UN Food and Agriculture Organization announces that genetic data on thousands of rice varieties will be shared globally

Economic Daily, Geneva dispatch, reporter Chen Jian reports: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently issued a press communique stating that the genome sequences of more than 3,000 different rice varieties will be included in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, so that the world can share the genetic information of these different rice varieties. This move is crucial for cultivating and developing more crop varieties and ensuring future food security.

At present, countries and various organizations around the world are working to deposit genetic materials in seed banks, but because they do not have channels to obtain the source data of genetic resources, researchers and plant breeders find it difficult to learn about information such as the genetic resources contained in different categories of seeds deposited in seed banks. With rapid population growth, climate change such as drought, floods and pests is dealing increasingly severe shocks to agricultural production. To meet growing food demand and ensure food security, it is necessary to develop different crop types that are more efficient, cause less environmental damage, and can withstand various climate conditions.

⟦NL> Shakeel · Bhatti, the secretary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization responsible for the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, said that the genetic information on more than 3,000 rice varieties provided by the International Rice Research Institute will be included in the treaty, and this is very important for ensuring future food security.

The sixth session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, held recently, will discuss establishing a globally unified information system for plant genetic resources in order to improve the current multilateral system. This system will be developed and supervised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was reviewed and approved on November 3, 2001, by the 31st Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and officially entered into force on June 29, 2004. Up to now, the treaty has 136 contracting parties. The treaty sets out an international legal framework for the global conservation of and access to crop diversity, and by establishing a global system for access to plant genetic resources, it ensures that users and providers of genetic material can share and sustainably use plant genetic resources.