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AG:GCP/RAS/186/JPN Field Document No.2006/03 FAO/GOVERNMENT COOPERATIVE PROGRAM Report on the Establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on the Implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in India Compiled by R.C. Agrawal Pratibha Brahmi Sanjeev Saxena Gurinder Jit Randhawa Kavita Gupta D.S. Mishra J.L. Karihaloo 2006 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATION Ministry of Agriculture, Krishi Bhawan New Delhi-110 001, INDIA and NATIONAL BUREAU OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) Pusa Campus, New Delhi-110 012, INDIA The designation and presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources/ Indian Council of Agricultural Research/Department of Agriculture and Co-operation concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Published by: Director National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Pusa Campus, New Delhi - 110 012, India (on behalf of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India) Citation: Agrawal R.C., Brahmi Pratibha, Saxena Sanjeev, Randhawa Gurinder Jit, Gupta Kavita, Mishra D.S and Karihaloo J.L. (2006). Report on Establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on the Implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in India. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, India. Copies available from: National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Pusa Campus, New Delhi - 110 012 Tel.: 91-11-25843697 Fax: 91-11-25842495 E-mail: [email protected] Printed at: Yugantar Prakashan (P) Ltd., WH-23, Mayapuri Phase-I, New Delhi - 110 064, India. Phones: 011-28115949, 28116018 ii iii ,l-,y- HkV~V S.L. BHAT la;qDr lfpo Joint Secretary Hkkjr ljdkj Government of Inida Ministry of Agriculture d`f"k ea=ky; (Department of Agriculture ¼d`f"k ,pa lgdkfjrk foHkkx½ & Cooperation) d`f"k Hkou] ubZ fnYyh&110001 Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi-110001 MESSAGE The FAO International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources held in Leipzig, Germany, formally adopted the Global Plan of Action (GPA) on 23 June 1996 and, along with it, a Leipzig Declaration that affirmed government level commitment to implement the GPA in the context of national efforts to strengthen world food security. The GPA and the Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources were prepared through a unique, country driven process. The process was guided by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and culminated in the International Technical Conference at Leipzig (Germany), attended by 150 countries and over 50 non-governmental organizations. The Government of India is one amongst the seven Asian Countries (Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) that have signed an agreement with Food & Agriculture of the United Nations to participate in the Regional Cooperative Project “Implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation & Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture (PGRFA) in Asia and the Pacific Region”. The project aims at promoting the implementation of the GPA and to contribute to establishing a continuing monitoring framework of the GPA implementation at national and regional levels and a mechanism for gathering and sharing information, as well as for priority setting for the GPA implementation. I am glad that the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi is bringing out the final report of the FAO sponsored project “Establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on the Implementation of the GPA for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in India” (GCP/RAS/186/JPN project) funded by Government of Japan for US$ 53,000. This project was assigned by Department of Agriculture and Co-operation to NBPGR, New Delhi through Indian Council of Agricultural Research during November 2004 for implementation. The NBPGR, New Delhi identified 114 stakeholders representing ICAR Institutes, State Agricultural Universities, State Departments of Agriculture, Non- v Governmental Organizations, Private Institutes. Concerted efforts have been made to gather relevant information from stakeholders related to PGRFA to establish a centralized information system. The present report is the culmination of these efforts. It brings out the process undertaken for the establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on GPA Implementation and includes the analysis of the data gathered through this mechanism as the outcome of this project. NBPGR has also developed in collaboration with FAO staff a website (http:// www.nbpgr.ernet.in) on the National GPA Information Sharing Mechanism, describing its establishment and purpose, listing its participants/stakeholders and making accessible the information so far gathered. Using this website, one can have a fair idea of various activities related to plant genetic resources in India. I am sure that the information gathered under this project can be used for effective planning, management and identifying priority areas in the plant genetic resources activities in India. It would also help to eliminate replication of efforts of the various agencies involved in management of plant genetic resources in India. S.L. Bhat Joint Secretary (Seeds) vi FOREWORD The Global Plan of Action (GPA) represents an important contribution to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the field of food and agriculture and it is one of the supporting elements to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Its main objectives are (i) to ensure the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) as a basis for food security, (ii) to promote sustainable utilization of PGRFA in order to foster development and to reduce hunger and poverty, (iii) to promote a fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of PGRFA, (iv) to assist countries and institutions responsible for conserving and using PGRFA to identify priorities for action, and (v) to strengthen national, regional and international programmes for the conservation and utilization of PGRFA, including education and training. The GPA provides a normative framework for 20 inter-related activites, which are organized into four groups: In situ Conservation and Development, Ex situ Conservation, Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources, and Institutions and Capacity Building. Furthermore, a catalyst for both priority-setting and creating synergies among ongoing activities for the conservation and sustainable utilization of PGRFA. The signatory countries are committed to implement the plan, whose overall progress in implementation is monitored through the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources (CGR). We are very pleased that India and the other six participating countries of the GCP/ RAS/186/JPN project are among the first countries to establish a National Information Sharing Mechanism on the Implementation of GPA (NISM-GPA). The Mechanism is based on the participation of stakeholders at national level and seeks to promote information exchange and strengthen stakeholder cooperation, thereby contributing to enhance the capacity of the national programmes for the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources. The Mechanism uses a computer application that facilitates the documentation, management and analysis of the information addressed by a list of indicators and a related reporting format for monitoring the implementation of the GPA activities in the country. We recognize the excellent leadership played by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture, in the whole process in establishing the NISM-GPA in India. The ability of NBPGR to bring together over one hundred stakeholders from around the country to discuss and share knowledge about the GPA, the purposes and the activities of the NISM-GPA and to commit stakeholders to collaborate in establishing the Mechanism was highly commendable. The many meetings and training workshops on the use of the computer application for gathering information, validation of data and the preparation and review of the draft report that were organized by the NBPGR requires tremendous efforts and time of its responsible staff members, particularly the authors of the report. The collaboration and time devoted to this work by the participating stakeholders and the support from the FAO and the GCP/RAS/186/JPN project are important vii factors contributing to the success in the establishment of the Mechanism. The guidance and advices provided by the members of the two National Coordination and Monitoring Committee of the GPA project played a very vital part in the achievement of the project. We are very pleased that a vast amount of very useful information on PGR activities throughout the country has been gathered and documented in the NISM-GPA database, which has now been made accessible to the public. We believe that the information