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Symposium on food security and biodiversity: Benefit sharing
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Opening Remarks
Heinz Imhof
Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture |
We are delighted to co-host this symposium
with the Swiss Development Cooperation and
the International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute for three reasons:
- First, today is World Food Day.
- Second, we must find fair and sustainable ways
of sharing the benefits of plant genetic resources,
for the well being of all parts of society
and for meeting the challenges of hunger, poverty
and environmental degradation.
- Third, today also marks the second anniversary
of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable
Agriculture.
Let me briefly cover each of these three points:
Why is World Food Day important?
World Food Day marks the birthday of the Food
and Agriculture Organisation in 1945.
However I think that it has a greater significance.
There have been some remarkable achievements
over the last 58 years in increasing agricultural
production and productivity and yet,
I think we should all pause and ask why in a
world of plenty do more than 800 million
people live in fear of hungry and malnutrition?
Who are they? Why are they hungry? Where
are they? And what can we do individually and
together to reduce their vulnerability?
Ambassador Fust has already eloquently outlined
the challenges. They are huge and
will only be tackled through partnerships and
coalitions between many players in the public
and private sectors, working with civil society.
We must meet these challenges without
ploughing under natural habitats or causing
further deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
We must also be more efficient in our use of
fresh water. The solution lies in increasing productivity, sustainably in ways that take into
account environmental and social concerns.
The agreement on the International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
was an important step forward. We hope
that sufficient governments will ratify the
Treaty so that it can enter into force quickly.
[Note: the Treaty went into force in June 2004.]
However, ratification is not the end of the
story. Many practical issues in both the Global
Plan of Action and how the Treaty will work
remain to be resolved, such as:
- The nature of the Material Transfer Agreements,
though which germplasm will be released.
- The elaboration of a Funding Strategy to support
the workings of the Treaty.
- The development of ‘access and benefit sharing’
arrangements that are fair, realistic and sustainable.
Syngenta and the Foundation support
the objectives of the International Treaty and
we are committed to working with all parties to
find fair, practical and sustainable answers
to these questions.
In addition, Syngenta has already committed
to declaring the sources of the genetic materials
it uses. Also, at the World Summit for Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg, Syngenta
made the commitment not to pursue new
applications for patent protection for seeds and
biotechnology in the least developed countries.
Syngenta has also made available several technologies
on a ‘royalty free’ basis for the benefit
of subsistence farmers and will continue
to do so.
I am very pleased that today we will learn more
about the purpose of the Global Crop Diversity
Trust and progress with its establishment as
a public/private partnership and an essential
element of the Funding Strategy of the International
Treaty.
I would also like to reconfirm Syngenta’s
financial support for the Global Crop Diversity
Trust once it is established. In the meantime,
our Foundation will continue to provide support
for the development of the Trust.
Why did we establish a Foundation and what
role do we see it playing?
Many of the issues and challenges facing sustainable
agriculture go beyond industry and
the normal boundaries of agriculture, profitability
and corporate social responsibility.
Being a good global citizen requires that we
search for ways to increase opportunities
and options for poor and marginalized rural
communities to improve their livelihoods
particularly in the drier parts of the world and
for those who do not have access to markets.
We created the Foundation to go where the needs
are greatest.
The Foundation is helping to build public/
private partnerships and working with partners:
- in programmes aimed at bringing benefits
directly to poor farmers;
- to encourage dialogue towards finding fair, realistic
and sustainable solutions to the many
controversial issues that seem to impinge on sustainable
agriculture and its ability to meet
the needs of society now and in the future.
This symposium is an example of a unique
partnership with colleagues in the public sector
and the international research community.
It is a first for the Foundation but it should
not be the last!
The purpose of this symposium is to help identify
what has been done to improve access
to Plant Genetic Resources and benefit sharing.
What needs to be done and by whom? And
are there examples of good practice and
lessons to be learnt on what works and what
does not?
Crop genetic diversity is, and will continue to
be, an essential asset in the race to reduce
hunger and poverty. There is a real danger that
if we do not agree on ways to conserve
and use this diversity, we shall surely lose it.
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