11/05/2017

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) of Germany has made a contribution of USD$1.1 million to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to support the development and implementation of the Global Information System of the International Treaty.

The Governing Body of the International Treaty, where 144 governments are represented, adopted the vision for the Global Information System at the end of 2015 and a programme of work until 2022. 

According to this vision, the Global Information System for PGRFA integrates and augments existing systems to create the global entry point to information and knowledge for strengthening the capacity for PGRFA conservation, management and utilization.  In fact, the development of a truly effective Global Information System as foreseen in the International Treaty involves, among other things: strengthening existing systems and, where gaps remain, establishing new systems and initiatives; promoting interconnectivity among systems; and providing overarching mechanisms to ensure ready access to the information and services provided.

This first contribution from Germany directly supports the development of the pilot phase of the Global Information System (GLIS) referred to in Article 17 of the International Treaty with a portal that will facilitate access to scientific information.  One of the first tasks is the development of a set of core services and standards on documentation and exchange of information in consultation with a vast range of stakeholders.

According to estimates of the latest FAO Report on State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources, there are 7,4 million accessions conserved ex situ. Of them, between 25 to 30 percent (from 1,9 a 2,2 million samples) are different, while the other are duplicates conserved in the same collection, or more frequently, in a different one.

The ultimate goal of the global Information system is to improve plant breeding and conservation by linking datasets dispersed in national, regional and thematic databases and to bridge the efforts of genebanks, plant breeders, farmers and researchers.

The activities funded by Germany incorporate an active component on capacity development in the near east and Region and the countries affiliated with the Southern African Development Community.  The successful implementation of the Global Information system will also have a positive impact on the operation of the Multilateral system which has already transferred 3,8 million accessions and in the way genebank curators and plant breeders identify seeds and other materials.