Policy

August 7, 2018

How to implement the ITPGRFA

A few days ago we posted about a decision-making tool for germplasm users to work out what access and benefit sharing arrangements are likely to be relevant to them. Today, from Bioversity and partners, comes a tool that addresses the other side of the ABS equation: what do countries need to do to implement the provisions of the International Treaty? Here are the specific questions it addresses:

Who is responsible for promoting and coordinating national implementation?

What is facilitated access to PGRFA under the multilateral system and who has the right to facilitated access?

Who may authorize access to PGRFA under the multilateral system?

What processes and criteria should be followed to consider requests for PGRFA included in the multilateral system?

How to deal with requests for purposes that are (or may be) beyond the scope of the multilateral system?

What PGRFA are automatically included in the multilateral system?

How to encourage voluntary inclusions by natural and legal persons?

How to ensure legal space for the implementation of the multilateral system?

How to address benefit-sharing?

How to deal with reporting obligations regarding transfers and sales?

Who monitors the use of PGRFA under the multilateral system and enforces the multilateral system’s terms and conditions?

Now there really is no excuse for ignorance.

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018

Brainfood: Ecology of domestication, Citizen soybeans, Silkworm domestication, Barley spread, Indigenous management, Maize domestication, Temperate maize, Nutrient yields, Amazon history double, Women & diets, Online classification, Charred breadcrumbs, Wheat drought

Crop domestication: anthropogenic effects on insect–plant interactions in agroecosystems. Domestication can upset trophic webs. Poor dears.
The soybean experiment ‘1000 Gardens’: a case study of citizen science for research, education, and beyond. 2492 gardens, in fact.
The evolutionary road from wild moth to domestic silkworm. Domestication in China, followed by multiple independent spreads and differentiation.
Barley heads east: Genetic analyses reveal routes of spread through diverse Eurasian landscapes. 3 taxa, 8 genepools, multiple routes for spread. A bit like silkworm but in the opposite direction.
A spatial overview of the global importance of Indigenous lands for conservation. 40% of all terrestrial protected areas.
Maize domestication and gene interaction. More than just the headline 5 genes.
Hallauer’s Tusón: a decade of selection for tropical-to-temperate phenological adaptation in maize. Need to go back to tropical germplasm for adaptation to temperate conditions.
Moving beyond calories and protein: Micronutrient assessment of UK diets and land use. Roots, tubers and vegetables are the most land-efficient producers of 23 nutrients.
The legacy of 4,500 years of polyculture agroforestry in the eastern Amazon. It is still with us.
Direct archaeological evidence for Southwestern Amazonia as an early plant domestication and food production centre. And not just in the east.
Does women’s time in domestic work and agriculture affect women’s and children’s dietary diversity? Evidence from Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Ghana, and Mozambique. Yes, but varies with socioeconomic status.
Remap: An online remote sensing application for land cover classification and monitoring. Use your training set to detect habitat type(s) in Google Earth.
Archaeobotanical evidence reveals the origins of bread 14,400 years ago in northeastern Jordan. Before domestication.
Drought tolerance during reproductive development is important for increasing wheat yield potential under climate change in Europe. The good news is that germplasm close to the optimized ideotype for 2050 is already out there.

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018

Conservation accreditation scheme for botanical gardens launched

BGCI Conservation Practitioner Accreditation recognises excellence in plant conservation policy, practice and education, and accredits botanic gardens carrying out plant conservation activities of local, national or global importance.

What’s in it for the potential recipient?

BGCI accreditation ensures that gardens adhere to international standards, results in tangible benefits for participating gardens – such as recognition, peer review, creating standards for excellence, and funding – and acts as a motivator for botanic garden leadership.

Compare and contrast with the quality management system being put in place by the international crop genebanks.

July 31, 2018

Absolutely clear about ABS

Are you a germplasm user? Are you confused about which ABS arrangement applies to you? The International Seed Federation has got you covered, with its Genetic Resources Interactive Tree (GRIT).

Unfortunately, it will only take you so far:

Please note that the Genetic Resources Information Tree (GRIT) does not provide a turnkey solution, and each user will have to check the national legal requirements accessing a genetic resource in a given country.

But I guess it’s a start.

Incidentally, one of the possible sources of germplasm on GRIT is the CG Centres, and most of their distributions are done with the SMTA of the International Treaty. Most, but not all, as a new paper makes clear. ISF, please take note…

July 31, 2018July 31, 2018

Nibbles: Carrot breeding, BIEN, Protected areas databases, Brazilian genebanks, Endangered coconut genebank, DSI, ABS, Climate pix, Botanical pix double, Potatoes galore, Pandanus language, Archaeological double, Palestinian seed saving

Putting the polyacetylene back into carrots.
The Botanical Information and Ecology Network gets an upgrade. Any CWRs among its 18,844,855 more observations?
And any is protected areas? This will tell how well they’re managed. Mash up with this spatial database on indigenous lands?
Otherwise, there are genebanks, though not enough in Brazil, apparently.
And not always safe.
What to do with Digital Sequence Information? Would be nice to be clear on what it is.
ABS broken down by ISF. And the CGIAR. Not DSI though.
Need climate visuals? Well, who doesn’t.
The Columbian Exchange has visuals also.
And the Royal Horticultural Society too.
Speaking of Columbian Exchange: frites. And Vavilov, chefs, etc.
Speaking about nuts in PNG. Comment by Jim Croft, who would know: “Except the species illustrated is the widespread oceanic strand species, Pandanus tectorius, not the endemic highland crop ‘karuka’, Pandanus julianettii.”
5000-year-old brewery in Egypt.
14,000-year-old bread.
Fast forward 14,000 years.