Access to genetic materials is through the collections in the world's gene banks. These can include collections of local seeds kept in small refrigeration units of research labs, national seed collections housed in government ministries or research center collections that contain all known varieties of a crop from around the world.

   Under the Treaty, collections of local, national and international gene banks will be put in the public domain. This includes the vast collections of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a consortium of 15 international research centers.

   In addition, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the Treaty's funding mechanism, is committed to raise the funds that will endow the gene banks and ensure their continued viability.

   Those who access genetic materials through the Multilateral System agree that they will freely share any new developments with others for further research or, if they want to keep the developments to themselves, they agree to pay a percentage of any commercial benefits they derive from their research into a common fund to support conservation and further development of agriculture in the developing world.

   Those funds can be used for building capacity, accessing and transferring technology, and making information available.