Patented Seeds: A Threatening Issue for Food Sovereignty and Environment in Africa

Abstract

With the increased growth of the world population and the need to improve crops yield and meet the food supply demand, the landscape of the modern farming has significantly changed. Genetic engineered crops co-exist today with their organic counterparts, and the threat of cross-contamination is more than ever prevalent. The genetic drift and the accidental cross-pollination do happen frequently, and this can be source of a collapse of the organic food chain, impact the genetic biodiversity, and result in an economical burden for farmers.

This paper explains the ownership related to seeds by giving an overview of the U.S. Intellectual Property Laws regulating seeds. It then explore the side effects or potential impacts of patented engineered seeds in Africa by considering a socio-economic perspective, environment and human health. Finally, the study will propose some alternatives solutions to patented seeds in respect to food security, human health and environment.

Keywords: Intellectual Property law, Patented seeds, genetic drift, small holder farmers, ownership related to seeds, crop contamination, seed banks, strict liability

JEL Classification: Q18, O3, O13,N50,N57, Q01, Q1, L4, F13, F18, F19, K13, O34