Preparatory action on EU plant and animal genetic resources. Executive summary

Transcription

1 Preparatory action on EU plant and animal genetic resources Executive summary

2 KF EN-N EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate E Economic analysis, perspectives and evaluation agri-evaluation@ec.europa.eu European Commission B-1049 Brussels

3 Preparatory action on EU plant and animal genetic resources Executive summary Authors: - Valdani Vicari & Associati (VVA) - Arcadia International E.E.I.G. - Wageningen University (WUR) including Centre for Genetic Resource, the Netherlands (CGN), Plant Research International (PRI) and the socio-economics research institute (LEI) - Fungal Biodiversity Centre of the Royal Academy of Arts and Science (CBS-KNAW) - Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity of the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE-IBV) Date: September 2016

4 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet ( Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 Catalogue number KF EN-N ISBN Doi / European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in [EN] Authors: Valdani Vicari & Associati (VVA); Arcadia International E.E.I.G.; Wageningen University (WUR) including Centre for Genetic Resource, the Netherlands (CGN), Plant Research International (PRI) and the socio-economics research institute (LEI); Fungal Biodiversity Centre of the Royal Academy of Arts and Science (CBS-KNAW); Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity of the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE-IBV) Date: September 2016

5 AIM OF THE PREPARATORY ACTION Preserving and fostering the use of genetic resources is vital in order to enable competitiveness for the agricultural, forestry and food sectors. Agricultural genetic diversity is linked to traditional practices and knowledge. Therefore, it contributes to sustaining local agricultural structures in changing economic environments. The sustainable management of genetic resources contributes to the overall objective of the European Biodiversity Strategy to Indeed, it includes an action on conserving Europe s agricultural genetic diversity by encouraging the uptake of rural development policy measures and developing a strategy towards the conservation and sustainable use of genetic diversity. The evaluation of the past European (EU) initiatives in this field, particularly of the second Community programme on genetic resources in agriculture, identifies the need for further action to improve the conservation of genetic diversity in agriculture and forestry. The evaluation also highlights the importance of the promotion of genetic diversity and the sustainable use of (traditional) varieties and breeds so as to make conservation dynamic and economically viable. As well as providing a comprehensive description and analysis of the state of play of genetic resource related activities in the EU, the objective of the Preparatory Action was to provide practical recommendations to ensure the effective conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in agriculture and forestry, as a matter of general interest through the consideration of the complete agro food supply chain. DATA COLLECTION AND TOOLS The Preparatory Action used multiple data collection tools to gather evidence in all EU 28 Member States over a two-year period. First, a mapping of initiatives and stakeholders was launched. Then, 330 interviews, 21 case studies, 7 workshops, and an extensive literature review were carried out in order to collect information for the analysis of the seven themes of the Preparatory Action. Preliminary conclusions and recommendations were presented to over 300 stakeholders during a final conference aimed at collecting comments on the findings. LIMITS OF THE PREPARATORY ACTION The limits of the study reside in two points linked to the scope of the analysis. First, the Preparatory Action considers four domains which are specific in nature and in structure. This leads to a variability of cases and situations. Indeed, whereas ex situ is the main conservation approach for plant genetic resources, in situ is the most common method for the conservation of forestry and farm animals. This situation could have resulted in difficulties to draft general conclusions and it is possible that some domain specificities are not fully expressed in the recommendations. Second, genetic resources are not limited to food and agriculture. Therefore, the extent of the scope of the study was not always well understood by stakeholders. This may have hindered the full comprehension of the findings and the conclusions for stakeholders and public authorities. MAIN FINDINGS Theme 1: Improvement of the communication between Member States concerning best practices and the harmonisation of efforts in the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources Past and current efforts at Member State and European levels regarding the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources are recognised by a large majority of stakeholders and public authorities. However, the current financial situation of Member State authorities (budget cuts and staff reductions) leads to limited involvement in the functioning of the European networks. This is also true for the European Commission 1

