The Regional Launch for Latin America and the Caribbean of The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Welcoming participants at the Regional Launch of The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO’s Assistant Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean, René Orellana Halkyer, underscored the challenges arising from the nexus of the need to address hunger, biodiversity loss, and growing global food demands. He highlighted the urgent need to protect and utilize the world’s crop diversity as a fundamental element of sustainable agrifood systems.

“The value of plant genetic diversity lies in its effective use. Advancements in biological sciences and informatics offer new opportunities to harness this potential, which is our best defence against unforeseen threats.” He stressed that protecting these genetic resources is a shared global responsibility, essential for ensuring a resilient, sustainable, and food-secure future.

This high-level, policy-focused dialogue convened ambassadors, policymakers, partners, and experts to discuss the respective priorities for conserving and sustainably utilizing crop diversity. The dialogue took place during the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty, at the Lima Convention Centre in Lima, Peru. It underscored the importance of regular, data-driven assessments for monitoring diversity, identifying threats, and shaping evidence-based policies.

On behalf of the government of Peru, Jorge Juan Ganoza Roncal, Executive President of the Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), welcomed participants to the Regional Launch of the Third Report. He expressed gratitude to FAO for the report, which he said provided an essential global overview of the diversity, conservation, and use of plant genetic resources, which are vital for ensuring food security and strengthening resilience to climate change.

As a center of origin of diverse crops important for food security, Peru has reaffirmed its commitment to the conservation and valorization of its crop genetic heritage. “The report sends a clear message: without international cooperation and evidence-based policies, it is impossible to strengthen the contribution of plant genetic resources to global food security,” Mr Ganoza Roncal stated. He stressed that the report serves as a strategic guide for aligning priorities, promoting collaborative action, and reinforcing partnerships among governments, academic institutions, international organizations, and civil society.

Clemente Baena Soares, Ambassador of Brazil to Peru, praised FAO for the publication of the Thid Report, highlighting its importance for global conservation and sustainable use. As a megadiverse country, he mentioned that Brazil faces growing threats to its plant diversity from climate change, ecosystem degradation, and genetic erosion. The government is strengthening policies linking conservation, seed systems, research, and fair benefit-sharing, with initiatives including 160 active genebanks, community seed banks, and programs supporting over 20 000 families during droughts. He highlighted Brazil’s reaffirmation of its commitment to international treaties and regional cooperation, underscoring that protecting plant genetic diversity is essential for food security, climate adaptation, and humanity’s future, a challenge no country can face alone.

Speaking at the panel discussion, Dan Leskien, Senior Liaison Officer of FAO’s Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Commission), highlighted the partnership between the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Treaty) and the Commission in conducting periodic assessments on the state of crop diversity, the latest of which is the Third Report. He thanked the Contracting Parties of the Treaty for contributing actively to the Third Report. Leskien indicated that the policy response to the Third Report will be a revised Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Second GPA), for which regional consultations were held last year in collaboration with the Treaty. He invited the Contracting Parties of the Treaty to contribute actively to the revision of the Second GPA, which aims to address the gaps and needs identified in the Third Report and during the regional consultations. 

Secretary of the Treaty, Kent Nnadozie, emphasized that the Third Report is more than just a stock take of the state of plant genetic resources. “It is a powerful tool to inform decisions and inform action. While it highlights progress, it also makes it very clear that there is urgent need to accelerate action and accelerate our efforts in conserving and sustainably using crop diversity”.  He highlighted that at the policy level there is a pressing need to strengthen the links between conservation and access to benefit sharing. “As we move forward”, he remarked, “the alignment between national strategies, the Second GPA, and the Treaty will be very critical. This alignment must be driven by inclusive dialogue, robust data and the political will to act”. 

The role of modern technologies (such as cryopreservation, genomics, and digital sequence information) in conserving crop diversity and enhancing plant breeding was highlighted by Simon Heck, Director General of the International Potato Centre. He referenced the Vegetables for Life initiative, which supports the conservation and sustainable use of over 1,500 neglected and underutilized vegetable species. He also spoke about the success of a regional, multistakeholder community of practice in Latin America and the Caribbean that unites practitioners and policymakers from 14 countries to work on beans, maize, and potatoes. This crop-focused model is now being expanded to Africa and Asia.

Key findings from Latin America and the Caribbean

Stefano Diulgheroff, the outgoing Secretary of the Commission’s Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources (ITWG) and lead author of the Third Report, presented the report’s key findings at the global level and also focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are some of the key messages he presented: 

• Plant diversity under threat: About one-third of 2 200 assessed plant taxa in Latin America and the Caribbean are threatened, mainly due to climate change, overuse, and land-use change.
• Region prioritizes conservation: Nearly 200 wild PGRFA conservation programmes have been implemented, representing almost half of global efforts. Additionally, 29 percent of conservation sites have management plans (versus 6 percent globally).
• Climate emergencies rising: Drought drove most of the 125 seed-related emergency interventions across 10 countries in the region; flooding, frost, hail, and snow made up 44 percent of interventions.
• Declining genebank holdings: The region maintains ~500,000 accessions in 213 genebanks, but ex situ holdings dropped 15 percent, with some countries losing over 70 percent of collections.
• Major gaps in backup and data: Only 14 percent of collections are safety-duplicated and 19 percent characterized, leaving significant risks and knowledge gaps.
• Commitment for crop improvement: The region accounts for 39 percent of newly registered improved varieties and is commercializing 39 promising underutilized crops.
  
  

In closing, Noelle Anglin, the incoming Secretary of the ITWG, reiterated FAO’s commitment to leverage the momentum generated by the Third Report. She underscored that the key findings will serve as the foundation for translating the evidence into practical action, aimed at safeguarding plant genetic diversity and promoting its sustainable use.