Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
This document contains the full text of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, adopted under the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Treaty establishes objectives for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use. Key components include Farmers’ Rights, a Multilateral System of facilitated access and benefit-sharing (including a standard Material Transfer Agreement), provisions on conservation (in situ and ex situ), the Global Plan of Action, capacity-building and technology transfer, financial provisions and a funding strategy, institutional arrangements (a Governing Body and a Secretary), compliance and dispute-settlement mechanisms, and annexes listing crops covered by the Multilateral System and arbitration/conciliation procedures. The Treaty also addresses relations with International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR IARCs), the Global Information System, and priority measures for support to developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
Key topics: plant genetic resources, access and benefit-sharing, Farmers’ Rights, multilateral system, material transfer agreement, governance, FAO, genebanks
