10/02/2010

Government officials and international experts from more than 30 countries of all world regions stress the role of the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Treaty) as a central instrument for climate change adaptation during a meeting organized in Bari, in the south of Italy.

The participants of the Policy Seminar convened in the premises of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB), from 15 to 18 December 2009, where they reiterated the crucial role of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as the basis for global food security and underlined the potential of the Treaty as a policy instrument for climate change adaptation.

While the attention of the world has been focused on the discussions of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, high-level representatives of international institutions and governments presented possible concrete policy actions to strengthen collaboration in the areas of climate change, food security and agro-biodiversity, through the innovative mechanisms established by the Treaty.

A background paper on the climate change challenges, presented by Mr Christian Grugel, Director General at the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, illustrated that the expected average temperature rise of 1.8 to 4.0 degrees by 2100 is likely to have severe effects on agricultural production as it will lead to increased frequency of extreme events, losses in quality and pressure of pests and diseases. In many parts of the world climate change rates will likely exceed the adaptive capacity of a broad range of crop varieties.

Mr Jo Mulongoy, Head of the Division on Scientific, Technical and Technological Matters of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) stated: “The Treaty can serve as a prototype for the development of certain components of the International Regime on Access and Benefit-sharing which is currently under negotiation at the CBD.”

The Secretary General of the International Seed Federation (ISF), Mr Marcel Bruins, pointed out that “The Treaty is of importance to food security as it allows breeders to access drought- and salt-tolerant germplasm for the development of new varieties which will be adapted to the challenges of climate change.”

A quantum leap

A quantum leap towards the realization of fair and equitable benefit-sharing was marked when the Spanish Government announced a major contribution to the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund. The Fund is used to support projects that aim at adapting agricultural biodiversity to new climate conditions and enhancing the food security situation in developing countries. Over the next five years the working target of the Benefit-sharing Fund of the Treaty is to raise USD 116 million.

During the meeting in Bari, the managers of the first round of projects supported by the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund from Egypt, Kenya, India, Cuba, Costa Rica, Tanzania and Peru presented their activities. The example of the PotatoPark project in Peru showcased how the combination of traditional knowledge and modern breeding technologies can accelerate the adaptation process, thereby enabling farmers to stay ahead of the climate curve.

The manager of the PotatoPark project in Peru Mr Alejandro Argumedo indicated that “the development of new varieties that are adapted to climate change, and of novel products such as nutraceuticals and functional foods, allows small scale farmers to generate additional income.”

The Treaty aims at the conservation and the sustainable use of agricultural crops, facilitates their exchange for research and breeding of new varieties, and ensures that the benefits that arise of the utilization of these crops are shared in a fair and equitable way. It entered into force in June 2004 and has currently 123 Contracting Parties. It is the only legally binding international instrument governing agricultural biodiversity for food security.