Intellectual property and food security in least developed countries

This paper analyses the impact of intellectual property laws on food security in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), taking the Pacific Islands countries as an example. It argues that IP laws are increasingly impacting upon food security, but are not being adequately taken into account in national policy development. Consequently, national IP regimes are developing in ways that undermine, rather than promote, food security. The paper argues that the particular context of LDCs, including a lack of technological development and reliance upon traditional agricultural systems, requires an approach to intellectual property that is substantially different from the 'one size fits all' approach mandated by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.