Farmers, food and freedom: How trade deals are undermining the right to seeds.

Farmers across the world are being prevented from reusing and exchanging seeds which have been patented, due to the UK and other countries pushing for stringent seed laws through its trade agreements.  

Called The International Convention of the Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties 1991 or ‘ UPOV91’, this obscure Conventions sets out rules which severely limit farmers ability to re-use, exchange or sell seeds that have been patented. Once the obligation to comply with UPOV91 is in a trade agreement, it becomes internationally enforceable. 

The UK currently has 19 trade deals covering 68 countries which encourage or require countries to comply with UPOV91.  

Farmers, food and freedom is Transform Trade’s report on the relationship between UK trade deals and these restrictive seed laws.