24/03/2015

The initial focus of the "Toolbox" of the International Treaty will be on germplasm with the greatest potential of broadening the genetic base of crops. This is one of the major recommendations of the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Sustainable Use of the International Treaty, which took place in Rome earlier this month.

In its Report, which is available online, the Committee reconfirmed the validity of the implementation of the "Programme of Work on Sustainable Use" and made recommendations for the development of the Toolbox. The meeting was attended by 45 participants from 13 countries, international organizations, NGOs and FAO representatives.

FAO estimates 75 percent of crop diversity was lost between 1900 and 2000. A study referred to in the Second State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, predicts that as much as 22 percent of the wild relatives of important food crops of peanut, potato and beans will disappear by 2055 because of the negative effects of changing climate.

The Toolbox is considered a practical instrument to assist users at the country level and participants of the Ad Hoc Committee indicated that the initial focus should be on the uses of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) that may expand the genetic base of crops.

According to this Committee, whose recommendations will be presented to the Treaty’s Governing Body in October 2015, the Toolbox should contain tools for:

• promoting and making available of landraces and farmers’ varieties;
• pre-breeding and its increased relevance with respect to ongoing activities related to crop wild relatives and landrace conservation and characterization;
• establishing linkages between PGRFA management and nutrition issues.

The direct complementarity between in-situ and ex-situ conservation and on-farm management approaches of crop genetic resources and their related information was emphasized by the Committee, which also stressed the importance of involving farming communities at regional and local levels.

The Committee also provided guidance for the update of the Programme of Work on Sustainable Use. The proposed updated will include additional areas supporting governments and stakeholder led initiatives, such as:

• support to formal and informal seed systems;
• wider consideration of farmers’ needs and the use of farmers’ varieties;
• increased value of genomics, phenomics, and other characterization and evaluation techniques for crop improvement;
• and strengthened connection to the Benefit-sharing Fund of the Treaty.

The proposed activities will also contribute to better aligning the Programme of Work on sustainable use with the FAO Strategic Objective on sustainable production intensification and sustainable food systems.

The Report of the Committee is available on-line at: Second Meeting Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.