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First meeting
of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture acknowledges the crucial role of plant genetic
resources |
Rome, Italy
June 22, 2006
The first meeting of the governing body of the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture was marked by a broad consensus
among participating countries that safeguarding these
resources plays a crucial role in ensuring the food
supply of future generations,
FAO said today.
The UN agency estimates that some three-quarters of the
most important crops and forages have become extinct
during the past hundred years. One of the main purposes
of the Treaty is to conserve the remaining genetic
diversity of cultivated plants for future generations.
"FAO is very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
After years of negotiations, the Contracting Parties
have concluded agreements that will now make it possible
to implement the Treaty for the benefit of plant genetic
resource donors and users alike," said Mr José Esquinas,
Secretary of the Treaty.
Five days of intense negotiations
Some 350 representatives of 120 countries and the
European Union gathered for the five-day meeting in
Madrid (12-16 June), which was chaired by Mr Francisco
Mombiela, Director-General of Agriculture of Spain's
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr Esquinas emphasised that "the germplasm material
transfer agreement, which governs access and
benefit-sharing under the multilateral system is a major
benchmark in international cooperation."
This agreement will provide users, particularly
industry, with access to the germplasm of 64 specific
crops, which account for 80% of the food consumed by
humanity; if their requests for access are approved,
users then agree to pay 1.1% of the revenues from the
sale of any seeds of commercial varieties obtained from
the genetic material. The income will be used for
projects, programmes and activities that will be of
benefit to poor countries.
Mr Esquinas also emphasised the contribution that the
Treaty will make to attaining the UN Millennium
Development Goals and to eradicating hunger.
During the meeting, delegates voiced their support for
the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and agreed that the
fund would operate under the general supervision of the
governing body. Germany agreed to commit 1.5 million
euro to the fund over the next five years, in addition
to the over US$50 million already received from other
sources.
The meeting participants also adopted a project aimed at
ensuring that the collections of international
agricultural research centres belonging to the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR), comprising over 600 000 samples of
agricultural crop varieties, are conserved.
The Ministerial Segment and parallel events
A ministerial-level meeting was also convened and was
attended by agricultural officials from more than 80
countries. They adopted a declaration pledging to fully
implement the Treaty at the national level and to
develop an international financial strategy to fund it.
Twenty or so parallel events dealing with a variety of
issues, such as guaranteeing the right to food, farmers'
rights, and boosting national capacities to manage plant
genetic resources, were also held.
Mr Esquinas also stressed the support given by Spain,
the excellent organization of the meeting and the spirit
of cooperation among all participants.
The next meeting of the Treaty's governing body will be
held in Rome, Italy, in the first half of 2007.
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