How farmers' rights can be used to adapt plant breeders' rights

The farmers' rights issue remains unresolved as donors do not want to generate additional funds to support the role of farmers in maintaining agro-biodiversity. This is illustrated by the outcome of the Fourth International Technical Conference for Plant Genetic Resources. In this article, Bees Butler and Robin Pistorius suggest using farmers' rights to curb the negative effects of the 1991 Act of UPOV. A remuneration system that would compensate breeders without recognizing property rights is closer to the original idea behind the PBR system: i.e. a contract between the breeder and society. The main benefit of such a system is that farmers have the right to freely use the seed they buy.