Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

20/11/2023

Rome, Italy - November 20, 2023 – FAO headquarters is the venue of a week-long global gathering of over 600 participants, including national delegates, diplomats, policy-makers, plant genetic experts, researchers, international organizations, NGOs, seed sector representatives, and civil society organizations from around the world. They have come together for the Tenth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, to deliberate on policy issues regarding the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), which comprise the building blocks of the world’s food basket.

“The diversity of plant genetics makes meaningful agricultural research and innovation possible to foster resilience, enhance food security and support the livelihoods of rural communities, including women and youth,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in a video message for the Opening Ceremony of GB-10. “Today, as the world faces multiple environmental, social and economic crises, we must leverage synergies, bringing together the work of the International Treaty as a vital instrument to achieve the ambitious goals of related multilateral processes,” he added.

The theme of GB-10, From Seeds to Innovative Solutions, Safeguarding Our Future: Contributing the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework for sustainable food systems, emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), addressing the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, recognizing their fundamental importance for global food security, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic well-being.

FAO Director of the Office of Climate, Biodiversity and Environment, Kaveh Zahedi, said, “As we discuss the crucial role of plant genetic resources in safeguarding our future, we must also recognize the symbiotic relationship between biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Our efforts to implement the Framework must be aligned with climate goals, promoting adaptation and mitigation strategies that enhance the resilience of ecosystems and agricultural landscapes.”

In his keynote address to the gathered delegates, Acting Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), described the GBF as “an ambitious agreement to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and, by 2030, to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and planet” and said that it provides an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation between CBD and the International Treaty. He also expressed his hope that the GBF will also provide “further impetus for the Implementation of the Treaty,” adding, “we must work together to address our common challenges.” He reminded all present that the Framework “calls for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” mentioning in particular Goals A, B, C and D that are also directly relevant to the Treaty community.

“It is essential to recognize the importance of genebanks in climate policy, in action on nutrition, in biodiversity conservation, in emergency relief efforts, and in development planning,” said Catherine Bertini, Executive Board Chair of the Crop Trust. “The International Plant Treaty provides a unique multilateral policy framework and platform to enable genebanks to flourish, connect and support each other,” she said, stressing the importance of genebanks learning from each other to build capacities and “reduce the digital divide.”

CGIAR Managing Director of Genetic Innovation, Sonja Vermeulen, said “The Plant Treaty was way ahead of its time in making the connections between biological diversity, environmental sustainability, and food systems. The cooperative framework and policy support it provides are crucial for achieving many of the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets." She went on to point out that the Treaty “provides a platform for contracting parties, international organizations, and other stakeholders to redouble their conservation efforts, working together to identify gaps in the coverage of the global system of PGRFA conservation and to ensure that the diversity we have is not lost.”

International Seed Federation Secretary General, Michael Keller, said, “We, here in the room, can all be proud to have an instrument like the International Treaty, which helps to ensure that plant genetic resources for agriculture, are explored, conserved, evaluated, and made available for plant breeding, training and research.”

Disgratious Kansly Mugasho, a farmer from Uganda involved in a project supported by the International Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund spoke of how the project had positively impacted his livelihood and those of other farmers. “Now, myself and my fellow farmers have the knowledge and improved seeds of sorghum because of our participation in the project of the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund. We are now selling sorghum on the markets and to various industries.” He recently received an award for having the highest volume turnover of seeds in 2023 as part of the Uganda “Breweries Farm for Success Initiative.”

“While I learned about seed germination in biology and mastered lasagne recipes in Home Economics, the crucial connection between recipes, seeds, food systems, biodiversity, and the planet's interconnectedness was missing. However, my Gran, who grew up on a small island off Ireland's southwest coast, instilled in me the significance of seeds as she shared tales of growing and foraging for her food,” said Sophie Healy-Thow, founder of Act4Food and Youth Campaign coordinator of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. “Crop diversity remains the silent hero of our agrifood systems, unrecognized by many,” she said as she spoke of the challenges of creating awareness amongst her peers about the importance of crop diversity.

Dan Leskien, Officer-in-Charge of the Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture spoke of the success of the International Treaty’s Multilateral System (MLS), and said “The MLS stands for the recognition that all countries depend on the “alphabet of life” and that they benefit most if they all have access to it, of course on conditions that need to be agreed upon, but on conditions that facilitate, rather than restrict, access and sustainable use and on conditions that generate and distribute benefits fairly and equitably, taking into account the rights and interest of countries the rights and interests of the stewards of the world’s biodiversity.”

“The Treaty embodies the spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility, and its implementation is key to achieving the goals set forth in the Global Biodiversity Framework,” said International Treaty Kent Nnadozie. “The challenges we face are complex, but by working together and aligning our efforts with the principles of the Treaty, we can forge a path toward a future where plant genetic resources play a central role in sustainable, resilient, and equitable agrifood systems,” he added.

The Opening Day of the (GB-10) was choc-a-block with events that went from 9:30 in the morning to 9:30 in the evening. The day’s events included guest speakers from different stakeholder groups involved with the management of PGRFA. Featured events included a special exhibit on the Journey of Seeds; an Opening Ceremony that included speakers from various stakeholder groups, including a Ugandan farmer and an Irish youth; three featured Side Events, including one on “Securing Ukraine’s PGR Collection – now and in the future;” a Special Event on the theme GB-10, “From Seeds to Innovative Solutions, Safeguarding our Future” and an evening Reception hosted by FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, which highlighted the International Year of Millets.

GB-10 will run from 20 to 24 November 2023, and is expected make some important decisions, including on the enhancement of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing, which comprises the largest global mechanism for the global exchange of PGRFA, digital sequence information (DSI), Farmers’ Rights, and the integral role of the International Treaty in the context of the Global Biodiversity Framework that calls for saving 30 percent of the world’s biodiversity by 2030.

The Governing Body is the largest global policy-making forum for matters relating to the conservation, exchange and management of seeds and other PGRFA, and usually meets once every biennium.

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