Preamble:

“Affirming that the past, present and future contributions of farmers in all regions of the world, particularly those in centres of origin and diversity, in conserving, improving and making available these resources, is the basis of Farmers' Rights.”

Since the dawn of agriculture, farmers around the world have been innovators and custodians of agricultural biodiversity. As new crops were found in the wild, some of these were domesticated and cultivated. Through careful selection of their best seeds and propagating material, and exchanges with other farmers, it became possible to develop and diversify crop varieties.

Domesticated crops have been passed down through generations of farmers, with a small range of initial crops and varieties evolving into a wealth of plant genetic diversity for food and agriculture. Farmers depend on the diversity of cultivated plants to maintain yields and quality, and adapting their food production to different and often marginal environments and difficult conditions. Diversity between and within crops is a means of spreading the risk of crop failure due to pests and diseases, or adverse environmental conditions, such as drought. It is probably fair to say that plant genetic diversity is more important for farming than any other environmental factor, because it enables adaptation to changing environmental conditions, such as those caused by climate change.

Farmers feed the world, by producing the food on which we all depend. Since farmers are the developers and custodians of crop diversity in the field, their rights in this regard are critical if they are to continue maintaining their pivotal role in providing food security and nutrition – never more so than in the current era of climate change and other major challenges facing humanity. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (International Treaty) is the first legally binding international agreement to formally recognize the contribution of local and indigenous communities and farmers to the conservation and development of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). Article 9 of the International Treaty provides for the recognition, realization and promotion of Farmers’ Rights as they relate to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Farmers’ Rights can be realized through a series of measures and practices that can be put in place to protect, promote and realize these rights. The promotion and realization of these rights will enable farmers and farming communities to continue performing their role as developers and custodians of PGRFA, and to feed the world for the generations to come.