Genetic
Resources: Interim Material Transfer Agreement Approved
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture promises to revitalize international
germplasm exchange by establishing internationally agreed
standards.
But given the contentious nature of the debate surrounding
sharing of genetic resources, the process has been difficult
and protracted. "Many steps have already been completed,
but there are still many more to go," says Ruaraidh
Sackville Hamilton, Head, Genetic Resources Center, IRRI.
"The latest step is the implementation of the interim
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) for the distribution
of in-trust germplasm."
When the Treaty was adopted in 2001, it was agreed that
a new standard MTA should be developed by the future governing
body of the Treaty. However, progress has been slow. It
was therefore agreed that the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
should revise the old MTA to produce a more acceptable
MTA in the short-term, to be used until the new standard
MTA is ready. The interim MTA is the result.
In 2002, IRRI’s Board of Trustees approved the use
of the interim MTA. Subsequently, all CGIAR genebanks
have started to use it beginning May 1, 2003. IRRI has
taken the proactive step of informing their national partners,
including the Council for Partnerships on Rice Research
in Asia (CORRA), about this new development.
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