New Research Project on the Right to Seeds in Europe

Daniel Taylor

A new research project will identify the main opportunities and obstacles related to the protection of the right to seeds in Europe. The project uses the new draft UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas (UN Declaration) as a reference to promote changes in European laws, policies and trade agreements to ensure that these facilitate the realization of peasants’ right to seeds.

‘It is important to convince lawyers, lobbyists and leaders of European peasant organizations and seed networks to use the UN Declaration to lobby for a better protection of peasants' right to seeds in Europe’ underlines Dr Christophe Golay, Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the Geneva Academy.

‘As a result, European States could be asked to better support peasant seed systems, promote agro-biodiversity and the use of peasant seeds, and ensure that agricultural research and development is oriented towards the needs of peasants’ he adds.

Outputs include the publication of a guide, an expert workshop and the participation of key European partners in the negotiation of the UN Declaration in April 2018 in Geneva.

The project is supported by the Foundation Salvia .