b'GIANT VIEWSBY KEES VAN ETTEKOVENTHE POLDER HAS THE FUTURET he Netherlands is well known for itsacknowledge that farmers rights have water management. As roughly 55limits and acknowledge that, when breed-per cent of the country lies belowing institutes and breeding companies the present sea level, keeping dry feetdo not earn enough from their products, has always been a challenge. Alreadyinnovation will slow down dramatically, in the Middle Ages, dikes were builtbringing farmers all over the world to a to protect the land against flooding ofworse state than they are in now. The rivers and seas. Such pieces of land sur- seed industry should be brave enough rounded by dikes are the famous Dutchto put down on paper the everyday prac-polders. These polders are the basis fortice of not collecting Plant Variety Rights the present Dutch society, not only the(PVR) royalties from small farmers.shape of the country is defined by theseSitting together and listening with polders, but also the way we interact inan open mind can help in the discussion. the Netherlands is to a large extent basedSometimes obstacles can be cleared on the organisation around these polders. when we take the time to carefully listen In the Netherlands it was not a king,Kees van Ettekoven to each other. Synonyms and homonyms church, feudal lord or rich land ownerin discussions and legislation can only who organised the maintenance of thebe discovered when there is an open dikes, but the totality of inhabitants,ditions are decided through a few roundsexchange of views. A good example of this users and owners of the polder whoof poldering. Our government in towns,is the definition of a farmer. The farmers jointly were responsible for the upkeep ofprovinces and the central government isright to multiply and sell protected vari-the dikes, the clearing of the waterwaysbuilt on these principles, as rarely oneeties under certain conditions is one of and the construction of the windmillsparty has the majority and coalitions havethe main obstacles preventing the Indian that kept the land surrounded by theto be found. law from being considered to be in con-dikes dry. In order to do that, people hadIf you live in a country that worksformity with the UPOV Convention. It was to work together and realise that every- that way, it is often hard to understandonly after some time, when we really took bodyfrom the farmer that used thehow systems work where the winnerthe trouble to listen and learn, it became land in the polder, the landowner, to thetakes all and polarisation is the ruleclear that the definition of farmer in India inhabitant of houses in villages and townsrather than seeking compromises. in the framework of this law was practi-in a polderwere equally responsible.The world of Plant Variety Rights is acally a synonym for the notion of private If one part of the dike was not properlygood example of a system with little roomand non-commercial use in the UPOV maintained, the whole polder could befor polders. The fierce opposition againstConvention. By automatically applying flooded. So, people had to meet and agreePlant Variety Rights by a number of NGOsone definition of farmer and not realizing on principles. Diverging interests had tois something the UPOV community findsthat farmer is a homonym (the same word be brought together and solutions had todifficult to handle. Both sides repeatwith different meanings), the divergence be found. This way of living, discussingtheir position. Everything the otherbetween the systems could live on.and working together even became aside puts on the table is considered as a verb: to polder.confirmation of their horrible position. NoCHALLENGESreal attempts are made to come togetherIs it possible to polder UPOV into a UPOV AND THE POLDER and see what the real issues are and howsystem recognized by all?When diverging interests sit around athese can be tackled. The negative and even the neu-table in the Netherlands, we listen toSuch an exercise can only succeed iftral reaction is to say no. The UPOV each other, weigh arguments and look forboth sides are willing to look for commonConvention is not an instrument that can middle ground and come to a joint com- ground. Define what is in common ratherbe changed easily. A full diplomatic con-promise. No one is in a position to enforcethan what divides. The UPOV communityference is needed to do so and to get nearly his or her opinion on the others. We notshould be prepared to acknowledge the100 member state representatives behind only do this when governing our polders,importance of farmers, small and largethis idea would be an enormous task.but also discussions between employersfor the maintenance of biodiversity inFortunately, there is a growing group and employees on wages and labour con- the world. NGOs should be willing toof optimists that say, Yes, we can achieve 46IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'