12 December 2014
ITPGR Holds Regional Workshops for Benefit-Sharing Fund Project Applicants
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The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) organized a series of regional workshops for those preparing to submit full proposals to be funded under the third cycle of the Treaty's Benefit-Sharing Fund.

ITPGRDecember 2014: The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) organized a series of regional workshops for those preparing to submit full proposals to be funded under the third cycle of the Treaty’s Benefit-Sharing Fund.

These workshops were held between 30 October and 14 November 2014 in Ecuador, for applicants from Latin America, in Egypt, for applicants from the Near East and Africa, and in Malaysia, for applicants from Asia and South-West Pacific. They were organized in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Representation in Ecuador, the FAO Regional Office for the Near East, and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute. The workshops provided technical information and support to the applicants of the third call for project proposals under the Benefit-Sharing Fund on the main aspects and requirements for submitting full project proposals. They also provided a general overview of the Treaty and all its mechanisms. In addition, the workshops included individual coaching sessions to individual applicants to provide advice on how to develop high-quality, technically sound full project proposals. Participants included scientists, genebank curators, farmers, non-governmental organization representatives and government officials.

“In addition to providing a forum for knowledge-sharing, capacity-development and training, these regional workshops also provided an excellent opportunity to train a new generation of PGRFA researchers and experts in the development and use of the main operational mechanisms of the Treaty,” said Shakeel Bhatti, ITPGR Secretary. “The workshops raised awareness among current and future stakeholders about the conceptual framework and operational principles of the International Treaty and its Benefit-Sharing Fund.”

It is recalled that the third cycle of the ITPGR Benefit-Sharing Fund will be investing over US10 million in high-impact projects aimed at contributing to global food security through the management of crop diversity. [ITPGR News Release] [ITPGR Benefit-Sharing Fund Webpage]

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