FAO’s International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture signs agreements with two genebanks in Africa

Kent Nnadozie, the Secretary of FAO’s International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, signed two Letters of Intent to provide support essential for safeguarding seed collections of two international genebanks in Africa this week.

″The world’s collections of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) play a vital role in safeguarding the foundations of our food supply,″ said Secretary Nnadozie of the International Treaty. ″Agreements such as the ones signed this week with CIFOR-ICRAF, in Nairobi, Kenya, and with the World Vegetable Center Africa, in Arusha, Tanzania, are intended to help fill funding gaps, in order to maintain these vital collections,″ he explained.

The funds to be allocated under these Agreements are part of the ″Joint Funding Facility″ of the International Treaty and the Global Crop Diversity Trust, created to safeguard seed collections in genebanks around the world, and is supported by funds from the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency (NORAD).

1.  Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)

The International Treaty Secretary Kent Nnadozie and CIFOR-ICRAF Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Éliane Ubalijoro

The first Letter of Intent was signed between International Treaty Secretary Nnadozie and CIFOR-ICRAF Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Éliane Ubalijoro, on 01 March 2024, to provide essential support for the operations of the tree genebank at the Center in Kenya.

″The tree genebank at CIFOR-ICRAF contains the largest collection of agroforestry tree genetic resources, which are vital for agroforestry systems, and vital for sustainable livelihoods in rural areas in Africa,″ said Secretary Kent Nnadozie.

″Looking forward to working together with Dr Kent Nnadozie and FAO to safeguard tree diversity and ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place for the right purpose, benefiting generations to come,″ said CEO Élaine Ubalijoro.

This Agreement will provide approximately USD 740,000 over 2024 and 2025for CIFOR-ICRAF to continue safeguarding tree diversity, domesticating tree species, and providing tree growers with the most suitable planting material for their specific needs.

2. World Vegetable Center Africa 

The International Treaty Secretary Kent Nnadozie and World Vegetable Center Africa Associate Director General, Gabriel Rugalema and Beatrice Banzi, Assistant Director, Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania.

The second Letter of Intent was signed between International Treaty Secretary Nnadozie and World Vegetable Center Africa Associate Director General, Gabriel Rugalema, on 06 March 2024 in Arusha, Tanzania, in the presence of Beatrice Banzi, Assistant Director, Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania.

″Thanks to the financial support from NORAD, the grant will help conserve the rich diversity of African vegetables, and boost and improve the vegetable agriculture economy in Tanzania and Africa-wide, especially for small scale farmers,″ said International Treaty Secretary Nnadozie.

″Conservation of germplasm requires partnerships such as this one,″ said World Vegetable Center Africa Associate Director, General Rugalema. ″We are really delighted to have this crucial funding, which will enable us to focus on the collection, characterization, conservation and promotion of use of these resources for the greater good of humankind,″ he added.

The Agreement will provide approximately USD 650 000 over 2024 and 2025 to maintain the essential operations of the vegetable genebank at the Center’s genebank facility in Arusha, Tanzania, for the conservation and distribution of seed samples to farmers, researchers and plant breeders in Africa and around the world.

The third agreement to be signed under the Joint Funding Facility is slated with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) located in Hyderabad, India, with numerous stations in Africa.

These funds are earmarked to enable safeguarding of the world’s vital collections of seeds and other PGRFA, both on the field and in ex situ facilities, that comprise the basis of the world’s plant-based food supply. The Joint Funding Facility has been created in response to the request of the International Treaty’s Governing Body to mobilize support for the maintenance of collections held by international institutions who have committed to fostering food security and sustainable agriculture under the International Treaty.

The three collections of crop germplasm held by international institutions earmarked to receive support from the Joint Funding Facility collectively manage collections of over 140 000 accessions of cereals, grain legumes, vegetables, and agroforestry tree species.

The material conserved in these international genebanks are accessible worldwide to produce food from plants, under the terms of the International Treaty’s Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing, which is currently the largest global exchange mechanism for PGRFA.