The Article has been written by Ms. Debanjoli Deb Roy, a 3rd year student of University Law College, Gauhati University, Guwahati.
ABSTRACT
Due to climate change and environmental degradation, sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices have become essential for the global agricultural sector. One of the important parts of this movement is the introduction of plant variety protection mechanisms (PVP), which not only protect the rights of plant breeders, but also contribute to the promotion of environment friendly agricultural practices. In this article we delve into the various environmentally friendly farming practices fueled by PVP.
UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FARMING PRACTICES
Environmentally friendly farming practices or organic farming refers to the practice of sustainable agriculture that emphasizes the use of natural processes, natural diversity and ecological balance. Sustainable agriculture refers to a technique of farming that aims to offer cutting-edge agricultural wishes without compromising the potential destiny of future generations to fulfill their personal wishes. It includes practices that prioritize environmental health, monetary profitability, and social and monetary equity. This method frequently consists of strategies like crop rotation, natural farming, agro forestry, incorporated pest management, and the usage of renewable resources, aiming to lessen the environmental effect of farming even as preserving productivity. It strives to limit the usage of artificial inputs like insecticides and fertilizers, preserve soil fertility, lessen water consumption, and sell biodiversity, contributing to extra resilient and environment friendly food production.
Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms and growth regulators. Instead, organic farmers rely on crop rotation, composting and biological pest control to maintain soil fertility and control pests. The goal is to create a closed system where the farm is largely self-sufficient, reduces environmental impacts, promotes soil health, and produces food with as few chemical residues as possible. Organic farming also prioritizes animal welfare and prohibits the routine use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock. Overall, it aims to harmonize agricultural practices with the natural environment and promote long-term sustainability.
PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES:
Plant variety protection refers to the legal framework that gives breeders intellectual property rights to new plant varieties. This system encourages innovation in agriculture by encouraging the development of new, sustainable and environmentally friendly crop varieties. By protecting breeders’ intellectual property rights, PVP ensures that they benefit from investments in research and development that create an enabling environment for continuous crop improvement. India’s Legislation regarding plant variety protection is by and large governed through the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001. This act targets to shield the rights of plant breeders, making sure they get recognition and reward for their efforts in growing new plant varieties. The law additionally, upholds the rights of farmers through letting them freely utilize, exchange, and store seeds whilst shielding them from exploitation. Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV and FRA) implemented these protections in order to safeguard farmer’s rights. This organization not only oversees the registration and protection of plant varieties but also promotes the interests of both the breeders and the farming community. The legislation serves as a pivotal mechanism in enhancing agricultural productivity, fostering innovation, and protecting the rights of both breeders and farmers in the diverse agricultural landscape of India.
PVP fuels sustainable agriculture in various ways:-
Protection of biological diversity:
One of the most important advantages of PVP is its role in biodiversity conservation. As breeders are encouraged to develop different crops, farmers have access to a wider genome. Such diversity not only increases resistance to pests and diseases, but also contributes to ecological balance. In addition, growing different plant varieties promotes good soil health and fertility, which reduces the need for chemicals.
Sustainable crops for climate change:
Climate change poses significant challenges to global agriculture, such as extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns and rising temperatures, which effect crop yields. PVP encourages the development of sustainable crops that can withstand these challenges. Varieties resistant to drought, heat and disease allow farmers to adapt to changing climatic conditions, reducing dependence on agrochemicals and mitigating the environmental impact of traditional farming practices.
Smaller environmental footprint:
Ecological farming practices emphasize the importance of minimizing the use of synthetic inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. PVP contributes to this goal by promoting the creation of plant varieties with inherent resistance to pests and diseases. When farmers adopt these resistant varieties, the need for chemical interventions is reduced, reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture.
Sustainable agriculture and economic viability:
Promoting sustainable agricultural practices through PVP not only benefits the environment, but also improves the economic viability of agriculture. Sustainable practices tend to be more resource efficient in the long run, reducing production costs for farmers. In addition, the cultivation of ecological plant varieties can open new markets and opportunities for agricultural exports, which strengthens the economic sustainability of agriculture.
