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| Incentive
measures for the sustainable use and conservation of agrobiodiversity
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| Lusaka,
Zambia |
| 11
- 14 September 2001 |
| Conclusions |
Statement
The
workshop - the first of its kind in the SADC region
on incentive measures in agrobiodiversity - was
collectively organised by SPGRC, GTZ, CTA, IDRC
and SIDA to identify incentive measures to enhance
the sustainable use and conservation of agrobiodiversity.
Participants came from 12 SADC countries, and
other countries outside the region. Workshop participants
came from a diverse background which included
governments, NGOs, farmers representatives, private
sector, researchers, regional and international
organisations.
In
the SADC region, more than 80% of the communities
depend on agrobiodiversity for their well being,
livelihood and food security. Economic, socio-cultural
and policy incentive measures are needed to maintain,
manage and use this diversity in a sustainable
manner. Specific areas for incentives identified
in the workshop are marketing, policies, public
awareness, education and training. The incentive
measures will increase the range of diversity
available to farmers and the options for them
to choose. Such incentive measures are critical
and important for stimulating initiatives related
to conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity.
The workshop recognized a need for developing
a holistic approach towards mainstreaming agrobiodiversity
and integrating the sustainable use of plant and
animal genetic resources in the different sectors.
Despite
a growing global awareness of the importance of
agrobiodiversity little attention has been paid
to the role of incentive measures in managing
genetic resources critical to play a role in poverty
alleviation and economic development.
Workshop
recommendation:
Participants
resolved that in the SADC region there is need
to develop new initiatives and promote the formulation
of action plans at the following levels:
Community
level
-
Support
community based activities in conservation and
use of plant and animal genetic resources such
as seed fairs, animal shows, community seed
banking and community based management of animal
genetic resources, seed exchange activities
which contribute to broaden the diversity available
at community level and recognize gender dynamics
in maintaining diversity.
Policy
and legal framework
-
Recognize
and protect the rights of smallholder farmers
and their knowledge as custodians of agrobiodiversity
through policies and legislative framework;
-
Develop
legislation for access and benefit sharing at
national level and the harmonization of such
frameworks at regional level based on the African
customary law in line with the OAU model legislation;
-
Develop
a sui generis legislation for the protection
of new plant varieties in line with the OAU
model legislation;
-
Review
the seed policies and regulations at national
level to allow the use, exchange and local marketing
of farmers' varieties, and to harmonize them
at regional level. There is a need to develop
a relaxed seed system, which should accommodate
farmers' seed systems;
-
Decentralization
of seed services is critical and pivotal;
-
Strengthen
capacities in the context of legislative framework
development and implementation at national and
regional level.
Education,
Training and Public Awareness
-
The
participants recognized the need for a paradigm
shift in the training and education system to
participatory inclusive approaches focusing
on the reality at farmers level. This includes
also the need for attitude change of researchers,
policy makers and extension workers and more
openness to draw lessons from experience available
in other areas;
-
Integration
of farmers knowledge, innovation and practices
in research and extension;
-
Curriculum
development and mainstreaming at all levels
(primary, secondary, tertiary levels, community
schools) to incorporate agrobiodiversity;
-
Develop
public awareness creation initiatives targeting
all relevant stakeholders about the role of
agrobiodiversity.
Marketing
and Adding Value
-
Add
value to genetic resources to increase the sustainable
utilisation of those resources (through characterization,
domestication, participatory breeding, quality
enhancement, product development, labelling,
etc.) and increase income for farmers;
-
Identify
and link communities to niche markets (organic
production, etc.);
-
Create
awareness within communities on the value added
products;
-
Support
farmers to engage in small scale entrepreneurs
activities incl. offering credit facilities.
Institutional
arrangements have to be reviewed with a need for
more communication and collaboration between the
different sectors and stakeholders at all the
different levels. The collaboration between the
private sector and the other stakeholders has
to be enhanced. Farmers as the custodians of the
genetic resources have to play an important role
in the development of policies, legislative frameworks,
curricula and market opportunities.
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