The “right of relations” between human and seeds as a tool to recommoning the international seed regime
(2023) ISAC Global Conference 2023, Nairobi, Kenya — Location: Nairobi, Kenya (19.June.2023)
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- This article proposes to analyse the international seed governance regime from the point of view of the “right of relations”. The “rights of relations” is a concept of philosophy of law which advocates protecting the relations that human beings have with nature and its living elements in order to protect nature itself. Other legal constructs, such as the rights of nature are generally limited to a dualist, western and non-shared definition of nature (external to humanity, which we can exploit, appropriate or protect). Rather than protecting nature itself, this legal approach encompasses all forms of relationships between humans and non-humans (spiritual, social, etc.). We analyze the right of relations as a commoning process that can support new governance approaches for the conservation of agrobiodiversity. We critically examine the global seed commons of the international treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture through the lens of the “right of relations”. The “rights of relations” between humans and seeds can encourage seed commoning through new forms of biodiversity governance while being sensitive to what/who is excluded and how. This “right of relations” may be an effective approach to protecting co-development links between humans and seeds (whether physical or immaterial), a tool to protect the traditional knowledge, as well as a means to instill equity and social justice in the global governance mechanism. In conclusion, the right of relations is a promising concept to address important criticisms of the international governance seeds regime.
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Walckiers, P., Frison, C., & et al. (2023). The “right of relations” between human and seeds as a tool to recommoning the international seed regime. ISAC Global Conference 2023, Nairobi, Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/233176