:: The History of Farmers’ Rights

This background study presents the findings of a comprehensive survey of documentation and literature on these rights. It is designed as a guide for negotiators, practitioners and researchers wishing to understand the concept and the potentials of farmers’ rights. The documents represent the fruits of long and complex negotiations, and provide an important context for the realization of farmers’ rights. How to reward farmers for their past, present and future contributions to conserving, improving and making available crop genetic resources for food and agriculture has been a central topic in the negotiations. An international fund for supporting and assisting farmers in this has long been on the agenda. Discussions have also focused on how farmers’ rights can balance breeders’ rights, so as to ensure an equitable system that can facilitate farmers’ continued access to – and free use of – crop genetic resources.