Agroecology

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) promotes the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and ensures the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity. This legally binding treaty is essential for food security and sustainable agriculture, facilitating the continuous exchange of PGRFA through a Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing among countries.

The ITPGRFA's strategic plan focuses on strengthening global cooperation for the conservation of plant genetic resources, improving crop adaptability to environmental changes and future human needs. The Multilateral System (MLS) facilitates access to plant genetic resources and related information for research, training, and breeding purposes. The Treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund supports initiatives aimed at addressing food insecurity and climate change impacts, particularly accelerating conservation and use of plant genetic resources in developing countries.

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Convention – based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization – is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the impact of land degradation, and protect our land so we can provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people.  The objective of this Convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in affected areas.