February 2013: The report on the first round of the project cycle of the Benefit-sharing Fund, published by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR), has been made available online. It contains financial and technical information related to the overall operation of the first project portfolio of the Benefit-sharing Fund, provides an overview of its results and presents a number of lessons learned and recommendations drawn from the execution of the first round of the project cycle.

According to the report, from 2009-2011, the Benefit-sharing Fund contributed towards strengthening the capacities of more than 6,000 farmers and supported the collection of over 360 accessions of traditional varieties and crop wild relatives, as well as the characterization for useful traits of more than 2,200 accessions of varieties held on-farm and in gene banks. It contributed to ongoing activities for the identification and/or breeding of more than 270 accessions – which exhibit high yield, resistance to climate stress, tolerance to crop disease, or a combination thereof – and the distribution of locally adapted planting material to more than 1,800 farmers. Over 1,700 accessions of crops addressed by the portfolio will be made available under the terms and conditions of the Multilateral System of access and benefit-sharing of the Treaty, which is expected to multiply the Benefit-sharing Fund’s impact globally. It is noted that, in spite of the modest investment when compared to other global level initiatives focused on safeguarding biodiversity, strengthening food security and climate change adaptation, the first project portfolio of the Benefit-sharing Fund has made a notable contribution towards the achievement of these global priorities. Overall, the results of the first cycle have built a strong case for supporting the continuation of this initiative and larger scale investment in future project cycles.

The ITPGR Secretariat opened the first call for proposals in November 2008, inviting organizations that work on crop diversity and are based in ITPGR parties to apply for project grants under the Benefit-sharing Fund. Out of more than 400 pre-proposals initially received, eleven projects in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Near East were approved in May 2009, with a maximum individual budget of US$ 50,000, amounting to a total portfolio of over half a million USD. Italy, Norway, Spain and Switzerland were the donors of the portfolio.

The Benefit-sharing Fund is a multilateral fund that invests directly in high impact projects that support developing countries farmers in the conservation of crop diversity in their fields and that assist farmers and breeders globally to adapt crops to changing needs and demands. It is replenished through voluntary contributions from parties and other donors, as well as commercial benefits that may arise from the use of material from the Multilateral System. The second round is currently being implemented, supporting a portfolio of 19 projects with a total investment of over US$ 5.5 million, while the launch of the third call for proposals is scheduled for 2013. [Publication: Report on the First Round of the Project Cycle of the Benefit-sharing Fund][Benefit-sharing Fund Website][IISD RS Sources]