ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES INTERGOVERNMENTAL ISSUES ElŜbieta Martyniuk 1 Richard Laing 2 1 National Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources, Poland 2 Integrated Planning Services, Canada Conservation of AnGR in Poland and in Europe achievements and dilemmas: Balice, 31 st May - 2 nd June 2007
Next 20 minutes Forums for the debate Actors Timetable Main issues Global Plan for Action on Animal Genetic Resources and its implementation strategy An international treaty on AnGR? Livestock keepers rights Trends in livestock production
Forum for debate in FAO Established in 1983 as the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources, Resolution 9/83 In 1995, its mandate was broadened Resolution 3/95 to cover all components of agro-biodiversity of relevance to food and agriculture. It was then renamed the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA)
Forum for debate in FAO The Commission at its 7 th session established two subsidiary bodies to deal with specific matters: the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group for Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
The Members of the ITWG-AnGR the Tenth Regular Session of the CGRFA, November 2004 Africa Botswana Cameroon Ethiopia Ghana Tunisia LA &C Argentina Chile Colombia Jamaica Uruguay Asia Bangladesh China Phillippines Thailand Vietnam Europe Denmark France Germany Slovenia Turkey North America South West Pacific Canada USA Near Egypt East Iran, IR Yemen Australia Samoa
Intergovernmental Process in FAO Sessions of the CGRFA: 7 th 15-23 May 1997 8 th 19-23 April 1999 9 th 14-18 October 2002 10 th 8-12 November 2004 11 th 11-15 June 2007 Sessions of the ITWG-AnGR 1 st 8-10 September 1998 2 nd 4-6 September 2001 3 rd 31 March-2 April 2004 4 th 13-15 December 2006 Overseeing development of the Global Strategy Adopting preparation of the First Report Supervising implementation of the SoW-AnGR process Shaping future steps in AnGR global management
Intergovernmental Process in FAO
New developments in the CGRFA MYPOW : Multi-Year Programme of Work Plant genetic resources Animal genetic resources Forest genetic resources Aquatic genetic resources Report on the State of the World s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture Micro-organisms and insects for food and agriculture Cross-sectorial international policies on genetic resources Biotechnologies in relation to genetic resources for food and agriculture The application of the ecosystem approach in agriculture New proposals for operation of the Commission
Other Foras Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Working Group ABS - negotiation of the International regime to be concluded at COP 10 in 2010 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (10 th session 30 November - 8 December 2006) UN Commission on Sustainable Development Agriculture, Biodiversity among Key Topics (15 th session 30 April - 15 May 2007)
Participants of the debate GOVERNMENTS Members of the CGRFA Observers Representatives of UN specialized agencies (UN University, CBD, WIPO) Observers from Intergovernmental organizations (UPOV, OIE, SADEC, Nordic Council of Ministers) International Agricultural Research Centres: IPGRI, ILRI, IRRI
Participants of the debate Observers from non-governmental organizations International Federation Organic Agriculture Movement International Council of Women Action Aid International IISD, GTZ Intermediate Technology Development Group ETC: Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration International Seed Federation Friends of the Earth International LPP Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum Third World Network WAAP, EAAP Private sector?
