Around 75 per cent of the worlds’ poorest 1.2 billion people live in rural areas and depend on farming. These small-holder farmers play an essential role in the development, maintenance and use of agricultural biodiversity. Improvements in agricultural production brought about through the use of modern varieties have been possible because of the rich and varied genetic diversity in farmers’ landraces, together with material from wild and weedy species. This contribution and importance for human worldwide food security, has been recognized by FAO since 1989, and more concretely by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, a legal binding multilateral agreement, adopted in 2001 with 128 Contracting Parties. This recognition constitutes the basic foundation of Farmers’ Rights as related to plant genetic resources.

Farmers’ Rights are important in enabling farmers to maintain, develop, and utilize plant genetic diversity, and in recognizing and rewarding them for their contribution to the global genetic pool and food security. Implementing Farmers’ Rights is central to the fight against poverty and hunger eradication for affected communities. As recognized in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the realization of Farmers’ Rights rest with national governments.

Although not yet agreed as concrete guidelines on implementation, the International Treaty does enshrine some measures that should be taken to implement Farmers’ Rights, subject to national law. These include: the protection of traditional knowledge relevant to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits arising from the use of these resources; the right to participate in decision making, at the national level, on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; and the right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed/propagating material.