EABC - IP Key South-East Asia Discussion on Promoting Innovation in Agriculture

On 1 September 2025, EABC President, Mrs. Paranee Adulyapichet, and EABC Policy Manager, Ms. Pitchapha Suwanalert, attended the “Promoting Innovation in Agriculture: UPOV and Plant Variety Rights Protection in Southeast Asia & Focused Group Discussion with Thai Stakeholders” event hosted by the IP Key South-East Asia Project of the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The objective of this event is to discuss how innovation in agriculture can be promoted under the framework of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), with references to best practices from the EU’s Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). Participants exchanged perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of the intellectual property protections mandated by the UPOV Conventions, and how the Conventions can be implemented to increase innovation while also considering the current realities faced by farmers in Thailand.