During the controversies over farmers’ rights over the past decades, two rationales have been prevalent: the 'stewardship' and 'ownership' approaches.

1989 marks a breakthrough for the negotiations on Farmers' Rights in the FAO. The FAO Conference adopted two resolutions on Farmers' Rights, one of which should provide an important basis for all further negotiations.

Farmers' Rights related to seed and propagating material are a precondition for the maintenance and further development of crop genetic diversity, which is the basis of all food and agriculture production in the world. Thus, realizing Farmers’ Rights is central to achieving and maintaining global food and nutrition security. For small-scale farmers in the Global South, the realization of Farmers’ Rights is a means to fighting hunger and poverty.