Genetic resources commission gathers in Rome to deliberate on biodiversity, nutrition & human health

Subject : Environment

Section: International convention

Context:

Delegates from across the world have gathered at the 19th session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) in Rome, Italy.

Details:

The meeting is taking place at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) headquarters in Rome.
The delegates and observers will deliberate on three matters:
- A review of work on biodiversity, nutrition and human health;
- Access and benefit-sharing for food and agriculture; and
- Digital sequence information for food and agriculture.
At the end of the first day, three informal groups were set up.
The delegates will discuss:
- Biodiversity for food and agriculture;
- The role of genetic resources for food and agriculture in mitigation of and adaptation to climate change;
- Forest genetic resources;
- Microorganism and invertebrate genetic resources, including pollinator and biological control agents; and
- Animal genetic resources.

About the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA):

CGRFA is the only permanent intergovernmental body that deals with all components of biodiversity for food and agriculture.
The commission was established in 1983 and on July 16, it completed 40 years of existence.
Other than working on the diversity of domesticated crops, livestock and farmed fish and aquatic invertebrates, forest trees and aquatic species, the commission also covers the diversity of all the non-domesticated species that enable production to occur. These include pollinators, soil-dwelling organisms, the natural enemies of pests and the microorganisms that enable ruminant animals to digest their food.

Framework of Action on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture:

The Framework for Action on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture was endorsed by the FAO Council in 2021.
It contains more than 50 individual actions grouped into three strategic priority areas:
- characterization, assessment and monitoring;
- management (sustainable use and conservation); and
- institutional frameworks.

It was developed in response to the country-driven report on The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.

Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on Genetic Resources:

Digital sequence information (DSI) is a term used in the context of certain international policy fora, particularly the Convention on Biological Diversity, to refer to data derived from genetic resources.
DSI refers to data from DNA or RNA that can be stored digitally.
The term is generally agreed to include nucleic acid sequence data and may be construed to include other data types derived from or linked to genetic resources, including, for example, protein sequence data.
DSI is crucial to research in a wide range of contexts, including public health, medicine, biodiversity, plant and animal breeding, and evolution research.
The Nagoya Protocol, a component of the Convention on Biological Diversity, establishes a right for countries to regulate, and to share in benefits derived from, their nation’s genetic resources by arranging Access and Benefit Sharing Agreements with users.