Gino Cocchiaro and Johanna von Braun (Natural Justice) are currently in Kenya as part of a UNDP research project on the role of intellectual property rights and the introduction of new seed varieties on the role of women in agricultural communities. As part of this research, Gino and Johanna engaged in consultations with small-scale farming communities in the district of Machakos, facilitated through the kind support of INADES Kenya. The research study seeks to analyze to what extent women’s traditional role both within households and as managers of all aspects of subsistence farming may be affected by the introduction of seeds that are protected either as plant varieties and/or patents. The report will be released soon.
