The U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) encourages the development of novel varieties of sexually and certain asexually reproduced plants and makes them available to the public, providing protection available to those who breed, develop, or discover them, and thereby promotes progress in agriculture in the public interest.  The PVPA was first enacted in 1970; under this law, farmers have the right to save seed of a protected variety for use on their own land as long as no other agreements have been established between the breeder and farmer, which may restrict this.