agriculture - Reverse, European Project to Preserve Biodiversity

6 th RECOMMENDATION
SET UP AND SUPPORT EUROPEAN NETWORKS OF STAKEHOLDERS WORKING ON THE CONSERVATION,
ENHANCEMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF AGROBIODIVERSITY, IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE REGIONAL AND
NATIONAL INITIATIVES AND CREATE NEW ENTITIES, ALSO ENCOURAGING KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
ON IN SITU AND EX SITU CONSERVATION.
The FAO’s Second Global Plan of Action (GPA) for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture affords significant
importance to network activity, in particular to collaboration among stakeholders, including farmers, breeders,
gene banks, crop working groups, researchers, NGOs, small-scale seed producers, distribution enterprises and
technology transfer bodies. The participation of all stakeholders, in particular women farmers and local breeders,
is expressly advocated. Particular attention is given to the networks’ capacity to implement the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (25) , especially the Multilateral System of exchange of genetic
material. In some European regions, similar networks are established by law: for example, the Regional Acts of some
Italian regions on the conservation of native agrobiodiversity provide the Conservation and Safety Network as a tool
to promote in situ (on-farm) conservation, giving farmers easier access to genetic material, technology and public
funds, also allowing the enhancement of the economic value of biodiversity and knowledge transfer.
ACTION PLAN
Map relevant European stakeholders and national entities working on biodiversity and create the European
Network.
Include in the European Network, national and regional research bodies, ex situ collection, gene banks
managed by local communities and networks of farmers (e. g. the European Coordination of Let’s Liberate
Diversity, bringing together national farmers’ association representatives involved in promoting local and
sustainable agriculture).
Favour in situ and ex situ conservation through the European Network, encouraging knowledge transfer on
the conservation and management of genetic resources.
Promote stable co-operation between research institutes and farmers involved in the protection/management
of biodiversity.
Link the European Network to the European Network for rural development to share best practices on
agrobiodiversity, and contribute to the evolution of the RDP.
(25) www.planttreaty.org
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY CHARTER
CHALLENGE 2
31