Let’s Liberate Diversity! News
Protecting crops through plant diversity
The INRAE has recently published a free-to-download eBook by the title ‘Protecting crops through plant diversity‘ in the context of project Ecophyto 2+ meant to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides to protect public health. This book is intended for research and teaching purposes, as well as agricultural, environmentaland citizen stakeholders.
Natural regulation of pest populations through agrobiodiversity is at the heart of this publication, which considers managing diversity in the landscape and the fields, including by increasing inter- and intraspecific diversity. It also makes reference to policy, both the EU CAP and the French National Strategic Plan.
CREDIT: This document came to our attention in the June 2024 Issue of the FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub Digest, which we have previously written about
Series of surveys on forgotten crops – Radiant EU
Within the RADIANT EU project, the organisers of this survey exercise aim to support European policies and strategies that release the full value of neglected or forgotten crops and plant species within the food value chain. While in fact the current socio-economic...
European Citizens’ Initiative Forum for the Right to Food: what’s boiling in the pot?
In April 2023, the inaugural Democratic Forum in Geneva brought together global leaders, activists, and organizations to tackle the critical issues surrounding the right to food and food sovereignty. This landmark event culminated in the creation of the Geneva Right to Food Manifesto, garnering significant support from influential bodies such as the FAO, IFAD, and WHO, as well as endorsements from the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food and the Chairperson of the Committee for World Food Security. Let’s Liberate Diversity! was invited to present on the current state of agrobiodiversity, the active social movements on seeds, and the latest developments in EU seed reform.
Building on the success of the first Forum, the second Forum was be held in May 2024 with a focused mission: uniting stakeholders to craft a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) aimed at establishing a comprehensive right to food law. This initiative empowers European citizens to participate directly in the legislative process, proposing new laws to enshrine the right to food across Europe.
Day 1 of ECI Forum for the Right to Food – Géneve, Switzerland
The 2024 Forum, supported by international organizations and esteemed individuals, served as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and decisive action. By bringing together voices from across Europe, the Forum aimed to forge a collective path towards legislative change, aiming to make the right to food a reality for all.
Drawing inspiration from the first European Citizens’ Initiative on the right to water in 2013, the three-day Forum in May 2024 was organized by Mater Fondazione, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and other key partners. It elaborated on the documents submitted for the right to food, building upon the Geneva Right to Food Manifesto adopted in March 2023 and the collective work of European right to food experts.
The Forum benefited from the experience of The ECI Campaign and insights from initiators of other ECIs, including the right to water. Participants engaged in working groups addressing legal, advocacy, marketing, fundraising, operational, and ecosystem aspects to ensure the successful registration of the ECI and the launch of a dynamic campaign.
Soon, the finalized texts from the forum will be uploaded and prepared to kickstart the collection process aimed at gathering 1,000,000 signatures.
Give a check to the website of the ECI petition: https://www.goodfoodforall.eu/
Give a check to the program of the forum
Day 2 at the ECI Forum for the Right to Food
FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub Digest
The FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub is a point of reference for all involved in agroecology. The website offers agroecology tools such as a database of knowledge and a reference database of legal frameworks and policies concerning agrecology. In addition, email groups under the banner Family Farming & Agroecology Community of Practice facilitate knowledge sharing and discussion.
All this precious insights into the agroecological world you can now receive conveniently packed in a monthly Digest fto your mailbox. Below, you can scroll through, or download, the April 2024 issue of the Digest as a taster. It includes Germinate! a new exclusive column sharing the perspectives, insights and innovations of leading agroecology and food systems researchers and practitioners. If you want to suscribe, contact the Knowledge Hub.
Table of content
- InFocus: Farmers’ Protest Around Europe
- Germinate!
- Innovation
- Voices from the Ground
- From the Research World
- Multimedia
- Policy Briefs & Studies
- Upcoming Events
- Behind the Scenes
APBREBES Newsletter #62
The April issue of the newsletter of the Association for Plant Breeding for the Benefit of Society (APBREBES) reports on the UPOV negotiations concerning smallholders and the interpretation of the exception of private and non-commercial use of plant propagation material. It also covers patents on plants and regulation for the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in Europe.
Here is the detail of the content table:
- UPOV Turns a Deaf Ear to the Concerns of Smallholder Farmers
- New Genomic Techniques and Intellectual Property Law: Challenges and Solutions for the Plant Breeding Sector
- African Perspectives on Agroecology – Why Farmer-led Seed and Knowledge Systems Matter
- Advancing Agrobiodiversity – Why Organisations of Smallholders and Indigenous Peoples are Vital
- African Free Trade Agreements and Intellectual Property
Read the newsletter on APBREBES website.
