Briefing on the International Treaty on PGRFA 2016

8/19/2019 Briefing on the International Treaty on PGRFA 2016

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Overview

A. Plant genetic resources for food security in the global Agenda &

the 6th Session of the Governing Body

B. Major Updates:

1. The Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharingDr Bert Visser & Modesto Fernandez, Co-chairs of the

Working Group

2. Farmers’ Rights

3. The Global Information SystemC. Calendar of Meetings

D. Follow Ups

www.planttreaty.org


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PGRFA & food security in the Global Agenda

• A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish

today’s 795 million hungry and the additional 2 billion people expected by 2050, especiallyunder expected impact of climate change on agricultural systems.

• The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger

and poverty eradication, including the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food

and Agriculture.

• The Sustainable Development Goals give great importance to the contribution of plant geneticdiversity to food security, through its conservation, access and benefit-sharing. This is

reflected in particular in targets 2.5 and 15.6:

2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and

domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and

diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and

promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of

genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.

15.6 Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic

resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed


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Impacts of the Treaty:Multilateral System, incl Benefit-sharing Fund

• 3508 new varieties of rice, maize, barley, millet, sorghum, etc.

evaluated against resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses

• almost 130.000 direct project beneficiaries (including 114.000

farmers)

• directly or indirectly reached approx. 10.5 million beneficiaries

(95 % farmers)

• 16 community seed banks established, fully operating to conserve1120 crop varieties

• 310 capacity building workshops and training courses, directly

involving 16.000 participants have been provided

• 55 applications have been submitted, for rice, millet, wheat,

chickpea and sesame varieties for registration to the Plant VarietyAuthority of India

• 60 research theses – from BSc to PhD directly

supported through the implementation of BSF

projects


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http://strasa.irri.org/news-and-events/salt-

tolerantricevarietysuccessstoryofsreefalkathivillage

Salt-tolerant and drought-resistant varieties

Binadhan-8

Binadhan-1

BRRI dhan47

BRRI dhan55

Bangladesh

and

IRRI


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Conserving and exchanging varieties for food security

and climate change adaptation

Agricultural biodiversity must be made accessible to every farmer and used

by scientists and people to enhance our options to achieve food security


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PGR exchange for food security

• >1,7 million included accessions documented

• 47.000 SMTA transferred since 2007

• More than 3,2 million accessions transferred

PGRFA received by Region

Africa 596,340

Asia 1,033,024

Europe 465,742 Latin America and the

Caribbean 379,141

Near East 537,795

North America 153,458

Southwest Pacific 153,548


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Growth of Treaty membership

• Chile and Argentina are joining the Treaty

• 137 Contracting Parties thereafter


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Presentation by Co-chairs

The presentation by the Co-chairs can be

found at the end of this document, from page45 onwards.


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2. Enhancement of the Funding Strategy

• The Governing Body, at its Sixth Session, adopted Resolution 2/2015 on the

Funding Strategy recognizing that enhancing the Funding Strategy requires also

the enhancement of the Funding Strategy and other Treaty mechanisms.

• During the biennium, the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on the Funding Strategy will:

o Assess the results achieved so far by the Funding Strategy;

o Update the Strategic Plan for the implementation of the Benefit-sharing Fund,

including the development of a funding target;

o Develop a long-term investment strategy for the Benefit-sharing Fund;

o Consider measures to strengthen the implementation of the elements of the

Funding Strategy, other than the Benefit-sharing Fund.

• The Committee on the Funding Strategy and the Working Group on the MLS

enhancement will liaise closely during the biennium.


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Benefit-sharing Fund: 4th funding cycle

• The Governing Body also agreed on short-term measures to enable the launch of

the fourth funding cycle of the Benefit-sharing Fund during the biennium;

• The target is to allow the launch of the 4th funding cycle for at least US$ 10 million;

• As a pilot experience, the Governing Body decided to welcome contributions with

a regional and crop priority focus, upon approval of the Bureau;

• The Bureau will receive during the biennium regular updates on progress made tomobilize contributions by Contracting Parties and other donor prospects.


