South Africa: Farmers Speak Out Against New Plant Bills

26 September 2017

"Seed is something that is sacred. Seed is life. In our tradition, it is about culture, identity; it's about sharing ... If everything is for sale, when will it stop?" asked Rifqah Tifloen at a public hearing on the Plant Improvement Bill and the Plant Breeders' Rights Bill in Port Elizabeth's City Hall on Friday.

Tifloen of Calabash Trust was making a submission on two bills introduced in the National Assembly and published in the Government Gazette on 23 January 2015. The Plant Improvement Bill and the Plant Breeders' Rights Bill will replace the Plant Improvement Act (1976) and the Plant Breeders' Rights Act (1976).

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