Wakhungu, J.W., Ogolla, B. and Wafula, D. (2004). Whither Farmers' Rights? Reflections on Kenya's Seed and Plant Act
The authors begin by presenting the main features of the international regimes pertaining to seeds and farmers' rights, followed by a discussion of Kenyan legislation on plant variety protection and on seed certification. They find that this legislation acts to limit the prospects for farmers to maintain and develop their agricultural systems, and amendments to include farmers' rights are proposed.
In Kenya, as is the case all over Africa, the majority of farmers are small-scale and marginal. If their rights are not protected, agricultural productivity will decline and food security will be undermined. Therefore, a major priority must be to protect farmers' rights in legislation on seeds and plant varieties legislation, they conclude.