There were quite a few adherents to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at the World Food Summit. The treaty defines plant genetic resources as any genetic material of plant origin of actual or potential value for food and agriculture. India ratified the pact along with Canada, Cambodia, Eritrea, Papua New Guinea, Jordan and Sudan.

Even though the pact acknowledges the farmers' right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed, it makes these provisions subject to national legislation and laws. In this regard, the director for seeds in the Union ministry of agriculture, Dolly Chakravarty, is satisfied with the provisions of the treaty.

But Shalini Bhutani, regional programme officer (Asia)