The Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity has called on policymakers to reject proposed seed and plant breeders’ rights laws saying it would limit access to seeds, and threaten the country’s agrobiodiversity.
ZAAB Vice Board Chairperson Newlove Kanangwa has emphasized that the current draft laws on plant breeders’ rights and seed regulation would grant excessive control to commercial seed companies, potentially making it more difficult for farmers to save, share, and exchange seeds freely.
Speaking during a protest today , Ms Kanangwa says there is need for government to implement a legal framework that supports agroecology and biodiversity, ensuring that farmers have the tools they need to adapt to climate change and maintain diverse, locally adapted seed systems.
She says ZAAB fears the proposed laws could pave the way for the widespread adoption of genetically modified crops if they restrict access to seeds.
Meanwhile ZAABS Coordinator Mutinta Nketani says the proposed plant breeders right bill significantly curtail farmers right to propergate their own seeds with only a select group of crops eligible for seed saving.
