6 June 2003, Rome- Peru has
ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture, FAO said on Friday.
The country's Ambassador José Pablo Morán Val
underlined the importance of the Treaty for Peru, "It
is fundamental to protect Peru's indigenous varieties of
our region and it will benefit our producers, especially rural
farmers who are responsible for having preserved these species
over the centuries," he said during the ratification
ceremony.
Peru and the Andes are the cradle
of plant species fundamental to world food consumption, such as
the tomato and potato.
Countries in the
Latin American region have preserved a breadth of biological
diversity which has accumulated over centuries and is key for
the survival of future generations.
Multilateral framework
Peru's signature and subsequent ratification of
the Treaty "recognizes the importance of placing the
conservation and the sustainable use of plant genetic resources
within a multilateral framework which will benefit not only the
Peruvian agricultural sector but the world as a whole,"
said José Esquinas-Alcázar, Secretary of FAO's Commission
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
He explained that all countries depend on genetic
resources from other countries for their own agricultural
development.
The Treaty also recognizes
Farmers' Rights and establishes a multilateral system of
access and benefit-sharing for 64 crops and plants fundamental
to food security.
Forty
countries
The Treaty becomes
binding when it has been signed by at least 40 countries who
will form the governing body.
The first
meeting of the governing body will address issues such as how
the financial benefits from trade of these genetic resources are
managed, organized and shared.
Other
questions that will be addressed include the transfer of plant
genetic material covered by the Treaty, measures to implement
the Treaty and its financing strategy.
Countries who were among the first to ratify the
Treaty will therefore be well placed to ensure that their
national interests are voiced at the initial meeting of the
governing body.
To date 20 countries have
either ratified, accepted or acceded to the Treaty. Eighty-seven
countries and the European Union have already signed the
treaty.
Contact:
Nuria Felipe
Soria
Information Officer,
FAO
nuria.felipesoria@fao.org
(+39) 06 570
55899
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