FAO supports countries in the implementation of the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

摘要

The Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture sets out the internationally agreed 18 Priority Activities that countries commit to undertake in order to conserve and use sustainably the vast array of plant genetic diversity which underpin food security and nutrition. The Priority Activities pertain to four thematic areas: in situ conservation and management; ex situ conservation; sustainable use; and building sustainable institutional and human capacities. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, under which auspices this strategic framework was developed, supports countries in its implementation. We provide an overview of this plan of action and highlight recent examples, between 2014 and 2016, of FAO's activities in support of countries through the work of its units at the Rome headquarters, the decentralized offices and its Joint Programme with the International Atomic Energy Agency. A majority of the support targeted activities pertaining to the Sustainable Use thematic area. This underscored the importance of well-adapted crop varieties and their seed delivery systems to the efforts at achieving sustainable food systems and nutrition. FAO also facilitates monitoring of progress through the provision of an online reporting system that collects countries' periodic updates on the basis of agreed indicators. The Guidelines for Developing a National Strategy for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Voluntary Guide for National Seed Policy Formulation, and the Voluntary Guidelines for National Level Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Food Plants are useful FAO-developed tools which countries are using to facilitate the implementation of the framework. Finally, perspectives on how best to enhance the harnessing of the diversity of the plant kingdom to address the considerable constraints to global food security and nutrition are also posited.