Dialogue with the civil society CGRFA 10 Rebecca Musyoka Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum Patrick Mulvany Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) Ann Diota Centro de Estudios Para el Campo Mexicano (CECCAM) Pat Mooney Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group)
MAIN ISSUES FOR THE DEBATE Conservation of AnGR in Poland and in Europe achievements and dilemmas: Balice, 31 st May - 2 nd June 2007
To be achieved by 2015 September 2000, United Nation Millennium Summit 1. Halve extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Empower women and promote equality between women and men 4. Reduce under-five mortality by twothirds 5. Reduce maternal mortality by threequarters 6. Reverse the spread of diseases, especially hiv/aids and malaria 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Create a global partnership for development, with targets for aid, trade and debt relief
ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES AGENDA Conservation of AnGR in Poland and in Europe achievements and dilemmas: Balice, 31 st May - 2 nd June 2007
Developments in AnGR Global Strategy for Management of AnGR (1993) Global Focal Point within Animal Production and Health Division 144 National Focal Points, a global network of NCs for AnGR; DAD-NET First Report on the State of Animal Genetic Resources
PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES The State of the World s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in 1996 Leipzig Conference, June 1996 The State of the World s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in 2007 Interlaken Conference in 2007 The Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of PGR International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Adopted in November 2001 Came into force on 29th June 2004 111 member countries, February 2007, The Global Plan of Action for AnGR??? Crop Biodiversity Trust
Global Plan for Action on AnGR a comprehensive framework for planning activities It will be based on The Strategic Priorities for Action It may be accompanied by Implementation and Financing Strategy And adopted through Interlaken Declaration
The Strategic Priorities for Action PRIORITY AREA 1: CHARACTERIZATION, INVENTORY AND MONITORING OF TRENDS AND RISKS PRIORITY AREA 2: SUSTAINABLE USE AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY AREA 3: CONSERVATION PRIORITY AREA 4: POLICIES, INSTITUTIONS AND CAPACITY BUILDING 29 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES with SPECIFIC ACTIONs
The timetable for debate on SPA/GPA Considered by the ITWG-AnGR at 4 th Session in December 2006 Restructured and amended by Friends of the Chair in March 2007 To be further negotiated at 11 th session of the CGRFA in June 2007 To be finalized during the Interlaken Conference in September 2007
Unsolved issues
An international treaty on AnGR? International Treaty on PGR The key elements include: a Multilateral System on access and benefit-sharing international recognition of Farmers Rights a funding strategy Treaty on PGR was necessary Extensive ex-situ collection of PGR prior to CBD Necessity to use a broad genetic base in modern plant breeding Bilateral access and benefit sharing arrangements were not adequate
AnGR picture is different Genetic improvement of animals is based on long-term selection within purebred or synthetic populations The number of ex-situ gene banks is limited, and they do not substantively contribute to modern breeding The international exchange of AnGR Private law agreements applied to exchange of AnGR is considered quite adequate and generates benefits both for sellers and buyers (Hiemstra et al, 2006) Contracts are controlled mainly by phyto-sanitary regulations in accordance with the OIE standards (Ingressia et al., 2005)
Gene flow in AnGR The main stream of animal gene flow consists of improved genetic material and comes from developed countries Only rarely genetic material originates from developing countries (Valle Zárate et al., 2006) Over the last 100 years, gene flow has been from the North to the South (Mathias and Mundy, 2005) Example About one-third of the semen exported from the USA goes to developing countries while there is virtually no import of semen into the country from developing countries (NCGRC, 2007)
An international treaty on AnGR? The treaty to regulate ABS The treaty as a Code of Conduct for the responsible exchange (introduction and development) of AnGR The treaty to protect Livestock Keepers Rights
Livestock Keepers Rights Introduction of the term at the World Food Summit in June 2002, as equivalent of Farmers' Rights International meeting of indigenous livestock breeding communities, Karen, Kenya in 2003 Call for recognition of roles and rights of livestock keepers
Livestock Keepers Rights An internationally binding agreement that would: recognise the past, present and future contributions of livestock keepers in conserving and using sustainably AnGR a right to participate in decision-making and in the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of these AnGR and a right to keep, use, exchange and sell farm livestock, without restrictions due to intellectual property rights regimes
Indian example LIFE network India have been promoting Livestock Keepers Rights since 2000. The conversion of traditional grazing into forest reserves has led to the reduction of camel and sheep flocks by up to 50% over the last ten years Recognition of pastoralists as other traditional forest dwellers alongside scheduled tribes in: Recognition of Forest Rights Act in December 2006
Other concerns Globalization and concentration of breeding, and vertical integration of food chains Patenting in livestock breeding Since first animal invention patent was granted in 1988 by USPTO, over 500 patents have been granted for higher animals ( Rotshild et, al., 2003) In 2005, 75 animal patent applications waspending in EU patent office (Manzella et al., 2005)
Susanne Gura League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development
Future of patenting
An international treaty on AnGR? Some Members of the Commission suggested the initiation of a process for preparing an international treaty on animal genetic resources, and noted the need for safeguarding the rights of indigenous livestock keepers. Other Members considered this to be premature, and stated that any discussion of a legal instrument should await the completion of the first Report on the State of Animal Genetic Resources (CGRFA Report, 2004)
Building public awareness
Thank you