SIDE EVENT to be held during the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body of the ITPGRFA in Lima, Perú.

Tuesday 25 November 2025, evening time (18:15 – 19:30)  
Venue: Lima Convention Centre, Mateo Salado (407)

See program here (PDF, 761KB).

India is internationally recognised for its leadership in establishing Farmers’ Rights within FAO and the International Treaty and for its pioneering legislation, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act of 2001. At this side event, we will highlight recent advancements in the realisation of Farmers’ Rights in India. We will demonstrate how Indian authorities enhance and mainstream farmers’ varieties into the national seed system and present The National Gene Fund, a financial mechanism under the Protec­tion of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority supporting community seed banks.

Furthermore, we will share insights from DIVERSIFARM-India, a project aimed at strengthening community seed banks as a measure of realizing Farmers’ Rights. We present an online Atlas of community seed banks in India, a typology capturing the diversity among them, findings from an in-depth case study exploring success factors, and the collaborative efforts with Indian authorities to create enabling environments. The project is implemented by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), Norway, and the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), India, in collab­oration with Indian authorities and civil society, and supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi.

Photo: Regine Andersen. Raisar Community Seed Bank in Odisha, India.