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The Global Crop Diversity Trust:

Pledging Conference – April 2015

• The Global Crop Diversity Trust is an essential element of the Funding Strategy of

the Treaty and has a relationship agreement with the Governing Body

• At its Sixth Session, the Governing Body provided policy guidance to the Global

Crop Diversity Trust through Resolution 8/2015

• The Governing Body welcomed the organization of a Pledging Conference for the

Crop Trust endowment fund, which has been scheduled for April 2016 inWashington D.C. (U.S.A.),

• It recognized that the conference will be a major milestone to support the

realization of the Trust Fundraising Strategy and the Funding Strategy of Treaty;

• Contributions raised in the conference will support finance core operations of

international collections under Article 15 of the International Treaty;• For more information about the Conference, contact the Trust: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Overview

A. Plant genetic resources for food security in the global Agenda

B. Major Updates:

1. The Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing

2. Farmers’ Rights

3. The Global Information System on PGRFA

4. Other updates

C. Calendar of Meetings

D. Follow Ups

www.planttreaty.org


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2. Implementation of Farmers’ Rights

• As requested by GB:

Engage Contracting

Parties and relevantOrganizations to gatherinformation at national,regional and globallevels for exchanging

knowledge, views andexperiences and bestpractices


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Farmers’ Rights: meetings and conferences

• Global Consultation onFarmers’ Rights (Indonesia)

Take stock of significantcountry experiences, best

practices and lessonslearned in implementing andprotecting Farmers’ Rights

Explore development ofguidance, support andcapacity building on

implementing and realizingFarmers Rights


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Farmers’ Rights: Capacity development

• Facilitate trainingsand workshops toraise awareness

and build capacities• Conduct activeoutreach andpromote

collaboration withrelevantorganizations


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Farmers’ Rights: Collaboration and Coordination

• Collaboration withinFAO (CFS, CGRFA,

Family Farming, etc.)

• Interact with UPOV and

WIPO to identify areas

of interrelations

• Collaboration and

coordination with CBD

(Article 10c; 8j) and

other relevant

organizations


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Joint Capacity Building Programme

with GFAR on Farmers’ Rights

1. To enhance national consensus of what

Farmers’ Rights means under the Treaty

2. To advance the development of policies and

legal measures implementing Farmers’ Rights,

and Support the review and adjustment ofnational measures affecting Farmers’ Rights


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Farmers’ Rights: Follow up Actions for CPs (1)

• Consider developing NationalAction Plans for theimplementation of Article 9, asappropriate, and in line with theimplementation of Articles 5and 6

• Contracting Parties to considerreviewing and, if necessary,adjusting its national measuresaffecting the realization ofFarmers’ Rights

• Engage farmers’ organizationsand relevant stakeholders inPGRFA matters and theircontribution to awareness raisingand capacity building


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Partnering for implementation of the

Treaty

• Dr Yoshihide Endo, Globally Important

Agricultural Heritage Systems

• Dr Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary ofthe Global Forum on Agricultural Research

(GFAR)

• Convention on Biological Diversity• International Fund on Agricultural

Development


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Farmers’ Rights: Follow up Actions for CPs (2)

• Enhance interaction andcoordination, as appropriate,among the differentinstitutions dealing with

Farmers’ Rights and PGRFA• Consider providing financial

and technical support for theimplementation of Farmers’

Rights, and to enable farmers’organizations to attendmeetings under theInternational Treaty


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3. Global Information System on PGRFA

Outcomes from GB6 (Resolution 3/2015):

– Adoption of the Vision on the Global Information

System;

– Adoption of the first PoW-GLIS (2016-2022);

– Establishment of the Scientific Advisory Committee onthe Global Information System;


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Programme of Work

• Vision: GLIS 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.


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Digital Objects Identifiers for PGRFA: The problem

• Overview: More than 1750 plant genebanksworldwide with more than 7,4 million accessions

• The material is exchanged every day worldwide

• The material is provided, in most cases, without theadditional non-confidential information (eg. genotypicand phenotypic information)

• The recipients of the material usually change the IDafter the transfer and there is duplicated material

• There are no automated mechanisms to discoverwhere the material is and not much added value isincorporated to the material


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Digital Objects Identifiers for PGRFA: The Solution

• Digital Object Identifiers are a necessary glue toconnect scientific data in different information systems

• They will help researchers to link and use research dataof great value

• The Treaty is developing the needed rules for theirassignation to PGRFA

• Free for genebanks and PGRFA research projectsthrough the Treaty

• Testing phase with selected partners

Sample: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrg1729


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The Diversity Seek Initiative

• GB6 noted the work of the initiative and

requested the Secretary to continue

participating in its Joint Facilitation Unit

• Requested the Secretary to compile inputs

and write a synthesis report for GB7.

