Why in the news?

• The eleventh governing body meeting of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) or Plant Treaty concluded in Lima, Peru.

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

• Origin: Adopted in 2001 and came into force in 2004 under the FAO.
• Aim: Aims to ensure conservation, sustainable use, and fair & equitable benefit-sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA).
• Associated Treaty: Harmonized with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Objectives
  • Conservation of PGRFA through ex situ (gene banks) and in situ/on-farm methods.
  • Sustainable use of plant genetic diversity for crop improvement and resilience.
  • Fair and equitable benefit-sharing from use of genetic resources.
  • Recognition of Farmers’ Rights and support for diverse farming systems.
• Multilateral System (MLS)
  • Facilitates access to 64 crops and forages in Annex I (e.g., rice, wheat, maize), providing ~80% of global plant-derived food.
  • Uses Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) for research, breeding, and training; mandates benefit-sharing if commercialized.
  • Prohibits intellectual property rights limiting access to resources in received form.
• Farmers’ Rights
  • Protection of traditional knowledge relevant to PGRFA.
  • Equitable participation in benefit-sharing from resource use.
  • Involvement in national decisions on conservation and sustainable use, subject to national laws.
• Governance and Benefits
  • Overseen by a Governing Body under FAO, promoting implementation, technology transfer, and capacity-building.
  • Benefit-Sharing Fund supports on-farm conservation, especially in developing countries, via monetary and non-monetary means like information exchange.

Source: Business Standard