In 1996, the Global Plan of Action was adopted by 150 member countries at the Fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources held in Leipzig, Germany.
The Global Plan of Action was endorsed by the Twenty-Ninth Session of the FAO Conference in 1997. The GPA was endorsed by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and by Heads of State and Government at the 1996 FAO World Food Summit. Furthermore, it was incorporated into the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) as a supporting component, (Article 14) and provided the priority basis for its Funding Strategy (Art.17).

In 2009, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture agreed to update the Global Plan of Action. The Commission requested FAO to prepare the updated Global Plan of Action based primarily on the gaps and needs identified in the Second Report, taking into account further contributions from governments, as well as inputs received from regional meetings and consultations. The updated Global Plan of Action was considered by the Commission in 2011.

Following the recommendations of the Commission, seven regional consultations were organized to gather inputs for the GPA update:

During the regional consultations, the Global Plan of Action was reviewed on the basis of a working document which presented the 20 priority activity areas of the Global Plan of Action as adopted in 1996 together with those sections of the Second Report that identify specific gaps and needs or summarize changes since 1996. The working document was made available in English, French and Spanish.

A first draft Second Global Plan of Action was prepared based on the gaps and needs identified in the Second Report as well as on the inputs gathered though the seven regional consultations. The draft was presented and discussed at the Third Joint Bureau Meeting of the  Commission and of the International Treaty that was held on 10 March 2011. It was also presented to the Fourth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty that took place on 14-18 March, and to the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that took place on 27-29 April 2011 (Draft updated Global Plan of Action).

The revised draft was finalized and agreed upon by the Commission at its Thirteenth Regular Session in July 2011. The FAO Council, at its 143rd Session in 2011, adopted it as the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.