La FAO en action pour freiner l'érosion de la biodiversité végétale
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FAO’s governing Council last Wednesday approved the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which represents a renewed international commitment to ensuring effective management of plant diversity as a key element in fighting poverty and achieving increased food security in the face of climate change.
One of the main causes of genetic erosion, according to FAO’s 2011 State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, is the replacement of local varieties by modern varieties. Other causes include environmental degradation, urbanization and land clearing through deforestation and bush fires.
The main focus of the Second Global Plan of Action is to strengthen conservation and sustainable use of plants and seed systems, and the crucial linkages between them, through a combination of appropriate policies, use of scientific information, farmers’ knowledge and action.
The Second Global Plan of Action urges all countries to better manage crop diversity in farmers’ fields; develop strategies to protect, collect and conserve crop wild relatives and wild food plants that under threat, support use of a wider range of traits for plant breeding and strengthen seed systems especially of locally adapted varieties.
The Plan also calls on the donor community to boost national and international efforts to strengthen institutions and capacities to address these globally agreed priorities.