The Tenth Session of the Governing Body (GB-10) was convened under the provisions of Article 19 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). It was open to all Contracting Parties to the ITPGRFA and observers.
20 – 24 November 2023. Rome, Italy.
GB-10 Key Messages:
- Biodiversity is the basis of life on Earth: Biodiversity is fundamental to human existence and well-being, a healthy planet, and economic prosperity for all people, including for living well in balance and in harmony with Mother Earth. Our future food security depends on biodiversity but despite ongoing efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide at rates unprecedented in human history. The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) marks a watershed moment in universal recognition of the biodiversity loss crisis and the global resolve to safeguard it before it is too late. Safeguarding our future is only possible by safeguarding all life forms on our planet.
- Conserving and sharing crop diversity is essential for human and planetary well-being: It is essential to safeguard genetic diversity of seeds and other plant genetic resources, upon which the world depends for food, nutrition and agriculture. The conservation and the sharing of plant genetic resources of a wide basket of food and forage plants, not only the major staple crops, will be critical for future global food security, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic well-being. We can effectively safeguard biodiversity and ensure equitable access and benefit sharing. Better conservation and use of seed diversity contributes to the transformation of sustainable food systems.
- Seeds lead to innovative solutions: Seeds open the way to innovative solutions that can help safeguard our future. They contain traits that enable crops to withstand tough conditions like drought. This is indispensable in dealing with climate change. Locally-adapted varieties can also have great nutritional profiles, with lots of vitamins and minerals. Conserving all those seeds, in genebanks and in the fields, supports more sustainable farming practices like mixing crops
together or growing trees with food plants. Gene banks and farmers’ fields provide a treasure trove for DNA for cutting-edge breeding technologies. Seeds also play a big role by sustaining Indigenous and cultural heritage, and local livelihoods in harmony with the environment. Seed diversity gives us a real fighting chance at feeding the world sustainably.
International Treaty General Key Messages:
- Saving, Caring & Sharing: The International Treaty makes sure the plants that feed the world continue to exist and remain available for the common good of all. It works around the world to take care of the seeds and plants that feed and nourish us all.
- Multilateral System and Benefit-sharing Fund: The International Treaty’s Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing is currently the largest global genepool for sharing plant genetic material for food and agriculture. It has already enabled more than 6.7 million transfers around the world at an average daily rate of 1 100 transfers a day since 2007. The Benefit sharing Fund of the International Treaty has invested USD 26 million in 81 conservation and sustainable use projects in 67 developing countries, and is currently supporting an additional
28 projects under its fifth project cycle. - Farmers’ Rights: The International Treaty is the first legally-binding international instrument to formally acknowledge the enormous contribution of indigenous people and smallholder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops, and it calls on nations to protect and promote their rights to save and use the seeds they have taken care of for millennia
See more on GB-10 here.
