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Can Plant Variety Protection (PVP) be a catalyst for food security and sustainable agriculture in Africa? ARIPO, together with various stakeholders, including plant breeders, academics and legal experts, explored this question at a symposium held in Lesotho from 20 to 21 May 2026. The broad theme of the meeting was ‘Nurturing Agricultural Innovation: Advancing the Protection of New Plant Varieties for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Africa’.
Central to ARIPO’s agenda on PVP is the organisation’s ‘Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants’, which came into force in 2024. The protocol allows breeders to secure protection for new varieties in all designated contracting states that have granted the right through a single ARIPO application. ARIPO views the protocol’s implementation by member states as a critical tool for fostering and expediting regional cooperation on PVP, and the protocol and its implementation were key areas of discussion at the symposium.
The protocol aims to enhance protection for plant breeders, which would in turn encourage innovation and the development of improved varieties, ultimately leading to increased and sustainable agricultural productivity. ARIPO maintains that the economic benefits gained by plant breeders from the strengthening of breeders’ rights motivate continued innovation in developing improved varieties, which are needed for sustainable agriculture.
While the debate over whether the protocol grants excessive protection to breeders and thereby stifles agricultural activity continues, it appears that a balanced approach is necessary to achieve the desired result, i.e. breeders must benefit economically from their innovation, and farmers must have reasonable access to varieties to improve productivity and achieve long-term food security.
To date, only four of 22 ARIPO member states have acceded to the protocol, namely, Cape Verde, Ghana, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe (approximately 18% of ARIPO membership), with Lesotho committing to follow suit following the symposium. Buy-in from other member states is required before the envisaged gains of the protocol can be fully realised in the region.
For advice and assistance with PVP, plant breeders’ rights and the registration of new plant varieties in ARIPO, contact patents@adams.africa
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