Call for sign-on: No to UPOV in Indonesia
The European Union (EU) continues to demand that countries of the South introduce plant variety protection rights according to UPOV 91 in free trade agreements. This is happening in the ongoing negotiations of the EU with Indonesia, trying to take away Indonesia's flexibility to implement a law that suits its own needs and priorities. We therefore call to sign our letters on this subject to the European Commission and the Indonesian government.
Under UPOV 91, countries are forced to implement a plant variety protection laws. Such a law is in contradiction to many international treaties such as the UNDROP Declaration (about farmers' rights) and the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and also hampers the implementation of international commitments in the field of biodiversity. For more information about the concerns we have about UPOV, see our briefing paper "The reasons why Indonesia should not (be forced to) join UPOV".
Open letters to European Commission and the Government of Indonesia
Nevertheless, the European Union keeps demanding their trade partners to include UPOV 91 in their trade agreements. At the moment, this is also happening in the negotiations with Indonesia. With agriculture being the second biggest source of livelihood in Indonesia, mostly taking the form of small family farms, UPOV 91 is a direct threat to the country's food system and the livelihood of many.
To prevent this, we are writing open letters to the European Commission and the Government of Indonesia. We would like to invite you to co-sign these letters so that our common voice cannot be ignored.
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- have a true choice between the use of certified and seed from fellow farmer managed seed systems. -
Letter / 30 June 2022
Open letter to the Indonesian Government concerning plant variety rights in the Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia
On behalf of almost 90 CSO's and networks including Both ENDS, IGJ has sent a letter to the Indonesian government about the free trade agreement with the European Union. In this agreement, the EU pushes Indonesia to align its plant variety protection laws with UPOV 91, which would threaten farmers' access to seeds, food souvereignty and agrobiodiversity. The main objective of UPOV91 is to further erode traditional seeds rights and to regulate local seed markets in the interest of internationally operating seed companies.Including UPOV91 in this FTA means that Indonesia will have to change its policies, which will take away the farmers' rights to:
- breed, save and exchange all seeds and other planting material
- participate in decisions concerning seed improvement/ breeding, selection, quality standards, pricing, production, distribution and diversity
- customary practice especially in regard to indigenous seed
- be protected from being sold fake and inappropriate seed
- have a true choice between the use of certified and seed from fellow farmer managed seed systemsThe joint organisations therefore call upon the Indonesian government to resist the ask of the EU to comply with UPOV 91.
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