{"id":256,"date":"2021-12-16T16:44:16","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T23:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev6.rtd.asu.edu\/?page_id=256"},"modified":"2022-01-20T15:45:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T22:45:10","slug":"sharing-learning-to-implement-an-open-and-collaborative-seed-innovation-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/globalfutures.asu.edu\/sustainabilityoutcomes\/sharing-learning-to-implement-an-open-and-collaborative-seed-innovation-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing Learning to Implement an Open and Collaborative Seed Innovation System"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sharing Learning to Implement an Open and Collaborative Seed Innovation System<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, three agro-chemical companies dominate commercial plant breeding and global seed markets, an outcome of the emergence of new genomics-based technologies and the worldwide diffusion of strict intellectual property rights, especially patents and patent-like restrictions, over seed material. As a result, minor crops, marginal agro-ecological environments, and smallholder farmers (the majority of the world\u2019s farmers) are experiencing diminishing crop diversity, unsuitable seed varieties, and a narrower variety of agricultural systems that the seed sector is able to support. The existing diversity of agricultural systems, experimentation with alternative, more sustainable agricultural practices, and food sovereignty are all at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This challenge is particularly serious in Mexico, a site of important crop diversity, and a setting where the basic needs, food security, and welfare of millions of indigenous families and rural communities depend directly on the natural productivity of ecosystems and their traditional agrodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This GCSO-funded project will utilize a set of technical and legal tools, based on open source principles, to support collaborative seed breeding. These tools will enable a network of public sector plant breeders, independent breeders, farmers, and organic\/agro-ecological growers to exchange, test, and collaboratively improve novel germplasm at multiple sites, and to develop and exchange knowledge relevant to the development of new seeds. This solution is currently being piloted in Argentina, and this project will adapt the pilot in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one year of GCSO funding, this project will:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n