Monopoly on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture may trigger international disputes. To anticipate these, the fourth meeting of The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) will be held in Bali on 14-18 March 2011. Such was expressed by IAARD Director General Dr. Haryono accompanied by the Director of Indonesian Research Center for Biotechnology and Agricultural Genetic Resources Development Dr. Karden Mulya, ITPGRFA Secretary Dr. Shakeel Batti and Echelon II officials within IAARD. FAO through resolution 3/2001 determined ITPGRFA or International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that has been rectified by 121 countries including European country community. Indonesia also rectifies the agreement. All member countries commit to include genetic resources into a multilateral system and all parties can access it. The meeting to be held in Bali will be started by Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Climate Change with a theme the role of ITPGTFA in facing challenges against food sustainability and climate change and scheduled to be opened by the President of the Republic of Indonesia on 11 March 2011. It is estimated that around 600 participants from 121 countries and 40 prospective member countries will attend the meeting which will focus on improving Benefit Sharing Fund (BSF). BSF can be used by small scale farmers in developing countries on the areas of management and conservation of germplasm, the use of sustainable germplasm, information exchange, technology transfer and farmer capacity building. ITPGRFA also promotes benefit sharing between the donors and recipients of genetic resources and forbids patenting and protection of intellectual rights on all genetic elements currently the property of public as long as they are still in the forms as they are received.

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