• Workshop in San Diego (Jan 2016 - PAG)


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The Bean

Project

to analyze the genetic basis

and phenotypic consequences

of the adaptation to new

environments

Genes for

adaptation

ERA-NET for Coordinating

Action in Plant Sciences


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GLIS

GBISIPK Genebank

information system(Passport, Geo Reference PGR

Management), Online ordering)

interfaces

• EURISCO• transPLANT &de.NBI

• DivSeek

• Digital Seed Bank

• Global Information

System - GLIS

Data

Warehouse

Web Portal

• Interactive haplotype

browser

• Comparison to existing

marker data to guide pre-breeding and collection

management

storage – analysis - connectivity visualisationdata generation

The Bean Project & GLIS


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Scientific Advisory Committee

To advise the Secretary on general recommendations on:• the development and deployment of the System and itscomponents

• the discovery of new areas of work with potential impacton the system,

• the selection of pilot activities for the System and,• upon request of the Secretary, other initiatives and actions

to sustain the operations of the System and the furtherupdate of the Programme of Work.

• The committee is composed of up to 2 experts nominatedby the Regions and additional scientific and technicalexperts appointed by the Secretary

• Meeting in fall 2016 with extra-budgetary support


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4. Other Updates


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Compliance

• Reporting on compliance is now due

• The reporting format was corrected at GB6

• The Secretariat is setting up an online reporting

system, following the GB6 request

• A notification to NFPs and Governments through

the FAO Members Gateway will be issued shortly

• A help-desk will be set up to support NFPs;

• The Committee will meet in early 2017


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Multi-Year Programme of Work

• GB6 Welcomed the proposed MYPOW as thebasis for further development;

• The Secretary will now circulate the MYPOW with

the inputs received at GB6 and will ask for furtherinputs from Contracting Parties for the 2018-2025 period

• The final proposal will be considered at the GB7

and will include expected outputs, outcomes andmilestones, as well as indication of additionalresources needed


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Collaboration with CBD & CGRFA

• GB6 requested to continue collaboration with theCBD (NBSAPs including on inf. On GEF, theSynergies project, InfoMea, etc.) Res 7/2015 – Thirteenth meeting of the CBD COP and the second

meeting of the Nagoya protocol in Cancun, Mexico,from 4 to 17 December 2016

• Res 9/2015 – Strengthen collaboration topromote coherence in the development and

implementation of programmes, including for theupdate of the GPA and the work on the ABSElements


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Financial Update


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CAB factsat 31 December 2015

• 83% of budgeted income has been received

17% remains outstanding

• 59 CP’s paid contributions during 2014-15

55% (71 CPs) – made no payment

during the biennium

• Contributions unpaid at the end of the

biennium amounted to $1,279,210


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Financial Update: conclusions

• CAB receipts in the 2014-15 biennium have remained largely

in line with recent biennia but without showing any

improvement.

• The number of Contracting Parties making contributions is still

limited –less than 50% of Contracting Parties.

• The replenishment of the Special Funds will be essential in

the 2016-17 biennium if the on-going activities relating to the

implementation of the Treaty are to be assured.

• Only with sufficient and assured resources can the Secretariatensure the implementation of the Work Programme in

accordance with the mandate given by the Governing Body.


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Provisional Table of Meetings 2016 (1)

• First meeting of the Bureau of the Seventh Session of the Governing Body (GB7-

Bureau-2) - 6-7 June 2016 (Rome)

• Fifth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the

Functioning of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit Sharing (OEWG-

MLS-5) - 4-6 July 2016 (tbc)

• Third meeting of the Ad Hoc Advisory Technical Committee on Sustainable Use

(ACSU-3) - 24-25 October 2016 (tbc)

• Global Consultation on Farmers' Rights under Article 9 of the Treaty -

summer/fall 2016 (Indonesia)

• First meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Article 17 (SAC-GLIS-1) -

3-4 October 2016 (tbc)


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Follow-ups

• Coordination within and among the regions tofacilitate the enhancement process

• Financial contributions: CAB and Agreed

Purposes Funds• Farmers’ Rights inputs and experiences

• Send compliance reports

• Ensure technical participation from capitals in theintersessional processes

• Inputs for MYPOW


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Questions & answers


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www.planttreaty.org

Thank you!

