:: The International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources

This paper presents overall considerations on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The ITPGRFA, reflecting the new orientation given by the Biodiversity Convention, emphasizes the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, their sustainable use and benefit sharing. The ITPGRFA focuses on issues not addresed in other international treaties such as farmers' rights but it does not addresses directly patents or plant breeders' rights covered in the TRIPS Agreement and the UPOV Convention respectively.