CASE STUDY
Prabhunanjan, a 36-year-old man, lived in Porarhatty village in Coonoor block under the Nilgiris range. This village is a remote village under Hubbathala village panchayat. His education was at the college level. He received a first class degree in biochemistry. The family size of that farmer was 6 people and they owned 7.00 hectares of farmland. The defendant’s annual income was 3 million euros. The farmer had 14 years of farming experience. From this 14 years of experience; in 2003-2014 he was directly involved in organic farming and biodynamic farming practices with the support of an NGO (Earth trust, Ooty). He has 10 years of intensive experience of participating in various training programs and practical experience in environmentally friendly sustainable agricultural practices. In this case, the farmer’s parents practiced chemical fertilizers and pesticides on their fields. Due to the impact of ecological agricultural education on environmental conservation practices and agricultural practices oriented to biodynamic agriculture, he started ecological agricultural practices with ecological conservation-based knowledge, attitudes and motivational programs with the support of non-governmental organizations. He started his farming business with ecological conservation methods in an innovative and successful way. As a result, she started an organic farming company called “Vijayalakshmi Natural Farms”. He advised other neighboring farmers to use environmentally friendly conservation techniques on their farms. The Nilgiri hills have different agro-climatic conditions. More than 80 percent of the people in the hilly areas directly or indirectly depend on off-season vegetable cultivation. The importance of vegetables in ensuring a balanced diet for people and hilly areas is off-season in the plains, resulting in a lucrative income for farmers. Here he launched the diversification of mountain agriculture by introducing rare exotic vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and red cabbage.
The following are important environmentally friendly nature conservation practices in the countryside.
- The most important environmentally friendly saving techniques were shredding and composting on farm (Farm Residue Management).
- Crop rotation is the core of organic farming. It supports the diversification of agricultural practices.
- Use of neem cake repels nematodes and cutworms in vegetables.
- Cultivation of lemon grass (Vetiver) to control soil erosion.
He currently cultivates seasonal vegetables (summer and winter), tea plantations and papaya in his land. His family members are directly or indirectly involved in and inspired by biodynamic agriculture practices. He grows crops using manures, compost and FYM instead of chemical fertilizers. In vegetable production, it depends mainly on fertilizer. He never uses pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow vegetables, but when there is a serious pest attack, he uses sensible biopesticides and biodynamic pest solutions. He uses cultural practices such as hand weeding and hand weeding to control weeds. He knows well the most important parts of biodynamic farming practices such as biological control, pest control, etc. In this organic tea farm, he follows handmade tea making. To do this, he collects tea leaves and divides them into green, white, yellow and premium black tea. He has an organic certificate for his company. With this, he sells and exports products to demanding distant markets at a high selling price. He also stated that by using the aforementioned ecological farming techniques, he can reduce production costs without reducing production and save more money by selling organic products in the market. Thanks to this savings, he repaired his house, cowshed and bought a irrigation machine and a seed drill. He has an entrepreneurial company (Vijayalakshmi Natural Farms Company) which markets its farm produce through value addition and direct marketing process. Organic products were distributed on local, intercity and export markets without intermediaries (direct sales to consumers). He sells farm products through online marketing, showing available organic products on the website with quantity and payment method as well as online payment. The physical transaction carried out with the support of connected transport vehicles for this purpose. As stated, Mr. N. Prabhunanjan was able to overcome his previous losses of soil health and environment. Moreover, by minimizing production cost he saved money. Due to his role, he is honoured as an opinion leader, and as acting directly and indirectly to spread the idea of biodynamic farming practices to other farmers in his community.
ITK in practice
- He used neem leaves to store and preserve seeds.
- In storage of legumes, potatoes he used sand for long term storage.
- He used traps to ward off attacks by insects and pests.
Finally he said that, these practices improved soil health and helped control pests and diseases through environmentally friendly conservation practices. It also improved the health of his family with pesticide-free food and protected the environment for sustainable production.
IMPACTS AND CHALLENGES
The implementation of PVP has yielded enormous blessings in improving environmentally friendly farming practices. It has advocated innovation, expanded crop resilience, and contributed to foods safety. However, challenges persist. Access to protected varieties, especially for small-scale farmers in developing countries, remains a concern. Balancing the protection of intellectual property rights with ensuring access to critical agricultural resources for these farmers is an ongoing challenge.
Additionally, the emerging technologies such as gene editing pose new questions and challenges for the existing PVP framework. The need to adapt legal frameworks to accommodate and regulate these new breeding techniques while ensuring safety and fairness is an evolving area of concern.
CONCLUSION:
In short, it can be stated that the protection of plant varieties plays a key role in the promotion of environmentally friendly agricultural practices. By promoting the development of diverse and sustainable crop varieties, PVP contributes to biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. As we strive for a sustainable and sustainable future, integrating plant variety protection into agricultural policy becomes essential to promote innovation, protect biodiversity and ensure food security in an ecologically sustainable manner.
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