By Titilayo Adebola, Warwick PhD researcher, and IFSTAL student
The multidisciplinary Plant Variety Protection Conference being held at the University of Warwick on 14 June 2018 brings together students, researchers, lawyers, plant breeders, civil society organisations, and international organisations interested in food, agriculture, and intellectual property.
Interested in food, agriculture, and intellectual property? Register to attend the conference by sending an email to Titilayo Adebola: T.A.Adebola@warwick.ac.uk by 8 June 2018. Conference attendance, including lunch and all-day refreshments, is free.
The prestigious conference speakers will discuss wide-ranging topics revolving around plant variety protection. For example, Ms. Yolanda Huerta, Legal Counsel at the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and Mr. Daniele Manzella, Technical Officer, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) will provide first-hand insights into the UPOV Plant Breeder’s Rights System and ITPGRFA farmers’ rights respectively. Dr. Graham Teakle, Assistant Professor at the Warwick School of Life Sciences will uncover the role of academic research in trait genetics, genomics, and breeding, while Dr. Penny Maplestone, the Chief Executive of the British Society of Plant Breeders will discuss the importance of plant breeding. From a civil society perspective, Dr. Heather Sanders, director of science for Crop Innovations will explain the use of scientific methods to rapidly track and characterise genetic diversity of farmer-bred crops, using the example of locally bred varieties of common bean in Zambia. Delving into human rights, Dr. Emmanuel Oke, Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the Edinburgh Law School will highlight the connection between intellectual property rights for plants and the right to food.
Overall it is hoped that the conference proceedings will contribute to the global discussions on the pending review of the plant variety protection provision as set out in Article 27.3(b) of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
You can view a flyer here
This conference is sponsored by the Warwick Food Global Research Priorities Programme.
