International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

22 Projects to receive USD 10 Million from Benefit-sharing Fund

06/03/2015

The International Treaty will invest over USD 10 million in 22 projects to help farmers in developing countries maintain their crop diversity and to support member countries with technology transfer programs. The final selection of the projects to be funded under the Third Call for Proposals of the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) was made by the Bureau of the Sixth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture.

“The projects were selected based on the recommendations of an independent Panel of Experts after a rigorous science-based appraisal,” said Mr Matthew Worrell, Chair of the Bureau.

“We are grateful to our major donors, notably Norway, the European Union and Italy, for their generous contributions, which makes such programs possible,” said Dr Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the International Treaty. “The Benefit-Sharing Fund has already benefitted over 700,000 farmers, researchers, technicians and policy-makers around the world. We hope this will encourage others to make financial contributions.”

The selected projects were deemed to have the highest potential for encouraging innovative approaches to the management and use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). The projects are expected to run from 2015 for a maximum of four years.

The projects of this 3rd round of the BSF focus on two thematic areas:

  • Immediate Action – strengthening on-farm conservation and management of PGRFA, primarily at the farm and community levels. 
  • Co-development and Transfer of Technology – enabling the international exchange of information relating to plant genetic material available through the Treaty’s Multilateral System.

The projects, which will be implemented by farmers and farmers’ organizations, genebanks, research institutions, and regional and international organizations, are expected to increase the impact of the 2nd round of BSF projects. 

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