6 where coordination regarding the development and implementation of a genetic resource policy and agro-biodiversity strategy is perceived as being not sufficiently developed. At present, the formal structures at European level, including the collaborative platforms involving national institutes in most European countries (e.g. European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR), European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN), European regional focal point (ERFP), and Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure (MIRRI)) do not have sufficient influence to promote the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources. This is mainly due to a lack of funding and recognition of the importance of the subject matter by Member States, the European Commission and stakeholder groups. Furthermore, the expertise and abilities of these networks seem to be underexploited. Additionally, the European networks are not always correctly linked to the current EU policy frameworks. The European Union would benefit from an intensified involvement of the European networks in the policy setting of the EU, through e.g. establishing a platform coordinated by an EU focal point for agrobiodiversity. The national focal points (NFPs of ECPGR, ERFP, and EUFORGEN) and MIRRI can also play an instrumental role in such initiatives. Regarding in situ/on farm management, the existing networks are few (less than 10 in total) and, according to their members, poorly funded. This type of networks should be further strengthened to develop collaboration to safeguard Europe s bio-cultural heritage and increase its visibility and attractiveness. The often local dimensions of such networks create issues regarding knowledge exchange across Member States (including language barriers). In this context, it is possible that the current communication channels between in situ/on farm communities and ex situ oriented programmes aiming at fostering the integration between in situ and ex situ approaches are insufficient. Instead of fully integrating in situ in ex situ coordination platforms, the alternative could be to intensify networking. Ex situ conservation and in situ/on farm management are often undertaken in different stakeholder communities, isolated from each other and with only limited interest in finding synergies and complementarities. In situ/on farm and ex situ conservation programmes need to be more closely linked towards the common goal to protect endangered genetic diversity 1. Theme 2: Enhancing networking among key stakeholders and end-users in view of exploring marketing (and other cooperation) opportunities, such as provided by quality schemes and short supply chains The successful development of a genetic resource product often implements criteria such as the development of traditional products, the set-up of new commercial approaches such as short supply chains, and the development of tourism, with a focus on heritage, local culture and tradition. The regional scope of valorisation projects has a positive impact on the marketing of genetic resources. The use of local trademarks and quality signs such as the European geographical indications is also seen as an important tool for valorisation projects. These quality signs allow a differentiation at market level and at consumer level. Marketing activities should include the dissemination of information, publications and research results, as well as awareness raising efforts to inform the public on genetic resources. User guides and methodologies on how to approach these dedicated marketing developments are currently missing. This limits the exchange of good practices and therefore networking. Success stories on the valorisation of rare genetic resources and value chain developments should be compiled and distributed via the existing networks. Projects involving a mix of organisations and stakeholders, including both public and private stakeholders, were identified as successful in the context of the Preparatory Action. 1 See Horizon 2020 Work Programme, topic SFS on page 23: 2

7 A large number of valorisation projects may exist but their development does not takeoff because resources are not available to complete all steps. The use and valorisation of rare Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GRFA) could be facilitated through the creation of specific local/regional competence centres. These competence centres could take the form of e.g. Operational Groups from the European Innovation Partnership (EIP). There are currently three H2020 projects in place aiming at valorisation of genetic resources. These are DIVERSIFOOD, TRADITOM, and TREASURE). Theme 3: Improvement of the exchange of knowledge and research on genetic diversity in agricultural systems Increased knowledge with regard to conservation methodologies will enhance the efficiency and efficacy of initiatives. Most stakeholders involved in conserving genetic resources have to act on a narrow scientific basis. This is mainly due to two factors. First, the necessary knowledge is missing due to a lack of dedicated research; second, the information does not sufficiently reach the stakeholders who need it, or is insufficiently adopted. The knowledge generally resides among the academia, in the public sector and in private companies. Farmers and producers are often reluctant to take advice from the research sector, as the relationship between the two stakeholder groups is not sufficiently developed. The available knowledge is not fully accessible in the form of tools and capacity building material adapted to the various stakeholder groups. Lessons can be learnt from on-going and past projects in the genetic resource sector that will increase the impact of new initiatives aimed at the use of genetic resources. Due to the lack of coordination and research capacity, the options for the noncommercial use of genetic resources in breeding or for other services (e.g. landscape management) are very limited. As many case studies showed, most of the activities were re-inventing wheels, not building on prior experience or available dedicated research. Theme 4: Adaptation of breeding methods and legislation to the need of conservation and sustainable use of genetic diversity Technological developments increasingly offer opportunities for breeding with the help of marker assisted selection, and the use of other genetic tools and methodologies. These technologies have already significantly changed breeding practices. Modern, highly efficient genotyping methods increase the volume of DNA data and hence the value of genebank collections and breeding populations. These methods are helpful in increasing the efficiency of breeding programmes and in creating new pre-breeding material. However, the efficiency of phenotyping is lagging behind in terms of the characterisation of material, and breeding populations for the development of modern breeds and varieties for all type of agricultures (e.g. uniform varieties for conventional agriculture, more diversity for organic and low-external input production schemes). Legislation addressing plant and forestry Genetic Resources can limit access to genetic resources. The current status of implementation of the Access and Benefit Sharing Regulation leads to uncertainty regarding which genetic resource exchanges will be possible. A second issue observed is related to the compilation of information required to complete the legal requirements on the documentation of the transactions (due diligence). The seed marketing directives can form a major obstacle for the development of commercially viable activities and supply chains based on non-uniform material. The legislation on conservation varieties is seen as restricting and costly for small and local producers. The influence of seed marketing directives depends on their implementation at national level. The newly proposed and rejected EU Regulation on the marketing of plant productive material intended to improve the situation, though various stakeholders expressed concerns that this was insufficient to facilitate the use and to stimulate the commercial exploitation of such varieties and landraces. With regard to intellectual 3

