The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture not only supports the conservation and safeguarding of our existing diversity of agricultural crops, it also defines a system for ensuring that plant breeders have access to the genetic materials they need to develop those crops increasing the world's potential for sustainable agricultural production, and improved food security. (English)

An aggressive plant disease wiped out much of the cassava crop in the Great Lakes region of Africa, where cassava is a major source of food. In Burundi, farmers now have access to a disease-tolerant variety, thanks to regional cooperation and an EC-funded FAO project. (English)

Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, talks about the Multilateral System of access and benefit-sharing of the International Treaty and the definition of genetic material during the Second Session of Governing Body. (English)

In today's world the pressure is on to improve agricultural production and the International Treaty facilitates the access to genetic resources and the benefit-sharing. The crops that produce our food are put into a common pool. (Spanish)