ABSTRACT
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Crops Research Institute, P.O. Box-3785, Kumasi Ghana, E-mail: hmireku@gmail.com
Abstract ................................................................................................. 160 5.1 The Role of Agricultural Research in Meeting Increasing
Food Demand ............................................................................... 160 5.2 Contribution of Plant Breeders’ Rights to Agricultural
Growth and Development and Food Security .............................. 161 5.3 Does IPR Have Any Relationship with Food Security? .............. 163 5.4 Divergent Views on the Contribution of IPR/PBR on
Food Security ............................................................................... 165 5.5 IPR: Plant Breeders’ Rights as “Bait” for Attracting
Private Sector Investment in Agricultural Research and Development ................................................................................ 166
5.6 Plant Breeding, Varietal Development, and Plant Breeders’ Right ............................................................................ 169
5.7 International Legal Frameworks for the Protection of Plant Varieties and Biological Resources .............................................. 170
5.8 Impact of Plant Breeders’ Rights in Developed Countries .......... 176 5.9 Impact of PBRs or PVP System in Developing Countries .......... 177
5.10 Impact of PBRs in Developing Countries: The Case of South Africa ............................................................................... 182
5.11 Management of Agricultural Research and Development (R&D) Outputs: Publicly Funded Research Institutions ............ 185
5.12 Conclusion ................................................................................. 186 Keywords .............................................................................................. 186 References ............................................................................................. 187
ABSTRACT
The advent of TRIPS agreement under WTO led to a drastic change in the intellectual property rights (IPR) in agricultural research and development. The International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV) came in 1961 with the provisions of plant breeders’ right and protection of plant varieties. However, many countries did not adopt the provisions made under UPOV 1961. Food security is now a global issue particularly in developing countries that is critically important to meet the immediate demand of food. Food production achieved by development of new plant varieties is always encouraging. However, a path-breaking achievement in food production was made by green revolution. Presently, enactment of several national and international regulations on germplasm exchange is restricting free exchange of germplasm. Plant breeders’ rights (PBRs) are encouraging breeders for technology development (mostly seed) and their exchange, thus earning money and strengthening economic status of the organization. The PBRs are affecting both developed and developing countries directly and indirectly.
