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Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in the Agricultural Sector of Trinidad and Tobago
(2010) Renwick, Shamin
With the various trade agreements being negotiated and the globalisation movement that is currently in train, it is important that Trinidad and Tobago be cautious about the legal and binding commitments being undertaken, especially those regarding the agricultural sector. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) forms an obscure, but potent, part of the negotiations, and obligations in this area can have far reaching effects. It has been said that the CARIFORUM-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement provides for intellectual property protection that goes beyond the relevant Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement in the World Trade Organisation. In the interest of food security in Trinidad and Tobago, it is imperative that IP is protected, for example, farmers’ traditional knowledge, local plant species and research emanating from the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture from the early 1900s to that of The University of the West Indies and the Ministry of Agriculture today. In order to do this, we must appreciate fully what we have, preserve and conserve it for future use in formats which are accessible by those who need it and ensure that they have the rights to do so. This paper reviews the issues in IP and the agricultural sector in Trinidad and Tobago.