8 property, the issue related to the patenting of native traits is seen as a threat for local breeding programmes, on-farm development of varieties, and participatory breeding, as the outcome of their breeding activity may not be freely marketable. Regarding animal genetic resources (AnGR), the current EU legislation should be reviewed in order to better support the conservation and sustainable use of local and cross-border breeds, to ensure sustainability, and to limit the negative impacts of necessary rules. Theme 5: Contribution to the successful implementation of measures under Rural Development Program concerning genetic diversity in agriculture The legal basis for payments for agri-environmental-climatic measures (including payments for the maintenance of traditional grasslands and rare breeds or traditional/ conservation varieties), organic farming (closely related to agrobiodiversity) and Natura 2000 (established to protect biodiversity) are in place. Under the Common Agricultural Policy, the rural development programmes offer additional opportunities to implement measures for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources (e.g. cooperation measures). However, in some Member States rural development measures hardly address genetic diversity objectives. The main factors explaining the limited success of current and previously implemented rural development measures concerning genetic diversity in agriculture include the limited awareness of the existing funding possibilities and measures to support genetic diversity conservation among policy makers and stakeholders. One could also consider the possibility of increasing the incentives of this type of measures. The newly established European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability allows for the establishment of operational groups at local level, which would serve the need for the conservation of genetic resources in situ and on-farm; and could also be considered as attractive platforms to initiate a valorisation project for neglected/underutilised crops or rare breeds. Additionally, these platforms could raise the importance of farmers as drivers for attaining economic, social and environmental goals, and for the purpose of maintaining genetic resources on-farm and in situ. Theme 6: Explore bottlenecks and enabling conditions for the sustainable use of genetic resources in agriculture A widely felt bottleneck that immediately surfaced during the study is the lack of a correct understanding and appreciation of the subject matter by various target groups. Genetic resources are often considered by the general public as simply biodiversity issues. In that context, the issue of genetic resources is only associated with traditional varieties, rare breeds, crop wild relatives and neglected crops, they are not understood in a wider sense, including not only old cultivars but also modern varieties and breeds. In fact, the distinction between biodiversity at large and the specific role of agrobiodiversity is not well understood by the various stakeholders along the supply chain. In addition, the sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture would benefit from increased awareness regarding its relevance. Currently, the field of genetic resource conservation is often limited to researchers and experts. Initiatives related to awareness raising, education, and other activities aiming to bring information about genetic resources for food and agriculture to the general public, were mentioned as enabling conditions for their sustained management. Genetic resources of all domains play an important role in the agro-food and forestry value chains, in particular regarding local supply chains. Therefore, when developing R&D and valorisation programmes addressing the potential applications of genetic resources, it is central to have a clear overview of all stakeholders in the chain. Farming plays a critical role in this supply chain as it represents the primary production phase, 4

