Is there also an example of an African country where grain production has increased thanks to UPOV?
Yes, take South Africa. Grain yields there compare to those of industrial nations. Incidentally, South Africa has been a UPOV member for a very long time. Your critics say that the UPOV rules are unfair, because the 1978 regulations still apply to some of the old members, whereas new members must comply with the stricter standards of 1991. Currently 44 of 68 UPOV members are bound by the 1991 Act, while the others have still not ratified this Act. However, I would dispute that the 1991 Act is stricter. It has taken into account progress made in terms of breeding methods. UPOV updated the Convention on the basis of decades of experience. Indeed, the 1991 Act is even more attractive than the old one for developing countries because of some specific elements that matter to these countries. For example, the 1991 Act contains the concept of essentially derived varieties. What is that? I will explain it by using the example of cotton farming in Mali. In that country, there are cotton varieti
