APSA PVP Toolbox Workshop 8 October 2021 / 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm ICT (GMT+7)

Video Part 2

AGENDA

SPEAKER BIO

Ms. Yolanda Huerta
UPOV Secretariat
Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)

Yolanda Huerta works since 2001 at the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and acts as Legal Counsel, directs the organization of the governing bodies of UPOV, as well as directs and organizes the implementation of the UPOV training and assistance strategy. Ms. Huerta provides strategic and legal advice on international, administrative, constitutional, and contract law relating to the Organization, as well as providing guidance in drafting legislation governing plant breeders’ rights and explanations on the provisions of the UPOV Convention.  Professional experiences include Legal Officer at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), dealing with depositary functions of the treaties administered by WIPO and with normative activities, research and giving legal advice to governments in the field of patents, trademarks, geographical indications, integrated circuits, biodiversity, electronic commerce and alternative dispute resolution matters.  Previously, lawyer in the Intellectual Property Department, Bufete Mullerat & Roca, Barcelona, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Barcelona, Director of Legal Affairs, RES International, Ottawa, responsible for projects involving international law, intellectual property and transfer of technology matters in Latin America. Ms. Huerta is Licenciada en Derecho (LL.B.) from the University of Barcelona, and holds a LL.M., International Law, from the University of Montreal.  She has published several articles and given lectures on different topics in the field of international intellectual property law.

Dr. Folarin Sunday Okelola
Senior Technical Adviser to Director General NASC/PVP Desk Officer 
National Agricultural Seeds Council, Nigeria (NASC)

Folarin is an agricultural seed science and development expert with more than 16 years’ seed industry coordination and management experience across several countries of the world. As an acknowledge expert and team leader, he has vast technical experience on seed systems, agricultural innovations and enterprise development, private sector coordination, value chain management, research management, and agricultural seed policy formulation. His career focus has been on improving crop productivity through seed technologies, seed industry development, private sector engagement in seeds business and promotion of the introduction of Plant Variety Protection (PVP) in the country. I am solidly endowed with a vital network of experts in the agricultural seed sector for development fraternity. I am a member of the Access to Seed Index (ASTI) Expert review committee for the Regional Index for Western & Central Africa and the Association of Seed Scientist of Nigeria (ASSN).

Mr. Kees Jan Groenewoud
Secretary
Board for Plant Varieties in the Netherlands

Kees Jan Groenewoud is secretary of the Dutch Board for plant varieties. The Board is responsible for the grant of Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) and listing of plant varieties on the national list. Prior to joining the Board for plant varieties, he was head of legal affairs of the Dutch Board for arable products. He has good understanding of plant related legal issues, amongst them PBR. In addition, he acts as an expert member of the Court of Appeal of The Hague regarding PBR court-cases. Kees Jan is of the opinion that PBR’s – including supervision and enforcement of the Right – are essential. Only then the necessary investments in plant breeding will be made.

Mr. Teruhisa Miyamoto
Deputy Director - Plant Variety Protection Office, Intellectual Property Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan

Teruhisa Miyamoto is works for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a Deputy Director of Intellectual Property Division. Before current post, Teru was engaged in a variety of field, such as, rationalization of food distribution and logistics system, regulation of GMO, improvement / establishment of agricultural facilities for cereals, improvement of lake water quality, or dispatched as an agricultural attaché in the Czech Republic. With his experience and knowledge through his career, he intends to contribute food security system and sustainable agriculture.

Ms. Astrid Schenkeveld
Specialist Plant Breeder’s Rights & Variety Registration
Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V.

Astrid Schenkeveld has been working as a Specialist Plant breeder’s Rights & Variety Registration at Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V. since 1989 at the Head Office in De Lier, the Netherlands, from where all the company’s Plant breeder’s rights applications worldwide are coordinated. One of her tasks is to examine the PBR rules & regulations in new countries. She is an active participant in meetings with examination offices and/or PBR authorities on behalf of Euroseeds or ISF, such as the CPVO vegetable expert meeting, the CPVO examination offices meeting, UPOV technical working party vegetables, UPOV TC and UPOV EAF. She is member of the CPVO WG variety denominations, CPVO IT WG, UPOV PRISMA Task Force Group and the Task Force on Confidentiality & Ownership of Molecular Information. Furthermore, she is member of the Naktuinbouw advisory committee Variety Examination. She has been a lecturer at the International Plant Variety Protection Course in Wageningen, the Netherlands for quite some years. Astrid believes that by improving the accessibility of Plant breeder’s rights to breeders, they have a possibility to protect their investment and can safely make available their newest improved varieties to the farmers.