Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture:
A Commons Perspective
Chikelu Mba, PhD
Agricultural Officer (Plant Genetic Resources Use)
Plant Production and Protection Division
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Plant Production and a world without hunger
for Protection Division

Outline
• Food security‐related global development
issues and drivers
i dd i
• PGRFA
– pivotal role in food security
– as global commonwealth
as global commonwealth
– International efforts at optimizing the benefits
• Perspectives: towards a road map for a
reinvigorated global PGRFA environment
Plant Production and Protection Division

Global Development Issues
Millennium Development Goals
Plant Production and Protection Division

Profiling Food (In)Security & Challenges
• Wake up call in the recent food Production
price increases
price increases Commodity (MT)
Sugar cane 1627450797
Maize 788112128
• 1 billion people go hungry today
Rice, paddy 657413530
Wheat
h 611101664
• Uncertainties exacerbated by Potatoes 323543199
climate change and variations Vegetables fresh 244719080
Cassava 224131501
Soybeans 219545479
• At current rates, population by
Tomatoes 133259909
2050 estimated at 9 billion Bananas 89099503
Onions,
Onions dry 70039038
• Efforts to breed better resilient Apples 66091848
crops confounded by narrow Grapes 65971144
Rapeseed 51353701
genetic base of crops and breeding
genetic base of crops and breeding
Groundnuts 37816142
materials Garlic 15922500
Plant Production and Protection Division

Plant Genetic Resources as global
commonwealth:
lth
some examples of international accords
Plant Production and Protection Division

Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992
Aimed at conservation
Aimed at conservation
and sustainable use of
biological diversity, fair
biological diversity fair
and equitable sharing
of the benefits arising
out of their use,
including access ‐‐‐‐‐‐
www.cbd.int
Plant Production and Protection Division

Was CBD enough?
• Aim was to promote the exchange of PGRFA but
practical effect has been a reduction
practical effect has been a reduction
• The CBD is based on the concept of national
sovereignty over PGRFA and the right of each
sovereignty over PGRFA and the right of each
country to set its own terms of access to those
resources
resources
• In practice, the CBD has been implemented on a
bilateral basis, with access to PGRFA subject to the
bilateral basis with access to PGRFA subject to the
negotiation of bilateral agreements for access and
benefit‐sharing.
Plant Production and Protection Division

Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and
Sustainable Use of PGRFA (1996 FAO)
( )
ensure the conservation of plant genetic resources for
food and agriculture as the basis of food security,
promote sustainable use of plant genetic resources to
foster development and reduce hunger and poverty,
promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
h f i d i bl h i f h b fi
arising from the use of plant genetic resources,
assist countries and institutions to identify priorities
for action,
strengthen existing programmes and enhance
institutional capacity.
institutional capacity.
www.globalplanofaction.org
Plant Production and Protection Division

The International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, 2001
g ,
•The conservation and
sustainable use of plant genetic
bl f l
resources for food and
agriculture
•The fair and equitable sharing of
benefits derived from their use,
benefits derived from their use,
in harmony with the Convention
on Biological Diversity, for
sustainable agriculture and food
i bl i l df d
security
www.planttreaty.org
Plant Production and Protection Division

Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture ---
PGRFA
‘Any material of plant origin,
including reproductive and
vegetative propagating material,
g p p g g ,
containing functional units of
heredity of plant origin of actual or
heredity of plant origin of actual or
potential value for food and
agriculture’.
Plant Production and Protection Division

Global Crop Diversity Trust
In line with the IT‐PGRFA and the GPA the
IT PGRFA GPA,
Trust aims to advance an efficient and
sustainable global system of ex situ
conservation by promoting the rescue,
understanding,
understanding use and long‐term
long term
conservation of valuable plant genetic
resources.
resources
“Together with the air we breathe and the water we drink, crop diversity is one of the most fundamentally important resources for
human life is one of the most fundamentally important resources for human life on earth.”
http://www.croptrust.org/main/
Plant Production and Protection Division

FAO’s central role in PGRFA
• Policy and technical support as a global forum for
Policy and technical support as a global forum for
PGRFA and related aspects
• Secretariat for IT PGRFA
Secretariat for IT‐PGRFA
• Hosts the Global Crop Diversity Trust
• Implementation of the Global Plan of Action
• PGR and Seed Information and Initiatives
PGR and Seed Information and Initiatives
• Advocacy, awareness and partnerships
Plant Production and Protection Division

