The impact of plant breeder rights in developing countries. Debate and experience in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, México y Uruguay

Abstract

The lack evidence has been the reason for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the University of Amsterdam to initiate the present study which was sponsored by two development organizations: the Special Programme Biotechnology and International Cooperation, of DGIS in the Netherlands and IDRC, Canada. The study examines the (expected) impact of plant breeders`rights (PBR) on developing countries with respect to: private investment in plant breeding, breeding policies of public institutes, transfer of foreign germplasm, and diffusion of seed among farmers. Case studies have been conducted in five Latin American countries, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, which are among the very few developing countries that have experience with PBR protection; and Colombia and Mexico, two countries which were about to introduce PBR legislation. The study is based on existing literature and on interviews with a total of 157 persons, representing 131 organizations, with an interest in PBR protection. It was carried out in 1994, in collaboration with five local research groups. Reports of the case studies were discussed during national seminars in the respective countries, while a draft of the present final report formed the basis for discussion during a two-days international seminar, organized en March 1995, in Bogotá, Colombia. Many of the comments expressed during these seminars have been used to improve this report final report.