“Plant Genetic Resources and Its Regulatory System”

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, BANGALORE

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING

M.Sc. Seminar – GPB 628 (0+1)

“Plant Genetic Resources and Its Regulatory System”

As the world is moving forward into an uncertain future, climate change, dwindling water supplies, the emergence of new pests and diseases, loss of arable land, and population growth are threatening our food security. For these reasons, plant breeders need to mine global plant genetic resource (PGR) collections for variation. However, the PGR collections are large and difficult to evaluate in their entirety as we search for desirable traits. PGRs are a gold mine, and substantial long-term investment is required to conserve and create diversity. Without intelligent and judicious use of PGRs, it will be difficult to achieve sustainable advances in agricultural production¹.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the first global agreement aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It was negotiated in response to global concerns on biodiversity loss, adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992, and entered into force in December 1993. In its early stages, PGRs were considered the "common heritage of mankind," facilitating unrestricted global exchange. The CBD introduced the principle of national sovereignty over biological resources, requiring prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms for access. This shift complicated the exchange of PGRs essential for agriculture and food security. The CBD's emphasis on national sovereignty over genetic resources highlighted the need for a specialized treaty to manage plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, leading to the establishment of the ITPGRFA².

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), also known as the "Seed Treaty," is a legally binding agreement under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The ITPGRFA is considered a complementary instrument to the CBD, forming part of the international regime on access and benefit-sharing. Together with the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol, it contributes to the overarching framework governing the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources³.

The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FRA), 2001, is a pioneering legislation enacted by the Government of India to establish a system for protecting the rights of both plant breeders and farmers. This Act seeks to encourage the development of new plant varieties while recognizing and safeguarding the traditional rights of farmers to save, use, exchange, and sell seeds.

The conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources are critical for global food security and environmental resilience. International treaties like the CBD, ITPGRFA, and Nagoya Protocol provide overarching frameworks, while national laws tailor these principles to local contexts. Continuous collaboration and adherence to these regulations are essential to safeguard PGRs for future generations⁴.

REFERENCES

1. Romesh, K. S. and Bhagirath, S. C., 2023. Genetic Diversity, Conservation, and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources. Genes, 14(1): 174.

2. Alvin, C. and Anastasiya, I., 2011. Convention on Biological Diversity: A review of national challenges and opportunities for implementation. Biodivers. Conserv., 20: 3295–3316.

3. Aditi, M., 2023. International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. SSRN. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4474036

4. [Add missing reference if available; the text indicates a fourth citation but it was not listed.]