Currently, a farmer is allowed to
take action. technology’, claims Kinyua M’Mbijj- sell recognized seeds in only three
ewe, head of Corporate Affairs in surrounding villages, but the gov-
‘In practice, it means that the fifty Africa for Syngenta. Syngenta is a ernment says it wants to expand this
million people that the New Alliance Swiss company that produces seeds at the district level with the new leg-
wants to help can escape poverty and agrochemicals alongside Yara, islation. ‘That way, the seeds could
and hunger only if they buy seeds one of the two largest players in the be sold in seventy villages, which is
every year from the companies that private sector in the NAFSN. economically viable,” says Farrelly.
are standing behind the G8.’
‘A company that wants to invest Removal of trade barriers
With the changes in the legislation, wants to be sure that its technology
Tanzania became the first least-de- is protected. African farmers have An additional problem is that the
veloped country to join the UPOV been sharing, bartering and trading seeds of foreign companies are not
91-convention. All countries that their seeds as a form of tradition. always adapted to the local climate.
are members of the World Trade For farmers who want to continue ‘What works in Utrecht doesn’t
Organization must include intellec- to do so, it is important that they necessarily work in Zanzibar,’ says
tual property rights on seeds in their have that choice.’ Kinyua M’Mbijj- Michael Farrelly. Tanzania alone has
legislation, but the least-developed ewe claims not to be aware that five different climate zones. ‘Even
countries are exempt from recogniz- the Tanzanian legislation no longer the region of Morogoro has differ-
ing any form of intellectual property allows that freedom of choice. This ent climate zones,” says Janet Maro.
rights until 2021. After that, the is strange, since Syngenta is one of
issues would be reviewed. the companies that is part of the Yet soon it will be easier for seeds
leadership council of the NAFSN, from different regions to enter the
‘As a result, the farmers’ seed system meaning that they negotiate directly country, and other African countries
will collapse, because they can’t sell with the partners about the changes are on the way to follow Tanzania’s
their own seeds”, according to Janet in legislation which must be met in example. In 2015, eighteen African
Maro. ‘Multinationals will provide exchange for aid. countries signed the Arusha Proto-
our country with seeds and all the col for the protection of new plant
farmers will have to buy them from Nevertheless, according to the varieties.
them. That means that we will lose Tanzanian Government, the legis-
biodiversity, because it is impossible lation never intended to penalize The purpose is that all countries
for them to investigate and patent small-scale farmers, only to protect would try to work on eliminating

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