03/07/2023

Contributes 1 million NOK

03 July 2023, Rome, Italy – Norway's Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sandra Borch, announced her country’s contribution of about 1 million Norwegian Kroners (approximately USD 93 400) to the Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture during a meeting with Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty  at FAO headquarters in Rome today.

“The increased Norwegian support for seed security gives new energy to the international cooperation to preserve seed diversity,” said Minister Sandra Borch. “In addition, this will support the development of local value chains for sowing seeds where farmers maintain control over this important input factor,” she said.

“Since the adoption of the International Treaty, Norway has actively and visibly supported its implementation and impact. This support has been through both financial contribution and strong political engagement in the Treaty’s processes,” said Secretary Nnadozie. “Norway is also one of the largest and most consistent contributors to the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund”, he said.

The visit and ensuing announcement demonstrate Norway's continued commitment to the objectives and implementation of the International Treaty and its BSF, which focuses on supporting projects in the field.

Recognizing the vital importance of plant genetic resources as the foundation of all food production, Norway remains steadfast in their support for both genebanks and in situ conservation. In addition to supporting the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources in farmers’ fields, Norway further demonstrates its commitment to providing a safety back-up of the world’s crops in the form of the Global Seed Vault.

“The establishment and maintenance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the iconic symbol and testimony of Norway’s commitment to international cooperation as a means to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, and fully reflects what the Treaty stands for when it comes to the conservation of plant genetic resources and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization,” said Secretary Nnadozie.

The payment announced by the Minister is the latest of the annual contributions to the BSF that Norway has been making since 2008. This commitment follows their earlier lumpsum contribution of 40 million NOK (approximately USD 4 million) to the Fifth Cycle of the BSF, announced during the Ninth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty. This financial support aims to benefit smallholder farmers in developing countries, allowing them to access and cultivate a rich diversity of crops.

The BSF enables the sharing of benefits from the use of crop genetic resources under the Treaty. To date, the Fund has benefited over 1 million people through 109 projects in 81 developing countries, transforming food systems and helping smallholder farmers use crop varieties best suited to their needs and unique environmental conditions.

The International Treaty and its Benefit-sharing Fund contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2, highlighting the importance of genetic diversity in achieving the goal of ending hunger, as also to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The theme of the Tenth Session of the Governing Body (GB-10) of the International Treaty also highlights safeguarding the future by contributing to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. GB-10 will meet in Rome from 20 – 24 November 2023.

#ItAllStartsWithTheSeed #FoodSecurity #Norway #Biodiversity 

@PlantTreaty