Conference 6 of the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture was entitled "The impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on food and agriculture in developing countries". It ran from 20 March to 14 May 2001. The Summary Document provides a summary of the main arguments and concerns discussed during the conference, including:

• Companies from developed countries patenting genetic material from developing countries
• Impact on agricultural research
• Whether IPRs favour the interests of developed countries and the biotechnology industry over those of developing countries
• Avoiding or alleviating the negative impacts of the current IPRs system
• National IPRs legislation in developing countries

Long Version

Short Version

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