Several UPOV bodies will be meeting in Geneva for its autumn session during the week of 23rd to 27th October 2017. Its main rule-making body, the Consultative Committee (CC) will meet on 25th October, and UPOV’s highest decision-making body, the UPOV Council will hold its meeting on 26th October. The proceedings of the CC, where Council decisions are prepared, is closed to observers. The Working Group on a possible International System of Cooperation (WG-ISC) will meet on 24th October, also without the presence of observers.

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the African Center on Biodiversity (ACB) and PELUM Association, representing civil society organizations and farmers of their networks, call on the Director General of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) to urgently provide in writing, full information on the outcomes of the Administrative Council with regard to the Draft Regulations to the Arusha Protocol.

UPOV will be meeting in Geneva for its Spring session during the week of 3rd to 7th April 2017. Its main rule-making body, the Consultative Committee (CC) will meet on 5th April in the morning, and UPOV’s highest decision-making body, the UPOV Council will hold its meeting in the afternoon. The proceedings of the CC, where Council decisions are prepared, is closed to observers. The Working Group on a possible International System of Cooperation (WG-ISC) that was established in October 2016, will meet on 5th April, without the presence of observers.

This paper explores the likely implications of an approved Bayer-Monsanto merger for the South African agricultural system. It outlines the trend of consolidation occurring within the seed and agrochemical industries, provides a background to the merger, criticises the rationale given for the merger by Bayer and Monsanto and outlines concerns should the merger be approved in South Africa.