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Originally published on cgiar.org by:Bioversity International on Jun 27, 2007
Rome, Italy
For immediate release
The Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture ended its most recent meeting with a strong commitment to examine the specific needs of the agricultural sector with regards to access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from their use.

Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity, described the decision as "a breakthrough that has the potential to really move things forward."

The Commission negotiated the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which entered into force on 29 June 2004, and then the standard materials transfer agreement (for transfers under the Treaty), which continued until June 2006. It thus had space to consider new work. After some discussion and good support from member countries, the Commission adopted a multi-year plan of work that covers all aspects of agriculture: plants, animals, forestry, fisheries, insects and microbes.

Frison, who was at the Commission representing the Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, strongly supported this approach.

"The Commission will address all genetic resources for food and agriculture," he said, "and it is absolutely appropriate that it examine all the various components not in isolation but with a cross-sectoral approach."

The multi-year plan of work adopts just such an approach and lays out the Commission's work for the next five sessions, ten years.

Before the International Treaty the only international legal instrument regulating access and benefit-sharing for genetic resources was the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which established a system that generally operates through bilateral agreements. Many commentators felt that this model was not appropriate for agriculture, which may have suffered as a result. The Treaty's multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing establishes an alternative system for certain important plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Commission's multi-year plan of work offers a chance to examine still other mechanisms for access and benefit sharing that may go beyond both the CBD and the International Treaty, taking into consideration the special needs of agriculture and the particularities of each sector's genetic resources.

"This deeper examination of access and benefit-sharing systems on a cross-sectoral basis for food and agriculture is very good news for biodiversity" said Michael Halewood, Head of Policy at Bioversity International. "I hope we will look back on this meeting of the Commission as the moment when the pendulum began to swing back in favour of agricultural research and how it can help poor people."

Note: You can watch a video of Michael Halewood, Head of Policy at Bioversity International, as he reflects on the recent meeting of the Commission.

Further information:
Statements
The CGIAR made several statements to the Commission. Word files of each can be downloaded:

Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

For further information, contact Jeremy Cherfas, 0039 06 6118 234.