Access and benefit sharing, farmers’ rights and plant breeders’ rights: Reflections on the African model law

Abstract

This article discusses the protection of new plant varieties in Africa and the African Model Law through the lens of its key protagonist, Professor Johnson Ekpere. It urges African countries to consult the African Model Law as aguide when designing plant variety protection systems. It is hoped that by offering Professor Ekpere’s biography, personal experiences, and first-hand account of the African Model Law, African countries may better understand the Model Law as a significant response to the small-scale-farmer- and farming-community-centred agricultural systems on the continent and embrace its continued relevance.