University Extension Programs to Develop Intellectual Property in the Agricultural Sector of Marginalized Rural Communities in the ASEAN Region

Rural communities in developing economies are often marginalized due to their small holdings, small individual economic impact, inferior seed stock, and competition from large landholders. Sustainable production for subsistence farmers is vital, but they may be resistant to making any changes to their methods of production or crop type. Although many governments have recognized that national growth is dependent on innovation, they have often failed to promote or promulgate innovation into rural communities. However, there is a growing interest worldwide in protecting traditional knowledge, genetic resources, plant intellectual property protection, plant variety rights, and geographical indications in an effort to leverage current knowledge and build for future development. In this chapter, we focus on the ten countries which compose the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.