8. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Background
The Food and Agriculture Organisation ("FAO"), a specialised agency of the United Nations, was founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations. It has 183 members, including New Zealand, and is the lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.
Consideration of Traditional Knowledge
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
In November 2001, after seven years of negotiations, the FAO Conference adopted the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture ("ITPGR"). ITPGR's objectives, as set out in Article 1, are:
the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, for sustainable agriculture and food security
ITPGR recognises the sovereign rights and the inter-dependence of countries over their plant genetic resources, establishing a multilateral (involving more than two nations) system that aims to facilitate access and benefit sharing ("ABS"). ABS is to be regulated by standard material transfer agreements ("MTA"), which will also apply to transfers to third parties and any subsequent transfers thereon. However, it applies to only 65 genera of plants. The only one associated with traditional Māori knowledge is the Ipomoea - kumara.
Article 9 of ITPGR, which deals with the concept of "farmers' rights", is particularly relevant for Indigenous peoples. It recognises the contribution that farmers' and their communities have made and continue to make to the conservation and development of plant genetic resources. It also recognises farmers' rights to freely access genetic resources, to use and save seeds, subject to national laws. This is the basis for farmers' rights, which include the protection of traditional knowledge, and the right to participate equitably in benefit-sharing and in national decision-making about plant genetic resources. Parties to ITPGR have an obligation to implement measures that recognise and provide for these rights.
ITPGR entered into force on 29 June 2004.
Future Work
It is possible that the FAO will provide a forum for discussion on traditional farming knowledge because of the provisions in ITPGR.
New Zealand Position
New Zealand is currently considering acceding to ITPGR.
Acknowledgement
The Ministry of Economic Development would like to acknowledge the FAO for information used in preparing this fact sheet. For more information on the FAO please visit their website at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources .
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