Please contact us:

International Treaty Secretariat

at FAO, Building B, 6th floor

Tel.: 06-570-56343

E-mail: [email protected]

www.planttreaty.org

L t d it t d


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Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands

Long-term seed security at crossroads

26 January 2016, Rome, Bert Visser & Modesto Fernandez

Thi t ti


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Importance International Treaty

Major concepts and elements

First decade experiences with implementation

●

Multilateral System● Benefit-Sharing Fund

Current agenda and challenges

Our request

This presentation

Th i t


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The importance

“Seed Treaty” instrumental for two SDGs:

● Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (1)

● Ensure environmental sustainability (7)

FAO treaty according to Article 14

In force since June 2004

136 Contracting Parties

F d d t iti it


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Food and nutrition security

No food and nutrition security withoutimproved seeds

No improved seeds without plantbreeding

No plant breeding without plant genetic resources

No plant genetic resources without International Treaty


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Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing

● “In the exercise of their sovereign rights, the Contracting

Parties agree to establish a multilateral system.....”

●a common, shared pool of plant genetic resources

● access for all users, under standard conditions

● limited to list of 65 crops

● non-monetary benefit-sharing

● monetary benefit-sharing to FAO account

Major concepts and


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Major concepts and

elements

Funding Strategy andBenefit-sharing Fund

● Funding Strategy:

● addressing all initiatives of all stakeholders related toPGRFA and in line with the Treaty objectives

● Benefit-Sharing Fund:

● managing financial resources flowing to the Treaty for

the purpose of its implementation● Collections and farmers’ fields

Farmers’ Rights: only addressed in International Treaty

Results of the first decade (MLS)


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Results of the first decade (MLS)

• Multilateral System functional since 2007

• Each year > 100,000 samples distributed fromgenebanks under standard conditions = major benefit

• No financial resources income from users to the Benefit-Sharing Fund (instead from Contracting Parties)

Results of the first decade (BSF)


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Results of the first decade (BSF)

• Since 2009, three project cycles developed• 38 project in 45 countries

• total budget over three rounds approx. USD 23.7 million

• BSF filled largely by governments• economic crisis means

less contributions

• users were expected to contribute

Current Governing Body agenda


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Current Governing Body agenda

Review of the MLS and BSF

Working Group established in 2013

● Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning

of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing

● next meeting in July 2016

● three Friends of the Co-Chairs groups established

Major issues at the table, diverging perspectives,diverging expectations

Issues to resolve


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Issues to resolve

How much money needs the BSF?

How much money can we expectfrom MLS users?

● How can we make the MLS more attractive to users?

Can we expect Contracting Parties to pay to the BSF?

Can we expand the coverage of the MLS to all crops?

● To this aim, do we need a Protocol to the Treaty?

Additional issues


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Additional issues

Should we distinguish between usercategories? Crop categories?

Should users pay differentiated fees? Should allpayments be obligatory? Can we establish a “library”system?

Should some users be exempted from payments?

The challenges


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The challenges

Challenges not technical butpolitical

How to contribute to food security and sustainableproduction under climate change?

How to guarantee affordable high-quality seeds to all

farmers at all times?

How to promote plant breeding and maintain diversity?

The crossroads


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The crossroads

Far-reaching decisions needed

Thus, Treaty needs political attention

Not only a matter of delegates to the Governing Body

Attention in capitals and between ministries needed

● to arrange political decision-making

● to provide necessary mandates to delegates


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Centre for Genetic Resources the Netherlands

Our proposal

• Could you provide uswith the contact details

of a major high-level

policy maker in your

capital?

• Could you sensitize thatperson on the

importance of the

International Treaty and

on the crossroads?

• We shall follow up!!

• [email protected]

Documents

Briefing on the International Treaty on PGRFA 2016