Seed legislation and regulatory measures in the Near East and North Africa

摘要

For centuries, farmers ill tile Near East and North Africa (NENA) countries have been selecting seed from their crops (cereals, vegetables, trees, etc), multiplying it, and sharing seed with their neighbors. Variety selection is primarily based on the level of plant adaptation to the prevailing harsh environmental conditions of the Region. In addition, farmers of the NENA region pay particular attention to culinary and other specific qualities of crops, which are seldom part of breeding objectives in modern variety development. As a result, farmers often complain about the taste of modern varieties when compared to their traditional landraces. Farmer preferences have contributed to the maintenance of most landraces and other varieties in the Region. For example, the durum wheat variety Kyperounda has been traditionally grown and maintained for decades in Cyprus and Morocco mainly due to the taste it produces in bread and pasta.