Latest Seed Sovereignty Resources

Seed laws often overlook the vital role of farmer-managed seed systems (FMSS), sidelining smallholder farmers and their locally adapted varieties, which don’t meet formal criteria. Afrikaans | English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili | Xhosa | Zulu Find the full fact sheet series here.

DUS stands for Distinct, Uniform and Stable. The DUS criteria aims to supply industrial-scale commercial farming systems while smallholder farmers plant seed that is not distinct, uniform or stable. This third factsheet gives more information on this system and the potential impact on smallholder farmers. Learn more about these and other topics in the fact sheets produced by […]

The quality declared seed (QDS) system is part of the formal seed system and also controls seed quality and purity. The QDS has several benefits, including the system being a good employment opportunity for farmers who produce improved seed. It does, however, have drawbacks such as the limited access to basic seed for seed multiplication. […]

In the first fact sheet in this series, we examine what a seed law is. Afrikaans | English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili | Xhosa | Zulu Click here for the next factsheet and here for the full series.

Seed laws were developed by governments and industry and are used as instruments to replace and undermine the farmer-managed seed system. Learn more about these and other topics in the fact sheets produced by the ACB for smallholder farmers in Africa. The materials are available in several languages and cover a range of topics dealing […]

This final factsheet in our series gives an outline of the ARIPO PVP Protocol and its implications. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili To read all the factsheets in this series, click here. If you’re new to Genetically Modified (GM), click here to download and read some of the fact sheets we’ve […]

In the eighth factsheet in the series, you can read about plant breeders’ rights, farmers’ right, and UPOV 1991. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili Click here for the ninth factsheet and here for the full series.

In this factsheet you can read about the World Trade Organisation and the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili Click here to read the final factsheet in the series and here for the full series.

This factsheet unpacks the theft of Turkey’s purple carrot as an example of biopiracy. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili Click here for the next factsheet in the series and here for the full series.

The sixth factsheet in this series looks at how women are the custodians of seed systems and play a central role in ensuring food security. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili | Sotho | Zulu Click here for the next factsheet in this series and here for the full series.

The fifth factsheet in this series looks at what it means for a farmer to be seed sovereign. Click here for the sixth factsheet in the series and here for the full series.

This fourth factsheet in the series about Farmer Seed Systems looks at seeds from the commercial sector and its place in the seed system. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili Click here to read the next factsheet and here for the full series.