Farmers in Zimbabwe gathering for discussions on crop genetic resources. Photo: Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT), Zimbabwe

Step 2: Ensuring farmers' participation in the implementation process

Ensuring farmers' participation in the implementation process is crucial for at least three reasons.

First, farmers' participation in decision processes pertaining to crop genetic diversity is among the rights set out in the International Treaty on Farmers' Rights (Paragraph 9.2.c). Secondly, farmers are those who are best informed about the situation of farmers, and thus what measures are needed to realize Farmers' Rights. Third, participation is a means to ensuring the legitimacy of the implementation process.

However, participation is not always easy to ensure. There are many questions which can be difficult to answer. In the articles below you find some of the most central ones. The articles contain discussions of each question, from which options are derived on how to proceed with regard to the question.

Who are the farmers who should be included in the process?
Farmers are not defined in the International Treaty. However, in several provisions, the Treaty emphasizes farmers who conserve and develop plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, particularly so in the provisions on Farmers' Rights.
How do we identify their representatives?
In some countries most farmers are members of farmers' organizations, in other countries few farmers have such memberships. However, even in countries with high membership levels it may be difficult to identify legitimate representatives of farmers, because not all organizations have participatory and democratic methods of electing representatives.
Who should actually identify such representatives?
Ideally farmers should do so themselves. In countries with high membership levels and good representation, it is possible to invite the relevant organizations to identify representatives themselves. Perhaps they will choose some of their leaders and some farmer members to ensure that the views from the ground are well covered.
How can farmers' participation in the implementation process be ensured?
Even when farmers have been identified on a legitimate basis, it is not necessarily sufficient to ensure farmers' active participation in the implementation process.

Who are the farmers who should be included in the process?

How do we identify their representatives?

Who should actually identify such representatives?

How can farmers' participation in the implementation process be ensured?