Shaping Seed Regulation in Nepal: The Role of Networks, Community and Informality

Abstract

Scholars often discuss the ramifications of seed regulations for customary dynamics of conservation, use and exchange of local plant varieties in three streams of scholarly writing. These are formality and informality of the seed system, commons and property notions of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and community seed banks. This thesis makes an important contribution to these literature, exploring how seed regulation is being shaped and what has been the role of networks, community and informality in the governance of the seed system in Nepal.

The thesis shows that Nepal’s formal model of state-led, private-sector supportive seed regulation has failed to address customary dynamics of seed use and exchange and promote farmer-to-farmer seed exchange networks. A key argument is that the role of informality needs to be duly recognised in view of its significant contribution to protect local plant genetic diversity and the rights of farming communities to save, use and exchange seeds. The role of informality is also important in view of Nepal’s legislative initiatives to implement the global agreements such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Nepal offers an important site of network confrontation as various actors and networks from government, non-government and private sectors have been engaged in promoting their own visions of property and commons. A key finding of the thesis is that Nepal needs to consider these different visions of commons and property and adopt a networked model of regulation to create a seed system that addresses local needs.

The thesis shows that Nepal is also an important site of community seed banks. What makes Nepal’s case interesting is the emerging typologies of community seed banks that interact with both formal and informal seed systems. The thesis argues that if community seed banks continue to tilt towards becoming a formal actor like a local seed trading enterprise, there would be implications for local initiatives to conserve native plant genetic diversity and promote customary practices of seed use and exchange.