24 March 2015: Meeting from 2-3 March 2015, in Rome, Italy, the Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Sustainable Use of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) made recommendations for the development of a toolbox to support implementation of the Treaty’s programme of work on sustainable use, including an initial focus on uses of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) that may expand the genetic base of crops.

The toolbox is considered a practical instrument to assist users at the country level. Among others, the Committee recommended tools for: promoting and making available landraces and farmers’ varieties; pre-breeding and its increased relevance with respect to ongoing activities related to crop wild relatives and landrace conservation and characterization; and establishing linkages between PGRFA management and nutrition issues. The Committee further emphasized the direct complementarity between in situ and ex situ conservation and on-farm management approaches, and the importance of involving farming communities at regional and local levels.

In addition, the Committee provided guidance for the update of the programme of work on sustainable use including: support to formal and informal seed systems; wider consideration of farmers’ needs and use of farmers’ varieties; value of genomics, phenomics and other characterization and evaluation techniques for crop improvement; and strengthened connection to the Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund. The Committee’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Treaty’s Governing Body, which will meet in October 2015, in Rome, Italy. [ITPGR Press Release][Meeting Documents][Meeting Report]