Colombia is 153rd Country to Ratify International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

On October 22, 2024, a special event was held at the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity  (CBD COP16) in Cali to celebrate Colombia's ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The Republic of Colombia has deposited its instrument of ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and will become the 153rd Contracting Party.

“I warmly welcome Colombia to the Plant Treaty family. This is a significant milestone not only for Colombia but for FAO and the entire global community. By ratifying the International Treaty, Colombia strengthens its international commitment towards the conservation of biodiversity and can implement a new policy and legal framework to sustainably use the crop genetic resources that form the basis of the world's basket, and which are indispensable for achieving global food security and climate resilience,” said Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty.

As a Contracting Party, Colombia gains access to the International Treaty's Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing, currently the largest global exchange mechanism of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in the world, providing access to over 2.4 million unique PGRFA accessions. In addition, Colombia will qualify to apply for grants under the International Treaty's Benefit-sharing Fund, which has supported 108 projects in 78 developing countries, benefitting over 1 million people, to date.

For more details, read the article in the FAO website.