Dutch activities in the area of Benefit-Sharing

Implementing the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

The Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative 2: Strengthening National Capacities to Implement the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Bioversity International, one of the CG Centres for international agricultural research is the main executing agency. The project aims to: promote the participation of countries in the multilateral system of Access and Benefit-Sharing of the ITPGRFA; identify means to improve countries’ access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; and pursue options to benefit from other aspects of the ITPGRFA. The project is under the overall coordination and guidance framework of the Joint Capacity Building Programme for Developing Countries on the Implementation of the Treaty and its Multilateral System, run by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Treaty Secretariat and Bioversity International. The project encompasses initiatives for policy, research and capacity-building activities and involves teams from Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Nepal, Rwanda and Uganda.

Support for the Global Crop Diversity Trust

In the period 2011 – 2012, the Netherlands has pledged US$ 2.5 million to the Global Crop Diversity Trust that forms part of the funding strategy of the ITPGRFA. The Trust’s mission is to ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide through the support of unique crop collections worldwide in perpetuity. The Trust has an endowment fund to execute this mission. Activities and funding contribute to the cost of the long-term conservation of unique GRFA held in ex situ collections.

Bilateral collaboration towards implementation of Access and Benefit-Sharing legislation

The Government of the Netherlands has supported several bilateral projects focussing on the implementation of Access and Benefit-Sharing legislation and regulations in a number of countries including China, India (government to government), Kenya, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Namibia (stakeholder parties in-country).

Wageningen UR courses on plant genetic resources policies

The Centre for Development Innovation (CDI) and the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) of Wageningen UR annually organize short-term post-graduate courses on plant genetic resources policies, including Access and Benefit-Sharing. WUR is supported by the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs (through NUFFIC). Information on these courses is available on the website of CDI.