Rolling out DLT/Blockchain Based Solutions for Sustainable Seed Innovations: Ethical Issues to be Considered Mrinalini Kochupillai As discussed in Prong 3, blockchains/DLTs are essentially platforms that help manage data, and when designed and governed using appropriate models, can help solve problems of trust, traceability and equitable data collection, storage and use. Blockchain/DLT can also support and facilitate payments (including royalty payments) of equitable compensation to those sharing their data. Blockchains can be public or private (or a combination of public…

Supporting a Smooth Implementation of the Three-Pronged Approach to Sustainable Seed Innovation – Legal & Ethical Issues (Part III) Mrinalini Kochupillai (iii) Seed Certification, Safety and Efficacy: Re-distributing responsibilities and rewards India’s Seeds Bill[1] that has been pending since 2004, aims to establish certain systems that can facilitate the emergence of regional, national as well as international markets for indigenous/heterogenous seeds. For example, the mandatory seed certification requirement can help farmers and farmer groups get their varieties quality tested and…

In the next four part post in the ongoing series on The Sustainable Seed Innovations Project, Dr. Mrinalini Kochupillai, co-investigator, Sustainable Seed Innovations 2.0 Project and corresponding author of the forthcoming SSI 2.0 Position Paper for the Government of India, identifies key legal hurdles that currently prevent sustainable seed innovations in India. The post also discusses how blockchain/DLT, coupled with AI/Machine learning applications can potentially help overcome these hurdles. The fourth part of this blog post also highlights certain ethical…