This brief has been prepared by Bioversity International for delegates to the 2016 Global
Consultation on Farmers’ Rights. The brief aims to raise awareness among delegates and
Contracting Parties to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture (ITPGRFA) of the crucial contribution that a community-based approach to the
conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity can make to realizing farmers’ rights and empowering men and women smallholder farmers. At the Sixth Session of
the Governing Body, under Resolution 5/2015, the Secretariat was requested “to engage
Contracting Parties and relevant organizations to take initiatives to gather information at national, regional and global levels for exchanging views, experiences and best practices on the implementation of Farmers’ Rights”. This brief aims to contribute to that body of information
