Since the beginning of agriculture, around 10 000 species have been used to produce food and fodder. But today just 150 crops feed most humans and only 12 crops provide 80% of food energy.
Scientists are concerned that this lack of genetic variability makes the world’s agriculture increasingly vulnerable to diseases, changes in climate and other factors.
However, according to the Science and Development Network (www.scidev.net), an international seed treaty that gives legal force to the conservation of the world’s major agricultural seeds is due to come in to force on June 29.
Known as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, it is intended to ensure that food and agricultural plants vital for human survival are conserved. In addition, benefits from their use must be fairly distributed.
“This is a legally binding treaty that will be crucial for the sustainability of agriculture,” says director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Jacques Diouf.
The Intermediate Technology Development Group, an NGO advocating the sustainable use of technology to reduce poverty in developing nations, welcomed the treaty’s legal recognition.
But the organisation warns that the treaty “will be just a piece of paper if it is not backed by substantial funds from the rich world to support conservation of seeds — not just in seed banks but in farmers’ fields where they could be continuously developed”.
It also calls for patents on seeds to be banned outright, saying that the legislation was ambiguous.— Science and Development Network
For a full version of this report visit www.scidev.net