11/12/2018

The Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has gathered for the first time the winners of the Fourth Call for Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) Project Proposals at the headquarters of Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations (FAO) in Rome, from 22th to 26th October 2018.

The Bureau of the Eighth Governing Body of the International Treaty selected 20 best projects to be funded under the 4th cycle of the Benefit-sharing Fund during the next four years, with a total budget of at least USD 6 million for 29 developing countries.

All 20 projects aim at conserving and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, contributing to the formation of new partnerships, developing and using technologies for the benefit of local communities and transferring scientific achievements to small farmers, focusing on the role of women in biodiversity management, agriculture and rural development.

The projects were chosen based on strict criteria of an Independent Panel of Experts that reviewed nearly 500 applications before giving its recommendations to the Bureau. Among the selected projects is the GRAINEFIT project of the Institute for Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, Serbia, which will be carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Food Technology from Novi Sad, Serbia, and two Bulgarian institutes, the Agro-Bio Institute from Sofia and the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources from Sadovo. The project aims to make better use of the neglected genetic resources of small grains in the light of climate change, with an emphasis on supporting small farms in achieving stable yields, safe and good quality cereal products.

The purpose of the workshop in Rome was to support the grant-winners with the guidance and technical advice to prepare their full project proposals. During the one-week workshop, the participants gained insight into the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Benefit-sharing Fund, farmers' rights, gender equality, preservation of rural biodiversity, global information system, partnership development and communication techniques.

(Original: http://www.ifvcns.rs/projekat-grainefit-instituta-za-ratarstvo-i-povrtarstvo-izabran-za-finansiranje-od-fao/ )