Accra, Ghana (July 1, 2024) - International Seed Federation (ISF) Secretary General Michael Keller spent two inspiring days in Accra, Ghana, at the Plant Variety Protection workshop of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), which had 22 countries represented.
More than a discussion about Plant Variety Protection, which is a unique open-source intellectual property (IP) system, the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the importance of increased seed choice for farmers and how governments can support seed sector actors by building enabling and sustainable frameworks and policies to maintain and increase local agricultural production, taking into account the interdependency of seed supply, and incentivizing the much-needed efforts in research and development.
According to Keller, “increased choice needs increased collaboration between public and private actors, capacity building for farmers, continued investments, and mutual trust among all stakeholders.”