Regional European workshop on the Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and Farmers’ Rights

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was signed in 2001 to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and recognize the contribution of farmers to protecting and developing plant genetic resources over generations. Two key components of the Treaty are Article 6 on the sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and Article 9 on Farmers’ Rights. The Treaty entered into force in 2004, but few steps have been taken towards the implementation of these articles, and few Contracting Parties have contributed funding to the conservation and renewal of agricultural biodiversity through the Benefit-Sharing Fund.

In this respect and in preparation for the next Governing Body meeting in Bali in March 2011, the European Coordination for Farmers’ Seeds – Let’s Liberate Diversity! in collaboration with other organizations is convening a regional  European workshop in Szeged, Hungary, on February 24, 2011 with the aim of presenting bottlenecks and experiences for a thorough implementation of the Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic resources for Food and Agriculture and Farmers’ Rights in Europe. The workshop will focus on the relationship between Articles 6 and 9 of the Treaty, taking into account the positions of different stakeholders whose views are usually excluded from the Treaty Negotiations. 

The event is organised with the financial support of the Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG) of the Swiss Confederation.