You can subscribe to receive the monthly newsletter direct in your mailbox.
New genomic techniques passed EU parliament! Press releases from ECVC and FoE
The European Parliament confirmed its support for the deregulation of patented GMOs/NGTs, and opened the door to their dissemination without any traceability through the regulation on seeds marketing
On 24 April 2024, all MEPs voted on two files that are absolutely essential for peasants’ rights on seeds and the future of European agriculture, in particular the GMO-free agricultural sector and peasant agroecology.
In a recent press release, the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) strongly condemned the European Parliament’s vote in favor of deregulating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) obtained through new genomic techniques (NGTs). Despite unresolved issues such as the extension of patents, violation of the precautionary principle, and lack of essential information from European agencies, the Parliament proceeded with the vote, disregarding concerns raised by peasant organizations and the GMO-free agricultural sector.
The ECVC press release is available here: https://liberatediversity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/25-04-2024-PR-NGT-and-PRM-Votes-EP-Plenary-EN.pdf
Friends of the Earth Europe (FoE) also criticized the decision, highlighting its detrimental effects on food and environmental safety. The approved legislative proposal exempts new GMOs from safety checks and reduces the liability of corporations selling them, undermining the precautionary principle in EU policymaking and leaving a significant gap in regulatory coverage.
The press release from FoE is available here: https://friendsoftheearth.eu/press-release/eu-parliament-vote-on-new-gmos-a-blow-to-food-environmental-safety/
Organic Heterogeneous Material: new operators’ tutorial
A new tool has become available on the Organic Farm Knowledge portal produced by Seed4all and Artemisia, which explains the new Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM) regulations, and indicates how new operators can enter this new and important market to support agrobiodiversity.
OHM is a new category of seeds which can be used in organic farming in the EU, but also for home gardening and of course adopted in conventional farming if desired.
Because OHM is not a variety, or a mix of varieties, Plants Breeders’ Rights (PBR) do not apply to OHM. The new regime for OHM also derogates from the existing EU legislation on the marketing of seeds; therefore, operators do not need to be registered to sell seeds and they can sell OHM belonging to any of the categories covered in the 11 sectoral directives on seed marketing,
Watch the video for all the details:
Taking action together for a better EU Seed Law
Arche Noah has released the recordings of the workshop Taking action together for a better Seed Law from last November, together with the presentation slides, which contain a useful timeline for action (see post picture). Arche Noah’s advocacy package also contains a position paper on the regulation proposal, highlighting the following issues which impact agrobiodiversity and farmers’ rights:
- The proposal endangers the remaining diversity of cultivated plants
- It creates problems for the conservation of fruit diversity
- It fails in its attempt to make diverse varieties more widely available by creating new regulatory costs
- It bans imports of seeds from gene banks and of conservation and amateur varieties
- It fails to prevent the misappropriation of PRM circulated in conservation networks or farmer seed systems
- It undermines the recently adopted EU Organic Regulation
- Besides, it fails to implement farmers‘ right to seed
- It allows firms to make false sustainability claims
- It also fails to provide sufficient transparency for farmers and gardeners on the seeds they buy
Major philanthropies urge massive scale up of agroecology and regenerative approach. An opportunity demanding scrutiny.
25 major philanthropies are calling for a groundbreaking tenfold increase in funding for regenerative and agroecological transitions to tackle urgent global agricultural and environmental challenges. Their joint report, “Cultivating Change: Accelerating and Scaling Agroecology and Regenerative Approaches,” outlines the transformative potential of these sustainable practices.
Key Takeaways:
- The call to action emphasizes the need to phase out fossil fuel use in agriculture and transition towards agroecology to align with the 1.5ºC goal of the Paris Agreement.
- The estimated cost for a global transition to agroecology and regenerative approaches is USD 250-430 billion per year, a fraction of the hidden costs of current practices.
- Current investments fall short, leaving a significant gap of USD 206-386 billion, requiring a tenfold increase to support the necessary transformation.
While the call for increased investment presents an opportunity to transform global food systems, it also demands scrutiny. Can this financial influx truly drive positive change, or might it inadvertently support questionable practices under the guise of agroecology? The need for transparent, accountable, and community-driven initiatives is paramount to avoid the pitfalls of appropriation.
You can find the full report here.
Video
Read also..
