Published
November 14, 2011
Copyright Notice
Upon acceptance, the copyright of a paper becomes the property of 'Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development'. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. Permission to reprint in any form contributions or parts of contributions for commercial use can be given only by the Journal.
Abstract
This article analyses the consequences of regional legislation in Italy on protecting local and autochthonous varieties. In accordance with the objectives of the FAO treaty on plant genetic resources (ITPGRFA), these laws have emerged as one of the most interesting institutional attempts at Italian and European level towards enhancing and protecting agricultural biodiversity. A description of the regional laws and their implementation highlights the importance of supporting farming systems that are close relationship with the territory and local communities, creating sufficient juridical space for the varieties that are not part of the ‘formal’ seed system.