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Peter ButtonVice Secretary-General, UPOV

GenevaOctober 26, 2016

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Overview of the UPOV Convention

Symposium on Possible Interrelations between the

ITPGRFA and the UPOV Convention

FARMERS’ BENEFITS

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BREEDERS’ RIGHTS

NEEDS OF SOCIETY

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UPOV MISSION STATEMENT

“To provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society”

4Bernard Le Buanec, Second World Seed Conference (Rome, September 2009)

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5

Lodging HeightEarlinessResistance to sprouting

MildewYellow rustBrown rustSeptoria nodorumSeptoria triticiEyespotFusarium ear blightOrange wheat blossom midge

Yield: treated/untreatedYield: early sown/late sownYield: light soil/heavy soil

Breadmaking qualityBiscuit making qualityFeed quality

6(Video: iStockphoto.com/SaddamStock)

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UPOV MISSION STATEMENT

“To provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection (PVP), […]”

Plant Breeder’s Right (PBR)

The boundaries shown on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UPOV concerning the legal status of any country or territory

Members of UPOV (74) covering 93 States

Initiating States (15) and Organization (1)

States (23) and Organization (1) in contact with the UPOV Office8

UPOV status

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Protected plant varieties

Unprotected plant varieties

Landraces

Wild populations

Not regulated by UPOV

(ITPGRFA, CBD, seed marketing regulations etc.)

Protected plant varieties

Unprotected plant varieties

Landraces

Wild populations

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FARMERS’ BENEFITS

11

BREEDERS’ RIGHTS

12

7

13

14

Ecuador: gain without pain…

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15

Compulsory

Acts done:• privately and for non-

commercial purposes

• for experimental purposes

• breeding other varieties (breeder’s exemption”)

Optional

Farm-saved seed

EXCEPTIONS TO THE BREEDER’S RIGHT (1991 Act)

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• Compulsory

• propagation of a variety by a farmer exclusively for the production of a food crop to be consumed entirely by that farmer and the dependents of the farmer living on that holding

therefore“subsistence farming” where these constitute acts done privately and for non-commercial purposes, may be considered by a UPOV member to be excluded from the scope of the breeder’s right

(i) Acts done privately and for non-commercial purposes(i) Acts done privately and for non-commercial purposes

Acts Possibly falling within the scope of the exception

EXCEPTIONS TO THE BREEDER’S RIGHT

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Compulsory

Acts done:• privately and for non-commercial

purposes

• for experimental purposes

• breeding other varieties (breeder’s exemption”)

Optional

Farm-saved seed

EXCEPTIONS TO THE BREEDER’S RIGHT (1991 Act)

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A Contracting Party may restrict the breeder’s

rights in order to permit farmers to use:

for propagating purposes on their own holdings

the product of the harvest obtained on their own holdings from the protected variety within reasonable limits subject to safeguarding legitimate interests of the breeder

OPTIONAL EXCEPTION TO THE BREEDER’S RIGHT

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There are no restrictions on who can be considered to be a breeder under the UPOV

system: a breeder might be an individual, a farmer, a

researcher, a public institute, a private company etc.

PUBLIC(GOVT.)

PRIVATESMALL

LARGE

INTERNATIONAL LOCAL

TYPE OF VARIETY

INDIVIDUAL

COMMUNITY

CROPS

FOREIGN NATIONAL

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SMALL

LARGE

INDIVIDUAL

COMMUNITYFarmers

Farmer cooperatives

Symposium on the Benefits of Plant Variety Protection for Farmers and Growers

Farmer breeders

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PBR Applications in 2015

• Total 148 applications

• Farmer breeders 8 applications

– Rice 7

– Orange 1

VIET NAM

PUBLIC(GOVT.)

PRIVATE

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25(Photo: iStockphoto.com/VladTeodor) (Photo: iStockphoto.com/luoman)

26(Illustration: iStockphoto.com/Cory Thoman)(Photo: BSPB)

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Breeder Performance Test Trials

(Photo: Dupont/Pioneer)

Symposium on the Benefits of Plant Variety Protection for Farmers and Growers

Vuyisile Phehane

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TYPE OF VARIETY

CROPS

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

Year

Number of plant genera and species for which protection sought (UPOV Members)

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INTERNATIONAL LOCALFOREIGN NATIONAL

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ForeignDomestic

NEW VARIETIES

BREEDERS

CONSUMERS

FARMERS, GROWERS

BREEDERS

CONSUMERS

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33

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

Years after joining UPOV

Latin America Countries acceding to UPOV between 1994 & 2000

Applications(non-resident)

Applications(residents)

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-

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Vo

lum

e (t

on

s)

Val

ue

(Bil

lio

n K

shs)

Value (Billion (Kshs.)

Volume (Tons)

PVP Operational

UPOV Membership

Evans Sikinyi, Second World Seed Conference

Export of Kenyan Cut Flowers

International Market Development

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Protected plant varieties

Unprotected plant varieties

Landraces

Wild populations

Breeding with protected varieties: no restrictions under UPOV Convention

FARMERS’ BENEFITS

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BREEDERS’ RIGHTS

NEEDS OF SOCIETY