Crop genetic diversity linked to food security
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture took
place in Madrid yesterday.
The event, which was attended by Spain's first deputy prime minister, Spain's minister of agriculture, fisheries and food and FAO director-general Jacques Diouf, is designed to help safeguard the genetic diversity of crops.
Throughout history, humans have used some 10,000 plant species for food. But today, our diet is based on just over 100 species, due to the introduction of a small number of modern and enormously uniform commercial varieties.
This week's meeting, which concludes on Friday, seeks to protect diversity.
"The conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture are sine qua non conditions for food security and poverty eradication, particularly in the rural world," said Diouf.
He described the treaty as "the first major international instrument of the 21st century and the third millennium."
The meeting will lay down the procedures for implementation and other key aspects, such as a financial strategy, access to plant genetic resources and the sharing of benefits deriving from their use.
Indeed, a multilateral system of access to plant genetic resources is one of the cornerstones of the treaty. This system applies to a list of 64 plant species, selected on the basis of food security and interdependence criteria, including wheat, rice, potatoes and maize, which are staple components in the diet of a large proportion of the worlds population.
Yesterday, Diouf also called on the governments present at today's inaugural to cooperate in order to ensure that the treaty lives up to its full potential as a tool for increasing food production and improving food quality. He added that the agreement allows for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from crop diversity and also serves as a mechanism for strengthening North-South cooperation.
Diouf also appealed to delegates attending the 'Ministerial Segment' of the meeting, which starts today, to marshal "the political will to make it possible to build up a productive and innovative future for the treaty," urging them to ensure that their national plans, programmes and legislation reflect its objectives and provisions as well as development assistance priorities.
The treaty is a legally binding instrument negotiated by FAOs member states, and came into force in June 2004 as the culmination of a long process that began in the 1970s.
