The World Council of Churches (WCC) has joined 13 faith-based and development organizations in pressing European Union negotiators to safeguard farmers' rights to seeds as trialogue negotiations on the EU Plant Reproductive Material Regulation enter a decisive phase. A joint letter submitted on 11 March called on EU officials to ensure the reform strengthens - rather than erodes - global food security and biodiversity.
Access to Food is a Human Right not a Commodity
For Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary, what is at stake goes to the heart of the churches' calling: "This letter aligns directly with WCC's position on food systems and with the core mission of justice, stewardship of creation, and solidarity with the marginalized. The letter advocates for the preservation of biodiversity and the protection of local ecosystems against industrial (agro) monocultures. WCC views access to food not just as a commodity issue, but as a human right. By supporting the 'Right to Food' and the rights of peasants (as enshrined in UNDROP), the WCC upholds the biblical mandate to protect the vulnerable against systems that favor powerful commercial interests over human wellbeing."
Dinesh Suna, WCC program executive for Land, Water, and Food, framed the WCC's commitment in terms of solidarity: "As a global fellowship, many member churches of WCC are in the Global South, where peasant seed systems are the backbone of food security. WCC leadership signing this letter is an act of solidarity with these farming communities, protecting them from any harmful EU regulations."
Addressed to EU rapporteur Herbert Dorfmann, European commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi, and ministers of Agriculture, the letter draws on binding international frameworks - the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Living in Rural Areas - to argue that seed access is not a commercial question but a human rights one.
Helping Farmers Helps the Environment
The coalition's four demands are concrete: allow farmers to exchange all plant reproductive material freely, without regional limits or monetary penalties; open registration pathways for traditional and locally developed varieties across all crop types; exempt small "nano-enterprises" from the heavy administrative requirements of Articles 41–42; and require transparency over breeding techniques and intellectual property rights to prevent the misappropriation of traditional seed knowledge.
The organizations are particularly alert to what happens beyond EU borders. Seed diversity in the hands of farming communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America remains the backbone of food security for millions of people. As the letter notes, restricting that diversity does not simply affect harvests - food insecurity drives displacement and undermines peace. Protecting seed rights, the signatories argue, is an investment in stability.
Other signatories include ACT Alliance EU (Action by Churches Together), Broederlijk Delen, Brot für die Welt, Caritas Europa, Caritas Africa, Caritas Mona, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Harare, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, CIDSE - International family of Catholic social justice organizations, the European Christian Environmental Network, HEKS/EPER - Swiss Church Aid, Misereor - German Catholic Bishops' Organization for Development Cooperation, and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.
How Can You Help?
Your support of the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment allows our ecumenical partners around the world to speak out against atrocities such as war and poverty for those who don’t have a voice. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
World Council of Churches website
This story shows the impact of the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund—one of seven apportionment funds of The United Methodist Church—to foster unity and shared witness among Christians worldwide. Through this fund, the Church participates in ecumenical partnerships, interfaith dialogues, and collaborative ministries that extend the reach of the Gospel. Together, we model Christ’s prayer that all may be one.
When your church supports the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund, you help The United Methodist Church build bridges of faith and partnership across the global Church.
