A/HRC/49/43: Seeds, right to life and farmers’ rights - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri
Published
30 December 2021
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A/HRC/49/43
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In the to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, emphasizes that seeds are central to people’s cultures and food systems, and to control seeds is to control life. The expert further points out that, after ten thousand years of a domestic relationship with plants during which humankind has experimented with and adapted to its environment, peasants and farmers have put in place two different seed systems to ensure survival: farmers’ seed systems and commodity seed systems. He proposes a framework for the advancement of farmers’, indigenous peoples’ and workers’ rights using the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and human rights law. This would include: the recognition of farmers’ and indigenous peoples’ right to seeds; the protection of farmers’ and indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge; the right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seeds; the right to participate equitably in benefit-sharing; and the right to participate in decision-making.