The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cali, Colombia
Parties and stakeholder groups from all over the world gathered in Cali, Colombia from October 15 to November 1, for the CBD COP16, to discuss the status of the world’s biodiversity. It was the first COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and was coined the ‘COP of Implementation,’ encouraging the shift from plans to action.
As emphasized by the Tenth Session of the Governing Body (GB-10) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the implementation of the International Treaty makes a significant contribution to the achievement of the GBF’s Vision, Goals and Targets. A delegation of the Treaty Secretariat attended the conference’s sessions and negotiations and co-hosted a series of side events at COP16. This summary provides highlights of the International Treaty at CBD COP16.
Highlights
- In perfect timing with Colombia’s hosting of the COP, the Republic of Colombia ratified the International Treaty and was welcomed as the newest Member in several celebratory events at and around COP16.
- The Treaty delegation delivered statements and reported on the key outcomes of GB-10, as well as issues looking ahead to GB-11 with expected Resolutions to be adopted in areas such as multilateral access and benefit-sharing, DSI/GSD, Farmers’ Rights, resource mobilization and others. It called for decisions to reflect mutual supportiveness between the CBD and International Treaty.
- The event “The Multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism of FAO’s Plant Treaty: placing small-scale farmers at the centre of the GBF implementation” brought together a cross section of the Treaty Community attending COP16, including National Focal Points, Benefit-sharing Fund donors and implementors, genebanks, CGIAR and private sector. They discussed approaches and achievements of 20 years of multilateral access and benefit-sharing in the Treaty and lessons for the design and implementation of similar models.
Updates
Welcoming Colombia: “A new member in the Treaty family”
To mark the milestone of Colombia’s ratification of the Treaty and becoming it’s 153rd member, the Colombian Government held a series of celebratory events, including a special session fostering a deeper understanding of the Treaty and underscoring the critical benefits that ratification would bring to Colombia. The session was followed by a cocktail at the FutureSeeds genebank, organized with the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and AGROSAVIA. Both events were attended by the Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Geidi Ortega.
On the COP’s Food Day, on October 28, a high-level engagement between Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Martha Carvajalino, FAO Director of Cabinet, Godfrey Magwenzi, FAO Representative for Colombia Agustín Zimmermann and International Treaty Secretary Kent Nnadozie took place to discuss next steps for cooperation and actions to be taken towards early implementation.
Photo: (From L-R) FAO Director of Cabinet, Godfrey Magwenzi; ITPGRFA Secretary, Kent Nnadozie; Colombian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Martha Carvajalino; former FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo; and FAO Country Representative in Colombia, Agustín Zimmermann, meeting to discuss the path forward after Colombia’s ratification of the International Treaty. ©FAO/Hedwig de Coo
The multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism of FAO’s International Plant Treaty: placing small-scale farmers at the centre of the GBF implementation
The International Treaty entered into force 20 years ago and has pioneered multilateral mechanisms for access and benefit-sharing that are now being used as a model for other UN processes, including for digital sequence information (DSI), biodiversity in oceans and health. With the Treaty’s multilateral mechanisms, including its Benefit- sharing Fund (BSF), currently being strengthened and enhanced, an event hosted in the pavilion of major BSF contributor the European Union, provided a good opportunity to reflect on successes and lessons learned that are also relevant for others working on multilateral approaches.
The event was opened with welcome remarks from Thierry Dudermel, from the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), who outlined the EUs biodiversity strategies and rationale for its steady support to the International Treaty. Experiences were shared from a project on scaling up integrated conservation solutions and farmers’ rights in key diversity hotspots in Bolivia, Chile and Peru, through a community of practice and innovative approaches such as citizen science and e-commerce. It also included an update on the BSF-5 project in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and the project's mainstreaming efforts to create an enabling policy environment for the demonstrated, successful practices from the preceding BSF- 3 project on the use, development and registration of farmer (developed) varieties.
|
|
Photos, left: panel discussion on good practices and lessons for enhancement of a multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism. Right: EU Team leader Biodiversity at DG INTPA Thierry Dudermel. ©FAO/Hedwig de Coo
Food Day session: “Delicious biodiverse foods are our marketing strategy”
FAO hosted the COP16 Food Day on 28 October in the KM-GBF pavilion to map the food- biodiversity-agriculture nexus and discuss biodiversity serving as the foundation of food security and nutrition.
The Treaty, together with the World Wildlife Fund and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT hosted a Session on “Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition,” with a keynote speech from FAO Director of Food and Nutrition division, Lynnette Neufeld, outlining current global nutrition trends: “One of the requirements of a healthy diet is diversity in foods consumed,” she said.
The session’s panel on “involving food actors in safeguarding and using biodiversity” brought perspectives from Catalina Velez, chef and food influencer, Mauro Colagreco, UNESCO ambassador and chef of the globally renowned Mirazur and Yurany López, from the Bogota Earth Market and member of the World Farmers Markets Coalition.
They are also looking at the interface between biodiversity, food and nutrition and described how their work links to climate change resilience and sustainability. With an increased interest in stories behind food, chefs, consumers and other actors can do more to stress the link with biodiversity conservation. Many in the event underlined that a greater alliance of actors is necessary to effectively communicate the link of food and biodiversity, particularly through stories aimed at the key audiences of consumers, youth and young children.
Photo: Chef and UNESCO Ambassador Mauro Colagreco describes his vision on gastronomy for biodiversity. ©IISD/ENB | Mika Schroder
An intercultural approach in food systems and agrobiodiversity
A panel on “Food Systems and Agrobiodiversity: An Intercultural Approach,” organized by the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Crop Trust, shed light on how crop diversity supports farmers, families, and community farming systems as essential pillars of food security, sustainability, and economic transformation.
The lively conversation included the Colombian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, leaders of Amazonian indigenous groups, the Treaty Secretariat and others, and highlighted the crucial role of crop diversity in addressing the climate and nutritional challenges of the global population, from Indigenous communities to urban populations. The discussion emphasized that integrating traditional knowledge with scientific collaboration enables us to boost nutrition, resilience, and food security for all by sustaining diverse, nutritious local food sources.
Photo: panel discussion on the essence of seeds and crop diversity for Amazonian Indigenous communities. ©FAO/Hedwig de Coo
On genebanks’ roles in conserving and promoting a sustainable use of genetic resources
In the side event “From deserts and rainforests to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – genebanks’ role in conserving and promoting a sustainable use of genetic resources,” presenters raised awareness of the important role genebanks have in safeguarding agricultural biodiversity and in contributing to Goal A of the GBF.
International Treaty Deputy Secretary Álvaro Toledo presented on the role of genebanks in emergencies, which safeguard plant genetic resources under threat and resupply seeds to support resilience of local seed systems, but at the same time are at risk due to natural disaster or conflict. He highlighted the Emergency Reserve, a funding provision managed by Crop Trust and the International Treaty in support of genebanks at risk.
Photo: ITPGRFA Deputy Secretary Álvaro Toledo on multilateral cooperation in support of genebanks at risk. ©FAO/Hedwig de Coo
Overview of events
- An overview of all events organized by or with participation of the International Treaty are available here.
- For more updates, follow @PlantTreaty on LinkedIn , X and Facebook.