On September 11th, Almendra Cremaschi, director of Bioleft, gave a virtual seminar as part of the debate on seed intellectual property on the Organic Seed Alliance platform. The meeting was open to the community of organic, agroecological, and family farmers who produce in the United States, and other people from different parts of the world participated as well.
The class entitled “Participatory Improvement and Open Source Seeds: Hacking the Proprietary and Concentrated System” reflects on how intellectual property models can restrict access to a resource that is essential for life and what alternatives are being promoted by the free seed movement. The meeting was structured around the following themes
- A historical overview of how the issue of patents and licenses began
- Current challenges involved in seed concentration
- Open-source seeds and participatory breeding
In conclusion, it was suggested that the discussion is not only technical, but also ethical. Recognizing the work of those who develop varieties, while ensuring that rural communities, indigenous peoples, and family farmers retain their right to use, exchange, and conserve them, is central to a more equitable system.
At Bioleft, we believe it is possible to build more democratic seed systems, where innovation and equity go hand in hand. Open access does not mean a lack of recognition, but rather a way to protect the commons in order to ensure biodiversity and agricultural resilience in the future.