International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance | General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change

Mains – GS-III (Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment)

Why in news?

The 13^th meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is discussing controversial amendments that could dilute benefit-sharing provisions.

• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, also called as Plant Treaty.
• Objective – Conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use.
• It is in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, for sustainable agriculture and food security.
• It is signed by many countries including India.
• Multilateral System (MLS) – It is administered by the ITPGRFA.
• It is a global system facilitating access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and ensuring fair and equitable benefit-sharing among countries.
• It is the International Treaty's truly innovative solution to access and benefit-sharing, which includes 64 of the world’s most important crops.

Proposed Amendments & Concerns

• The Proposed Change Allow all plant species to be included if they have traits useful for food/forage breeding.

Implications on Developing Countries

• Loss of Sovereignty – Developing countries, rich in biodiversity, fear losing sovereign rights over their plants.
• The proposal could force them to share everything under a Standard Material Transfer Agreement, reducing their say.
• Unfair Benefits – The current system ensures benefits return to providers. Expanding access might dilute this, favouring richer nations or corporations.
• Bio piracy Risk – Free access could lead to exploitation, including “digital bio piracy,” where genetic data is used without permission.
• Food Security Threat – Instead of protecting food crops for global hunger, this might weaken local farmers and seed systems.

Reference

Down to Earth | Plant Treaty