Union Agriculture Minister attends the Eighth Session of Governing Body of Seed Treaty at FAO Headquarters in Rome

News: Union Agriculture Minister attended the eight session of the Governing Body of International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), at Rome, Italy

Facts:

About International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

• It is also known as International SEED Treaty. It was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2001. It entered into force in 2004.

The Treaty aims at:

• recognizing the enormous contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world;
• establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials;
• Ensuring that recipients share benefits they derive from the use of these genetic materials with the countries where they have been originated.

Main Provisions:

• Multilateral System: The treaty has implemented a Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit sharing, among those countries that ratify the treaty, for a list of 64 of some of the most important food and forage crops essential for food security.
• Access and benefit sharing: The treaty facilitates access to the genetic materials of the 64 crops in the Multilateral System for research, breeding and training for food and agriculture.
• Farmers’ rights: The Treaty calls for protecting the traditional knowledge of these farmers, increasing their participation in national decision-making processes and ensuring that they share in the benefits from the use of plant genetic resources.
• Sustainable use: The Treaty helps maximize the use and breeding of all crops and promotes development and maintenance of diverse farming systems.

Additional Information:

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• It was established in 1945 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy