Malaysia is preparing to amend its Protection of New Plant Varieties Act to join the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) by 2026.
UPOV membership is a key criterion for Malaysia to join a trans-Pacific free trade agreement, to access a broader international trade market.
Some farmers’ groups and NGOs oppose any amendment to the law, arguing that it would undermine farmers’ rights to freely save, keep and sell seeds, and that it would jeopardize agro-biodiversity. Without the law amendment bill being made public, the law’s potential impacts on farmers remain unclear.
This is one of two proposed changes to Malaysian laws that would affect seeds and the farmers who use them.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part 2, forthcoming, will report more on Malaysia’s seed quality bill.
