3 May 2011: The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-PGR) was held from 27-29 April 2011, in Rome, Italy.

The Working Group is tasked with reviewing issues related to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and making recommendations to the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).

At its fifth session, the Working Group welcomed the draft updated “Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,” as clearly reflecting the gaps and needs identified in “The Second Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.” It also considered that the finalized updated “Global Plan of Action” would be a major achievement.

The Working Group also considered the draft revised “Genebank Standards for the Conservation of Orthodox Seeds” as a high-quality draft document reflecting current scientific knowledge and developments in the international context for ex situ conservation of orthodox seeds. It agreed that a finalized document would be a useful instrument for facilitating the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA.

The Working Group emphasized the valuable role of the Facilitating Mechanism for the implementation of the “Global Plan of Action” and stressed the importance of the National Information Sharing Mechanisms for informing decision-making on plant genetic resources at the national level.

The Working Group also noted with satisfaction the achievements of the FAO-led Global Partnership Initiative on Plant Breeding Capacity Building, highlighting the importance of plant breeding to address climate change and the need for capacity development and long term national strategies for strengthening linkages between the conservation of plant germplasm, crop improvement, and the dissemination of quality seeds and planting materials.

It also stressed the importance of and need for on-farm management of PGRFA and in situ conservation of crop wild relatives, especially in light of global challenges such as climate change. The need for coordination between the CGRFA and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) in all relevant areas of PGRFA was emphasized. [IISD RS sources] [Meeting Documents]