The paths of constructing the plant variety protection law in Brazil

Abstract

This article explains the paths on elaborating the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act in Brazil by showing the discussions and controversies that have surrounded this matter since the 1970s. Our hypothesis is that the PVP Act drafting, far from being centered on a discussion of agricultural and technical-scientific matters, has been a political process eminently based on the dynamic articulation of few actors who dispute interpretations in accordance to their own interests about whether signing the PVP Act was needful (or not). The analysis guided by the Multiple Streams theory shows a learning process for the main actors and institutions involved on this political agenda. The conclusion was that the political discussion around the PVP Act remains the same in Brazil, as it has still been questioned up today even after decades of its institution in the law promulgated in 1997.