9 and the very start of the chain. The valorisation and sustainable use of genetic resources start at farming level for most plant and animal genetic resources. At this primary production stage, there is a clear bottleneck for maintaining and increasing the genetic variability, and thus also for the potential to develop new products, as there is a decrease of cultivated biodiversity and life-support functions at the field level. In food processing, genetic resources and in particular microbial genetic resources (e.g. fermenting microorganisms; or biotechnological derivatives of genetic resources such as enzymes, protein extracts or nano-proteins) play an important role. Here again, the reduction of variability in the genetic resources available restricts the potential to develop new innovative and high-value food products. The sustainable use of underutilised, local genetic resources at local level should be promoted. Financial support targeting farmers undertaking such efforts would benefit conservation as their local knowledge helps to preserve the genetic diversity and adds to the culture of the region. Furthermore, agro-tourism and gastro-tourism are key in the sustainable use of genetic resources. Tourism companies are immediate partners and local and regional gastronomy allow farmers to offer and market their traditional and regional products. Touristic activities were reported as a mean to support the conservation of genetic resources. As enabling conditions, public private partnerships (PPPs) are seen as an interesting tool to resolve the lack of characterisation of ex situ collections and breeding populations. Public sector scientists and breeders should be encouraged to invest in characterisation (phenotyping and genotyping) and to share the acquired knowledge with all stakeholders which are part of the PPP project. The development of new products marketed via alternative supply chains benefits from the existence of networks of farmers at local level. There is a need to further develop these alternative supply chains at EU level and to further disseminate good practices on the valorisation of genetic resources. The operational group approach of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) potentially offers expertise, capacity and funding for the development of local initiatives, communication channels for their target groups, and for the dissemination of good practices. Within these EIPs, links can be created between different stakeholders who need to work together (multi-stakeholder approach). However, it is necessary to make these stakeholders aware of each other s activities. Theme 7: Reduction of unnecessary administrative burden so as to provide better access to actions The implementation of the ABS Regulation and the application process for getting subsidies from the Rural Development programmes (EARFD) were raised as main issues. For smaller organisations, such as NGOs, SMEs and farmers, this is an even more critical issue as the capacity and resources available to deal with the administrative issues are limited. Consequently, such organisations often choose not to access certain measures and thus abandon opportunities to participate in actions towards the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources. RECOMMENDATIONS Overall, the results of the analysis confirmed that significant efforts have been and are currently being made to improve conservation mechanisms and operations as well as foster the valorisation of these genetic resources along the agro-food and forestry supply chains. However, some weaknesses have been identified during data collection. As a result of this analysis, the Preparatory Action provides a list of recommendations, as follows 2 : 2 The order in which these recommendations are placed does not necessarily reflect their relative priority. 5

10 1. Re-enforce EU governance and optimise links with international and national activities. 2. Set up an EU platform composed of all interested parties, to secure optimal coordination between the different parties and tackle new challenges (e.g. legal, funding capacities). 3. Support partnerships and cooperation between stakeholders at all levels in the supply chain by complementing the existing European ex situ coordination platforms, and in situ networks, and securing better integration between in situ and ex situ communities; 4. Further develop R&D programmes for the dynamic conservation and management of genetic resources, and promote European, national and regional R&D programmes exploring the sustainable use of genetic resources for better food and nutrition; 5. Develop an appropriate infrastructure for pre-breeding activities for plant genetic resources through the adoption of new approaches and the establishment of interdisciplinary teams (e.g. Public Private Partnerships, multi-stakeholder approaches); 6. Strengthen advisory services, when they exist, as a robust link between research and production (between scientists and farmers/producers); 7. Promote the establishment of European Innovation Partnership (EIP) operational groups to develop and reinforce genetic resource valorisation projects for neglected and underutilised crops as well as rare breeds. 8. Improve value chain cooperation for rare breeds and underutilised/neglected crops by promoting the added value (biodiversity, tourism, and cultural heritage) and use of European geographic indications for rare genetic resources and fully use of RDP funding opportunities. 9. Promote the effective take-up of funding opportunities via the agri-environmental and climate measures (AECMs) and the investment measures of the rural development policy (RDP) on the maintenance and sustainable use of genetic diversity in agriculture (through e.g. adding collective financial support for collective measures). 10. Review and secure the coherence of existing legislation to facilitate and promote the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture. This legislation includes different policy fields ranging from the environment to food safety and agricultural policies. 11. Reduce administrative burden, especially for SMEs and farmers, given their pivotal role in exploring the use of genetic resources for food and agriculture, in particular in the context of the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and in relation to AECMs in the Rural Development policy. 12. Secure long term political commitment for agro-biodiversity supported by appropriate funding. In summarising these recommendations, it is proposed to develop an EU agrobiodiversity strategy that considers the conservation and valorisation of genetic resources for food and agriculture in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy (Target 3)

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