Along with its engagement in conservation and empowering communities at grass root level, MSSRF takes proactive actions in influencing national and global policies on conservation and rights of communities. Prior to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rio de Janeiro, MSSRF organized a Keystone Dialogue in Chennai (1990). This dialogue developed a framework for recognizing and rewarding farmers and traditional communities engaged in conservation through benefit sharing and other rewards. These concepts were taken forward by the CBD in its Articles 8(j), 15 and 16. Article 15 recognizes access to genetic resources by third party with prior informed consent and material transfer on mutually agreed terms, which may include conditions on fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the commercial utilization of genetic resources. The Indian Biological Diversity Act is in conformity with these provisions of the CBD.

Farmers’ Rights, Genome Saviour Award and Equator Award

Unlike the conservation undertaken by the public institutions at public cost, the community conservation is practiced at private cost by communities who are most often poor in many biodiversity rich countries. Ethics, equity and larger interest of future agriculture demand due compensation to the community conservation from the global community. Article 8(j) of the CBD mandates the States to respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovation and practices of indigenous and local communities and promote
their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from such utilization. Equitable sharing of benefits is applicable only when a component of biodiversity or associated traditional knowledge is commercialized by an accessing party. This alone is not adequate to promote community conservation. Hence, there is need for alternate mechanisms like recognition and reward by national and international institutions. The Indian legislation on Farmers’ Rights provides for recognizing and rewarding individuals and communities making seminal contribution in agrobiodiversity conservation, improvement and making them available for modern crop breeding. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority established in India in accordance with this Act has constituted a National Gene Fund and an award called Genome Saviour Award for implementing the legal provision on recognition and reward.

At International level the Equator Award established by the United Nation’s Development Programme is a salutary effort to celebrate and learn from individuals and communities the best practice in conservation and sustainable use. This initiative forays into locating the best of the best and honouring with the Equator Award.

The conservation being undertaken by the communities in two regions, Jeypore in Orissa and Wayanad in Kerala, under the guidance of MSSRF had been chosen for the Genome Saviour Award by the Government of India during 2007 and 2009. The conservation work at Jeypore was also honoured with the Equator Award in 2002.