Session 3 - Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and climate change adaptation
RCC Asia-Pacific is partnering with the FAO Secretariat of the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (FAO International Treaty), and the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust) to deiiver a workshop under the BOLD project. The Bold Workshop provides a three-day learning workshop on international policy and legal instruments and implementation tools for crop diversity management, in support of national food security and climate change adaptation and resilience.
The main objectives of the session on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and climate change adaptation include:
- To enhance participants' understanding of the critical role that PGRFA plays in climate change adaptation and to promote its application as a key adaptation approach in NAPs
- To present case studies that illustrate how PGRFA has been applicable in climate change adaptation and to discuss the benefits and outcomes of such implementations
This third session is designed to deliver several key outcomes:
- Participants will gain a clear understanding of the NAPs and the vital role of PGRFA in climate adaptation
- Participants will identify entry points for promoting the application of PGRFA into climate change adaptation
- Enable participants to share insights and learn from each other's experiences by fostering collaborative discussion
- Participants will outline specific steps and resource needs for promoting PGRFA in NAPs
About the BOLD Project
The project Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, aims to ensure and expand the availability of key national crop collections, and promote their use by researchers, pre-breeders, and farmers for climate change adaptation in a number of partner developing countries.
BOLD contributes to implementing provisions of the FAO International Treaty related to conservation, sustainable use, and sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), and contributes to the achievement of SDG Target 2.5, which recognizes the maintenance of crop diversity through soundly managed and diversified genebanks at national, regional and international levels as essential to end hunger and malnutrition. Among its outputs, BOLD targets the strengthening of human capacity in genebanks to operate effectively and efficiently, including through the training of staff of country institutions in policy matters as they pertain to compliance with the FAO International Treaty and other relevant international legal instruments.
Background
COP 16 established the process to formulate and implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to enable Parties to identify medium- and long-term adaptation needs and develop and implement strategies and programmes to address those needs as outlined in Decision 1/CP.16, paras. 15–16.
The objectives of the process to formulate and implement NAPs, according to Decision 5/CP.17, para. 1, are to:
- Reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience;
- Facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular development planning processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.
Most countries that have submitted their NAPs have identified agriculture and food security as a key priority, stressing the importance of climate-resilient agriculture through farming practices that are adapted to changing climatic conditions, including through the use of drought-resistant crops and sustainable water management.
A crucial component of climate-resilient agriculture is the utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA). PGRFA, which can conserve a wide range of genetic materials, can provide the necessary traits for developing crop varieties capable of withstanding pests and diseases and adapting to climate change. Recognizing and promoting PGRFA into NAPs is crucial for strengthening food system resilience against climate shocks and stresses. By promoting PGRFAs into these plans, countries can ensure that a strong foundation of genetic diversity and resource availability underpins their food and agricultural strategies.
