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<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><A name=story7><B><FONT face=verdana
color=#339966 size=-1>Treaty on biodiversity to become law: 48 countries have
ratified first ever legally binding treaty on biodiversity for food and
agriculture</FONT></B><BR><FONT face=Verdana>March 31, 2004<BR>FAO Press
Release<BR>http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2004/39887/index.html <BR>Rome -
Twelve European countries and the European Community have ratified the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
triggering the 90-day countdown to the Treaty's entry into force, the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today. <BR>The latest ratifications
bring to 48 the number of countries worldwide that have ratified the agreement,
which will therefore enter into force on 29 June 2004. <BR>The Treaty will
ensure that plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, which are vital
for human survival, are conserved and sustainably used and that benefits from
their use are equitably and fairly distributed. <BR>"This is a legally binding
treaty that will be crucial for the sustainability of agriculture," said FAO
Director-General Dr Jacques Diouf. "The Treaty is an important contribution to
the achievement of the World Food Summit's major objective of halving the number
of hungry people by 2015". <BR>"Years of multilateral negotiations under the
auspices of FAO's Intergovernmental Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture have finally been successful," said José Esquinas-Alcázar, Secretary
of the Commission. <BR>"The Treaty provides an international legal framework
that will be a key element in ensuring food security, now and in the future. The
challenge is now to ensure that the treaty becomes operative in all countries."
<BR>Tribute to the past and guarantee for present and future <BR>Most of the
world's poor farmers depend on the use of genetic biodiversity for their income
and living. <BR>Experience and knowledge gained over many generations have made
possible the development and conservation of thousands of agricultural crop
varieties which otherwise would have been lost forever. <BR>The Treaty
recognizes and protects this legacy and develops the innovative principle of
Farmers' Rights. <BR>Genetic erosion <BR>Despite the efforts of farmers, there
has been a dramatic reduction of biodiversity. Since the beginning of
agriculture, around 10,000 species have been used in food and fodder production.
Today just 150 crops feed most human beings and just 12 crops provide 80% of
food energy (wheat, rice, maize and potato alone provide 60%). <BR>Some of the
poorest countries are among the richest in terms of genetic diversity.
<BR>Genetic resources and food security <BR>Access to a wide range of genetic
resources will make possible the development of a greater variety of food
products, which will improve the lives and diets of consumers in both rural and
urban areas. <BR>The Treaty will institute, for the first time, a multilateral
system of facilitated access and benefits-sharing for the crops and forages most
important for food security. <BR>Scientists, international research centres and
plant breeders from public and private organizations will benefit from enhanced
access to genetic biodiversity. <BR>The multilateral system will also ensure the
fair sharing of benefits derived from the use of genetic resources, in
particular for farmers in developing countries that have for centuries
contributed to the conservation of genetic resources. <BR>The system also
provides for the obligatory sharing of monetary benefits arising from
utilisation, including from commercialisation of new varieties by the private
sector. </FONT><BR></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
size=2>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>"Wir brauchen keine
Bio-Terroristen, wenn wir Gentechniker haben."<BR>Independent Science Panel (<A
href="http://www.indsp.org">www.indsp.org</A>; dt.Ü. <A
href="http://www.indsp.org/ISPgerman.pdf">www.indsp.org/ISPgerman.pdf</A>)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>