Susan Bragdon sounds frustrated:
It seems like the studies at least both confirm the dynamism in managing and developing landraces. One would expect some to go out of use and new landraces to emerge (good reason, amongst others, to have ex situ collections to have “snap shots” over time). I know I am saying nothing new to this audience, but in international circles — even some parts of the international world specifically addressing biological diversity (I can tell you about the Human Rights Council Resolution on Biological Diversity adopted in March as an example) — the idea that farmers are more than preserving a static pool of genetic resources is not well-understood. And don’t get me going on understanding the links to health, employment, peace…
What brought this on now, Susan? And if you want a platform for discussing those links, we do take guest posts.
Hmm, the why now? Perhaps reminiscing with Pepe Esquinas at the WG on the rights of peasants… I met Pepe in the early 90s when I was legal advisor to the CBD and also assigned to liaise with FAO. Despite some institutional territoriality, working with Pepe and others was encouraging; a genuine desire for understanding, for ensuring an appropriate governance regime for agricultural biodiversity. Now an outsider looking in, the relationship between the ITPGRFA and CBD Secretariats seems to be one of mutual support. When one looks at the larger legal architecture that relates to agricultural biodiversity/PGRFA; things get more complicated. Now extend the circle to the more systemic approach to global governance that will be needed to support and secure the foundation from which, arguably, all else flows; here there is a lack of awareness and in some quarters it can feel like a purposeful desire not to know because the implications of really understanding would require such extraordinary change. How the SDGs move forward will tell us a lot. We know what Agenda 2030 and the SDGs call for, one problem cannot be solved by creating another, interlinkages will have to be understood, trade-offs made, complementary measures taken. A tall order but one we have to take on with the genuineness felt those many years ago with Pepe, but on a much larger scale.
Plus ça change…