Southeast Asian Farmers’ Groups Reject Foreign Influence in Plant Variety Protection Discussions

Lai Cheng May 2, 2025 0 Comments

Press Release  

Davao, Philippines – 2 May 2025 – Farmers’ groups across Southeast Asia today express their strong rejection of the ongoing involvement of government officials from our nations in the East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum (EAPVPF), facilitated by the UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) Secretariat and heavily sponsored by Japan. We, the farmers who are the bedrock of our region’s agriculture and custodians of its rich biodiversity, are deeply concerned by this process, which undermines our national sovereignty and disregards our fundamental rights.

It is a matter of grave concern that the EAPVPF, has the primary objective of harmonizing plant variety protection (PVP) systems in the region in line with the UPOV 1991 Convention and ultimately pushing all Forum members to join UPOV. This is even though most Southeast Asian countries are not members of UPOV, reflecting significant domestic opposition to this Convention due to its detrimental impacts on smallholder farmers and national agricultural systems.

We find it unacceptable that discussions and initiatives within the EAPVPF, such as the e-PVP Asia pilot project, are being driven by the UPOV Secretariat and Japan, both entities with a clear vested interest in promoting the UPOV 1991 model. These actors stand to gain, in the case of Japan even benefit commercially, from Southeast Asian countries adopting UPOV 1991. The exclusion of local stakeholders, including farmers’ organizations and civil society groups involved in plant breeding, from the EAPVPF further demonstrates the biased nature of this forum and its disregard for the voices of those most affected by PVP laws.

UPOV 1991 is widely known as a rigid, one-size-fits-all legal framework that is inappropriate for the diverse agricultural systems prevalent in developing countries like in Southeast Asia. Numerous studies, including those conducted in Vietnam, have shown that resilient and robust seed systems do not depend on UPOV 1991. Instead, UPOV-type systems tend to concentrate seed markets, increase the prices of seeds, erode  biodiversity, and threaten food security and sustainability. Furthermore, UPOV 1991 severely limits farmers’ rights to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seeds, practices that are fundamental to our livelihoods and the preservation of agrobiodiversity.

Any consideration of amending national PVP laws must be a transparent and inclusive process that prioritizes the interests of national stakeholders, especially farmers’ groups, within each respective country. These crucial discussions cannot be outsourced to or unduly influenced by foreign entities with a clear agenda to push for the adoption of a contentious and problematic international convention. Malaysia’s experience with UPOV’s recommendations to amend its Protection of New Plant Varieties Act 2004 highlights how UPOV seeks to dismantle existing national provisions that safeguard farmers’ rights and national interests.

We, the farmers’ groups of Southeast Asia, therefore, demand that:

  • Governments across the region re-evaluate their participation in the EAPVPF and prioritize national consultations with farmers’ organizations regarding any potential changes to national PVP laws.
  • Government officials cease engaging in discussions within the EAPVPF that aim to harmonize PVP systems with UPOV 1991 without the explicit mandate and full involvement of national farmer representatives.
  • National PVP laws should be developed and implemented through a sovereign decision-making process that considers the specific needs and conditions of each country’s agricultural sector and fully respects farmers’ rights as enshrined in international instruments like the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).
  • Governments resist pressure to join UPOV 1991 through free trade agreements or other international platforms, recognizing the significant negative implications for our farming communities and food security.

We stand firm in our commitment to protect our rights, our seeds, and the biodiversity of our region. We urge our governments to stand with us and against the undue influence of foreign actors who seek to undermine our agricultural heritage and future.

This statement is endorsed by:

1. Agora Society Malaysia – Malaysia
2. Bina Desa – Indonesia
3. Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) – Malaysia
4. D’NIP Organik – Indonesia
5. Foodthink – China
6. Forum Kedaulatan Makanan Malaysia (FKMM) – Malaysia
7. Frangipani Natural Farm – Malaysia
8. Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ) – Indonesia
9. Indonesia Organic Alliance (IOA) – Indonesia
10. Kritsada Boonchai – Thailand
11. KiDAPAWAN Organic Practitioners’ and Producers’ Association (KOPPA) – Philippines
12. Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) – Philippines
13. Paung Myat Myah – Myanmar
14. People Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP) – Indonesia
15. Persatuan Pengguna Luar Bandar & Ekologi Malaysia (RURAL MALAYSIA) – Malaysia
16. Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (PeSAWAH) – Malaysia
17. Sekti Muda – Indonesia
18. Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) – Philippines
19. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) – Malaysia
20. Third World Network (TWN) – Malaysia
21. Towards Organic Asia – Thailand
22. Yayasan Motivator Pembangunan Masyarakat – Indonesia