Open letter to the European Commission concerning plant variety rights in the Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia
Today, almost 90 organisations and networks from around the world, including Both ENDS, sent a letter to the European Commission to urge the EU to stop including UPOV91 in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The main objective of UPOV91 is to further erode traditional seeds rights and to regulate local seed markets in the interest of internationally operating seed companies.
This matter is urgent because currently, the EU and Indonesia are negotiating an FTA. Including UPOV91 in this FTA means that Indonesia will have to change its policies, which will take away the farmers' rights to:
- breed, save and exchange all seeds and other planting material
- participate in decisions concerning seed improvement/ breeding, selection, quality standards, pricing, production, distribution and diversity
- customary practice especially in regard to indigenous seed
- be protected from being sold fake and inappropriate seed
- have a true choice between the use of certified and seed from fellow farmer managed seed systems.
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Letter / 30 June 2022
Open letter to the Indonesian Government concerning plant variety rights in the Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia
On behalf of almost 90 CSO's and networks including Both ENDS, IGJ has sent a letter to the Indonesian government about the free trade agreement with the European Union. In this agreement, the EU pushes Indonesia to align its plant variety protection laws with UPOV 91, which would threaten farmers' access to seeds, food souvereignty and agrobiodiversity. The main objective of UPOV91 is to further erode traditional seeds rights and to regulate local seed markets in the interest of internationally operating seed companies.Including UPOV91 in this FTA means that Indonesia will have to change its policies, which will take away the farmers' rights to:
- breed, save and exchange all seeds and other planting material
- participate in decisions concerning seed improvement/ breeding, selection, quality standards, pricing, production, distribution and diversity
- customary practice especially in regard to indigenous seed
- be protected from being sold fake and inappropriate seed
- have a true choice between the use of certified and seed from fellow farmer managed seed systemsThe joint organisations therefore call upon the Indonesian government to resist the ask of the EU to comply with UPOV 91.
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Press release / 30 June 2022
Civil society calls upon EU and Indonesia to respect the rights of Indonesia’s farmers
89 NGOs and farmers' organisations from Indonesia, the EU and around the world sent open letters to the EU Commission and the Indonesian government today, calling on them to refrain from any clause that restrict farmers' rights in a future free trade agreement.
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Publication / 12 April 2022
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News / 25 April 2022
Call for sign-on: No to UPOV in Indonesia
The European Union (EU) continues to demand that countries of the South introduce plant variety protection rights according to UPOV 91 in free trade agreements. This is happening in the ongoing negotiations of the EU with Indonesia, trying to take away Indonesia's flexibility to implement a law that suits its own needs and priorities. We therefore call to sign our letters on this subject to the European Commission and the Indonesian government.
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News / 26 January 2017
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News / 13 June 2022
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Letter / 26 June 2020
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External link / 15 June 2022
Open letter to Trade Ministers at the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Joint CSO call to all WTO Trade Ministers to not accept the current draft of Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement and demand a real Waiver
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News / 26 June 2020
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Publication / 29 November 2021
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News / 24 October 2022
Termination of Energy Charter Treaty by the Netherlands helps global energy transition
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News / 9 June 2022
Burghard Ilge and Fernando Hernandez: "This WTO conference will be more important than ever"
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Dossier /
Trade agreements
International trade agreements often have far-reaching consequences not only for the economy of a country, but also for people and the environment. It is primarily the most vulnerable groups who suffer most from these agreements.
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Dossier /
Investment treaties
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Event / 6 December 2021, 14:00 - 15:15
WEBINAR: EU's push for strong Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on seeds
The European Union's (EU) foreign trade policy has many implications for the sustainability of food systems in developing countries, heavily impacting farmers, breeders, and citizens. The unhidden promotion by the EU of strong intellectual property rights on plants affects food systems from its very basis, i.e., the seeds that are available for farmers to grow. Amongst these intellectual property rights, the main instrument that is advocated by European authorities is the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention, which provides exclusive rights to breeders over the propagating material of new plant varieties, while diminishing the rights of others to use the material for further breeding and hampering with the rights of farmers to freely save, use, exchange and sell their seeds.
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Publication / 7 November 2018
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News / 14 October 2016
5 alternative arguments against TTIP
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