The seed industry in Pakistan has undergone significant developments since the 1950s and has transitioned from ‘Green Revolution’ to ‘Gene Revolution’. The 2015 amendment in the Seed Act, 1976, and the enactment of Plant Breeders’ Rights Act and Rules have provided long awaited intellectual property protection for proprietary seed. Notwithstanding this fundamental change, the challenge of effective enforcement of intellectual property rights remains. This paper presents how the seed industry has evolved over the years through evaluating the regulatory and institutional framework along with looking into the major challenges that still plague the seed system of Pakistan. It also explores how the private sector can be incentivized to invest in the seed sector while protecting the farmers’ rights. Findings reveal that there seems to be a lot of scope for strengthening the seed system of Pakistan via encouraging private sector participation mainly through developing proactive markets with strong institutional mechanism along with scientific and time bound regulatory approval framework. An appraisal of the international best practices divulges that technological backstopping, developing public-private partnerships, building institutional capacity for effective enforcement of regulatory regime and availability of information to farmers for selecting quality seed are equally vital for creating a well-functioning seed system in Pakistan

This book is the first to provide a detailed and critical account of the emergence, development, and implementation of plant variety protection laws in Asian countries. Each chapter undertakes a critical socio-legal analysis of one or more legal frameworks to understand, evaluate, and explore the concerns of diverse national stakeholders, the histories and dynamics of law-making, and the ways in which plant variety protection and seed certification laws interact with local agricultural systems. The book also assesses how Asian countries can capitalise on the ‘unused policy space’ in international agreements such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, as well as international obligations beyond these, such as those contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Plant Treaty. It also highlights the many ways in which Asian experiences can offer new insights into the relationship between intellectual property and plants, and how relevant laws might be re-imagined in other regions, including Africa, Europe, and the Americas. By adding an important new perspective to the ongoing debate on intellectual property and plants, this book will appeal to academics, practitioners, and policy-makers engaged in work surrounding intellectual property laws, agricultural biodiversity, and plant breeding.

Cotton Breeding and Biotechnology presents information on one of the most economically important crops of the world, cotton. This book contains chapters on the history of cotton; breeding approaches; technologies for increasing germination, crop growth and yield; and fiber quality issues. It emphasizes sustainable development in the cotton industry analysing the progress of breeding technologies under environmental adversity. The book explores the national and global status of cotton crop, including cotton production, possible impacts of climate change, and the vulnerability of cotton to pest infestations and disease attacks. Features Focuses on cotton breeding and biotechnology Proposes ideas, data, and strategies to mount breeding programs for enhancing cotton production Details strategies for cotton quality improvement against abiotic and biotic stresses Emphasizes the revival of cotton in Pakistan and South Asian region This book is useful to researchers, cotton breeders and growers, farmers, and the agriculture industry.

Drug Safety in Developing Countries: Achievements and Challenges provides comprehensive information on drug safety issues in developing countries. Drug safety practice in developing countries varies substantially from country to country. This can lead to a rise in adverse reactions and a lack of reporting can exasperate the situation and lead to negative medical outcomes. This book documents the history and development of drug safety systems, pharmacovigilance centers and activities in developing countries, describing their current situation and achievements of drug safety practice. Further, using extensive case studies, the book addresses the challenges of drug safety in developing countries. - Provides a single resource for educators, professionals, researchers, policymakers, organizations and other readers with comprehensive information and a guide on drug safety related issues - Describes current achievements of drug safety practice in developing countries - Addresses the challenges of drug safety in developing countries - Provides recommendations, including practical ways to implement strategies and overcome challenges surrounding drug safety

This paper presents an innovative approach to prioritizing development policy research in Egypt with the specific objective of informing the research agenda of the Egypt Strategy Support Program of the International Food Policy Research Institute. The key steps in this process were: 1) a review of relevant priority setting methods and existing government strategies, 2) pre-selection of research themes, 3) selection of national and international experts, 4) design and conduct priority setting workshop; and 5) priority matrix construction and paper writing.

Collection of papers presented in a seminar held in Islamabad from May 26-27, 2003.

Pakistan’s water management is at a critical watershed. The world’s seventh-most populous country faces serious challenges that will require improvements in both the "hardware" and "software" of agricultural water management. Water shortages are growing rapidly as a result of growing demand across all water-using sectors. Rapid population growth, from 175 million people in 2010 to an estimated 236 million by 2030 and 280 million by 2050, and international food-price spikes create pressure to increase agricultural production of staples; but demand for cash crops is also growing rapidly, including for cotton, fruit trees and tobacco, to raise rural incomes and generate rural employment to absorb the relatively young, rapidly growing rural population. Water management is also increasingly affected by climate change – including an increased number of flood and drought events – and growing energy shortages, which affect how water is being sourced and used. Last but not least, Pakistan’s political situation is fragile, which has reduced incentives to invest in enhanced agricultural water (and other) technologies. How Pakistan addresses these challenges will be decisive for its population’s future water and food security, for economic growth, and for environmental sustainability. It will also affect water and food outcomes globally, due to the interconnectedness of global food trade. This book was published as a special issue of Water International.

IFPRI's flagship report reviews the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of 2017, and highlights challenges and opportunities for 2018 at the global and regional levels. This year's report looks at the impacts of greater global integration—including the movement of goods, investment, people, and knowledge—and the threat of current antiglobalization pressures. Drawing on recent research, IFPRI researchers and other distinguished food policy experts consider a range of timely topics: ■ How can the global food system deliver food security for all in the face of the radical changes taking place today? ■ What is the role of trade in improving food security, nutrition, and sustainability? ■ How can international investment best contribute to local food security and better food systems in developing countries? ■ Do voluntary and involuntary migration increase or decrease food security in source countries and host countries? ■ What opportunities does greater data availability open up for improving agriculture and food security? ■ How does reform of developed-country farm support policies affect global food security? ■ How can global governance structures better address problems of food security and nutrition? ■ What major trends and events affected food security and nutrition across the globe in 2017? The 2018 Global Food Policy Report also presents data tables and visualizations for several key food policy indicators, including country-level data on hunger, agricultural spending and research investment, and projections for future agricultural production and consumption. In addition to illustrative figures, tables, and a timeline of food policy events in 2017, the report includes the results of a global opinion poll on globalization and the current state of food policy.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 170, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors. - Includes numerous, timely, state-of-the-art reviews on the latest advancements in agronomy - Features distinguished, well recognized authors from around the world - Builds upon this venerable and iconic review series - Covers the extensive variety and breadth of subject matter in the crop and soil sciences