Publication of Reports on Global Status of PGRFA
2009
1996
Plant Production and Protection Division

Publication of Reports on Global Status of PGRFA
Contents of SOW‐2
http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/core-themes/theme/seeds-pgr/sow/en/
Plant Production and Protection Division

The PGRFA Continuum
Interventions
• Collections Utilization • Seed Sectors
• In-Situ • Formal
• Ex-Situ
• Crop Improvement • Informal
• Breeding
Conservation • Pre-breeding Delivery
Requisite interventions
q
•Policy
•Capacity building
Interventions •Information dissemination
•Advocacy
•Emergency
Plant Production and Protection Division

The PGRFA Continuum
• Collections Utilization • Seed Sectors
• In-Situ • Formal
• Ex-Situ • Informal
• Crop Improvement
p p
• Breeding
Conservation • Pre-breeding
Delivery
Plant Production and Protection Division

The PGRFA Continuum
Not always continuous Indeed broken often
continuous. Indeed,
• Collection Utilization • Seed Sectors
s • Formal
• In-Situ • Crop • Informal
• Ex-Situ Improvement
Conservation • Breeding Delivery
• P b di
Pre-breeding
Plant Production and Protection Division

Towards the transitioning from a modular to
seamless PGRFA continuum
• Frame dialogue for inclusive national PGRFA strategies
– Consultations for strategizing the institutionalization of farmer perspectives
– Policy interventions
• Targeted information dissemination
g
– Scientific community
– Policy makers
– Mass media
• Capacity building
– TCP vehicle
• Synergies
– ITPGR
– Global Crop Diversity Trust
– CGIAR
Plant Production and Protection Division

Grand Challenges
• Decades‐long neglect of agricultural R&D
(including the development of new crop
(including the development of new crop
varieties)
• Poor policy environment
• Narrow genetic base of crop germplasm
• Dwindling or stagnant human and material
Dwindling or stagnant human and material
resources for germplasm enhancement
Plant Production and Protection Division

Global Partnership Initiative for
Plant Breeding Capacity Building -- GIPB
Plant Production and Protection Division

Global Partnership Initiative for
Plant Breeding Capacity Building -- GIPB
Key Achievements of GIPB
C h i B i Pl f
•Comprehensive Business Plan for
global improvement in capacity in
plant breeding systems
•Development of a web‐based one‐
stop Knowledge Resource Centre
now broadly recognized as an
b dl d
unequalled global resource for plant
g
breeding
•Development of a range of policy‐
related materials and organization of
events
Plant Production and Protection Division

Vistas: GIPB roadmap
• Leverage the success of the GIPB to foster coalition for
addressing shortcomings of the PGRFA continuum
addressing shortcomings of the PGRFA continuum
• Deploy, exploit, scale‐up results of studies:
– d fi i
defining and assessing plant breeding capacity
d i l b di i
– assessing policy and program options to improve the capacity
of plant breeding and delivery systems
of plant breeding and delivery systems
• Foster initiatives for institutionalization of national
plant breeding strategies
plant breeding strategies
• Consult, dialogue, strategize, seize opportunities
Plant Production and Protection Division

Vistas: GIPB roadmap
Largest plant breeding
Tools to revolutionize community on the web
public sector plant
breeding
---- but not without the minister!
Plant Production and Protection Division

Parting Shot(s)
Be a part of the Community!
•Advance the cause of PGRFA use SMTA influence policy
•Advance the cause of PGRFA, use SMTA, influence policy
•Capacity building, information, community ‐ peers, mentors
oVisit the GIPB websites regularly
oJoin the PB‐Forum ‐‐‐‐ and participate!
oSubscribe to the Plant Breeding Newsletter
oQuite importantly, be listed in the Plant Breeder Directory
•Register with AGORA
Plant Production and Protection Division

Acknowledgements
• Colleagues at FAO especially the Seeds and
Colleagues at FAO, especially the Seeds and
Plant Genetic Resources Team of AGP
• CIAT Management for the invitation
• You for being a great audience
You for being a great audience
Plant Production and Protection Division