Research Articles Colombia joins the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources to strengthen its agricultural sector
In the framework of the COP16 on Biodiversity - with Colombia as the host country of this global event held from Oct 21-Nov 1, 2024 - the country reinforces its commitment to agricultural biodiversity by joining the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). This treaty, already ratified by 152 countries, allows Colombia to access and share the genetic diversity needed to meet the challenges of climate change and food security.
In a world constantly being transformed by natural, economic and social factors, genetic diversity is key to adopting and developing new crop varieties and ensuring food security. How do you conserve this diversity and ensure its availability for future generations? The answer to these challenges lies in the global cooperation facilitated by the International Treaty, which not only supports the science of crop improvement, but also enables equitable and sustainable access to plant genetic resources.
The FAO estimates that during the 20th century, about 75% of the world's agricultural biodiversity was lost, due to factors such as land use change, climate change and the replacement of traditional crop varieties with more productive hybrids. In this context, ensuring genetic diversity is essential for the development of new crop varieties that can withstand the planet's changing conditions. However, the process of exchanging plant genetic resources between countries has become increasingly complex, often requiring extensive bilateral negotiations. This is where the ITPGRFA plays a crucial role, facilitating exchange and ensuring that benefits are shared fairly.
Also known as the International Seed Treaty, adopted at the 31st session of the FAO Conference in Rome in 2001, it is an agreement that helps ensure food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world's plant genetic materials for food and agriculture.
The development of productive food crop varieties depends on the confluence and use of multiple varieties and materials for breeding, research and education of resources for food and agriculture. The ITPGRFA allows cooperation and exchange between countries with diverse environmental contexts, thus making it possible to develop varieties adapted to local conditions by crossing and researching materials from several countries.
The ITPGRFA has a broader focus than just benefiting crop breeding programs. Since the beginning, it was designed as a tool to highlight and protect the conservation work of all farming communities around the world. The Treaty recognizes and values the fundamental role of farming communities that have conserved plant genetic resources to this day. It also seeks to establish mechanisms to ensure equitable and fair participation in the benefits derived from the utilization of these genetic resources. In this way, the Treaty encourages the conservation of these resources to be maintained in the future, promoting sustainability and protecting the traditional knowledge and practices of these farming communities.
A single hidden gene in a variety could be the difference between a robust crop and one with less favorable results due to climate change.
The ITPGRFA and its importance for Colombia
For Colombia, being part of the Treaty is essential for the development of its agricultural sector, since the country depends to a large extent on access to plant genetic resources from other countries in the world.
According to official figures, Colombia's dependence on foreign phytogenetic resources is between 84 and 94%.
The Treaty becomes even more important when facing challenges to production systems such as climate change and variability, low productivity and pests and diseases. A clear example of this is the arrival of banana and plantain crop wilt caused by the fungus Fusarium Raza Tropical 4 (FOC R4T) in Latin America, with Colombia being the first country affected after the first case was confirmed in 2019. In this context, and considering the importance of the crop for the country's food security and rural employment, the ITPGRFA provides advantages by facilitating access to banana and plantain genetic diversity that Colombia currently doesn't have, for example, varieties from Papua New Guinea.
The Treaty also responds to challenges such as malnutrition and obesity by accelerating seed improvement processes with simpler and more practical exchange rules. An example of this is the development of biofortified bean varieties based on materials from Peru and Mesoamerica. Among these is the Bio 101 bean - a drought-resistant variety that has benefited 36,607 Colombian families through the Harvest Plus Program, today a program of Biofortified Beans - together with the National Federation of Cereal, Legume and Soybean Growers (FENALCE), the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation Agrosavia and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ratification process
Between 1996 and 2000, Colombia was an active participant in the negotiation of the Treaty. Over the last three years, a technical advisory team has been formed to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the process of ratifying the Treaty in Colombia. This technical team, led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, is made up of Agrosavia, FAO and the National University of Colombia (UNAL).
"The collaboration between FAO and the Alliance in Colombia was key in driving the legislative initiative that led to the country's signing of the Treaty. We hope that the collaboration can be further strengthened to effectively promote the implementation of the Treaty, with the participation of all organizations and stakeholders that have contributed to the 360-degree dialogue," says Francisco Lopez, FAO International Treaty Technical Officer based in Rome, Italy.
Thanks to the efforts of all actors involved, Law 2285 of 2023 was issued on January 5, 2024, which has already undergone a review by the Constitutional Court, making Colombia one of the 152 countries that are part of the Treaty.
"Being part of a common cause for the benefit of so many Colombians and the future of our agriculture and agrobiodiversity with the approval of this Treaty, defines us not only as a key player in the agricultural sector of our country, but also as a promoter of the welfare of those communities and peoples, who with their seeds and ancestral knowledge make it possible that even today we enjoy a food identity," says Mauricio Parra Quijano, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the UNAL, Bogota.
"It has been wonderful for the technical advisory team to put scientific, political and technical expertise at the service of Colombia's legislative advancement to benefit from international instruments that can leverage equitable and sustainable rural development in our country. We hope to continue supporting the National Government in terms of legislative innovation and in the implementation of the Treaty to continue positioning Colombia as a world agrifood power," said Carolina Navarrete Frías, Senior Advisor on Environmental Policies and Biodiversity, who led this initiative for the ratification of the Treaty, together with the support of the Legal Office and scientists from the Alliance, and the technical advisory team formed by AGROSAVIA, UNAL and FAO - Rome and Colombia.
More information
Policy influence through scientific communities: Achievements and challenges in Colombia’s path to ratifying the International Plant Genetic Resources Treaty
Senior Policy Advisor on Environmental Policy and Biodiversity
