Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

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    The Inventory

    This online version of the Inventory presents, for each measure, the title and a brief description with information on implementing organization(s), start year, objectives, core elements, key outcomes, and, if applicable, lessons learned. It thus allows users to quickly identify those examples that may be of interest to them. A hyperlink to the original submission is provided, which includes additional information, such as on the history and context of the presented measure, challenges encountered, or target groups reached. In this way, users can get a more comprehensive idea of the measure in question and the specific context for which it was developed.
     
    To facilitate navigation, the Inventory is subdivided into eleven categories. Measures or practices that fall under more than one category are listed under each one that applies. Furthermore, information is provided on the type(s) of measures that are typically involved, such as technical, administrative, legal, and/or others, and on the relevant sub-article of Article 9 that is addressed. Additional search options allow searching by country, region, free text and keyword.
     
     
     
     
     
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    Number of records: 233

    16) Enhancing capacity for climate change adaptation by helping farmers to access genetic resources from the multilateral system of access and benefit sharing

    From 2016 to October 2019, the International Treaty’s Benefit Sharing Fund supported the implementation of a project "Promoting Open Source Seed Systems for Beans, Millet and Sorghum for Climate Change Adaptation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda." Implemented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in cooperation with the relevant national research institutes and NGOs. The project was aimed to improve adaptation to climate change and enhance the resource-poor farmers’ food and nutrition security, through the availability, sustainable management and use of a wider range of quality seed varieties – including sorghum, finger millet and beans. The project facilitated 749 genebank accessions of sorghum, finger millet and beans. These varieties were tested through various participatory variety selection both on-station and on-farm, then the selected varieties were further subjected to nutritional analysis. The best performing varieties were then put in catalogues and disseminated to various breeding programs and farming communities. Two community seedbanks were also established to enhance in situ conservation but also to provide access to seeds for over 3000 farmers. The project established knowledge sharing and learning platforms and supported stakeholders in key policy discussions around the implementation of access and benefit-sharing policies; registration of farmers’ varieties and commercialization through QDS systems including open-source seed systems.

    Category: 6.Facilitation of farmers’ access to a diversity of PGRFA through community seed banks, seed networks and other measures improving farmers’ choices of a wider diversity of PGRFA.

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    17) Strengthening seed delivery systems for dryland cereals and legumes in drought-prone areas of Uganda: the Cluster Granary Seed (CGS) project (updated in May 2021)

    In 2016, the Cluster Granary Seed Project was implemented in three districts of Uganda, led by the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute of NARO, in partnership with World Vision Uganda, the National Plant Genetic Resource Centre and farmer groups. The goal was to contribute to enhancing food security and climate change adaptation in drought-prone areas by strengthening seed systems of target crops, including sorghum, finger-millet, pearl-millet, cowpea, pigeon pea, and groundnut. Specific objectives were to: (1) assemble the diverse local and improved genetic resources; (2) establish an effective and sustainable seed delivery model for increasing access to quality seeds, and (3) build the capacity of farming communities to produce and conserve seeds. Over 300 local and improved genetic resources of the target crops were assembled and characterized through farmer-led demonstrations. As a result, 30 farmer groups are now producing and conserving quality seeds for their communities. A ‘cluster granary’ seed delivery model was developed and operationalized, and over 1500 households have benefited through seed sharing, training sessions, voluntary visits to demonstration sites, World Food Day Celebrations, ‘Plant Clinics’, interaction with scientists, and participating in national agricultural shows and related events. Lessons learned include that capacity building of farmers to produce in diversity and conservation of quality seeds and deliberate conservation for future use is important.

    Category: 6.Facilitation of farmers’ access to a diversity of PGRFA through community seed banks, seed networks and other measures improving farmers’ choices of a wider diversity of PGRFA.

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    18) Safeguarding threatened coconut diversity within the upgraded International Coconut Genebank for the South Pacific

    The Pacific Community (SPC) is a focal point for the project which will be implemented by partners from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and COGENT. The project agreement was signed in December 2020 and project activities will start in June 2021. The project objectives are to safeguard threatened germplasm within the ICG-SP by duplication in Fiji and Samoa and to empower farmers to implement in situ conservation of coconut diversity in each of the Pacific countries. Components of the project will involve training in-country, some virtual training, in vitro transfer and field genebank establishment in three countries. Key outcomes will be: (1) characterisation and documentation of a number of priority cultivars in the three countries; and (2) consultation and identification of women and men farmers and sites for in situ conservation of identified coconut diversity in three countries. The collaborative work will contribute to achieving the specific goal of CFP4 as well as the wider goals of the Treaty, in the field of coconut genetic resources conservation and use. Selected farmers will also provide sites for conserving new germplasm identified and thus be involved in conservation and possibly subsequent participatory breeding efforts.

    Category: 5.In-situ/on farm conservation and management of PGRFA, such as social and cultural measures, community biodiversity management and conservation sites

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    19) Participation of farmers in the conservation and use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as their involvement in decision-making at local and national level

    In 2019, the Agricultural University of Tirana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other private stakeholders started implementing the project titled: "Identification, evaluation and genetic improvement of some local crop varieties to face with impact of climate change, increase the productivity, food security and on-farm incomes, for poor farmers in remote mountainous areas in Albania". The core components of the project include: (1) creating awareness on the effects of climate change and the importance of agrobiodiversity conservation, (2) identification, collection and characterization of locally adapted crop varieties of maize and beans, to be used by farmers, (3) improvement of local crop varieties, seed multiplication and distribution to farmers, (4) strengthening of seed system capacities to provide quality seed of adapted local cultivars, among others. Some of the key outcomes of the project include: supporting farmers to maintain and conserve agro-biodiversity in areas vulnerable to climate change and food insecurity, in addition to strengthening of research capacities to produce locally adapted varieties. The lessons learned by the implementation of the measure are that participatory approaches that directly involve beneficiaries during implementation, enhance the success and sustainability of the activity, and that the direct participation of farmers plus cooperation with scientific institutions are key for success.

    Category: 7.Participatory approaches to research on PGRFA, including characterization and evaluation, participatory plant breeding and variety selection

    Type of measure/practice: Technical

    20) Plant Variety Protection in Practice in Vietnam: The Pains in the Gains Achieved (An assessment of the PVP Law Implementation in Vietnam)

    In 2019, SEARICE carried out a research study to assess the impacts of implementing the 1991 Act of the UPOV to various stakeholders in Vietnam since its accession in 2006. The research study was inspired by several other working papers using a multi-stakeholder assessment and focusing on its analysis of lasting effects on developing countries’ seed sector. It was aimed at challenging the claims of UPOV on the effect to the PVP system on annual yield increases of crops in the country. The study revealed that while plant breeding is necessary, agricultural development must be detached from the notion that a draconian plant variety protection law is a fundamental prerequisite. Furthermore, the PVP system showed marginal effects in crop development, is incompatible with the structure of the seed sector and public institutions, and, as it concentrates on rice, may even affect research and development on all other crops. Finally, a sui generis PVP system remains to be the best path to take for Vietnam, and other developing countries considering accession to UPOV.

    Category: 11.Other measures / practices

    Type of measure/practice: Legal; Others