To the editor:

Recently, the Genetic Resources Policy Committee of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (Washington, DC; CGIAR) met in the Philippines to consider a wide range of policy and legal matters of interest to the CGIAR. The Committee is composed of people from diverse backgrounds (governments, the private sector, and NGOs as well as the CGIAR itself) who serve in their personal capacity.

The Committee held an intensive discussion of the new International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, during which unanimous support for its adoption was expressed. Immediately before the meeting, there was a separate workshop (attended by senior management and board representatives of the different CGIAR centers) to consider the Treaty. All centers expressed their satisfaction with the Treaty and agreed on the next steps needed to associate themselves formally with the Treaty.

During the course of our meeting, we also discussed the Business & Regulatory News Analysis “CGIAR under pressure to support seed treaty” published in the February issue (Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 103–105, 2002). We wish to draw your attention to several inaccuracies in this article. Indicative of the importance we place on setting the record straight, this letter has been reviewed and endorsed by the Directors General of all CGIAR centers holding collections of plant germ plasm.

The following statement represents the views of CGIAR centers:

●We welcome the adoption of the Treaty and intend to work with the international community to implement it. During the entire course of the Food & Agricultural Organization (Rome; FAO) negotiations, we have consistently worked toward the creation of a multilateral system for access and benefit sharing for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

●We do not believe that the Treaty represents a “loss of autonomy for CGIAR centers.” To the contrary, it re-affirms the fact that we are holding genetic resources “in trust” for the international community and confirms the relationship between centers and the international community that was contained in previous agreements with the FAO.

●We do not concur with the notion that CGIAR policy-making on genetic resources matters is “over-centralized.” The composition of our Committee is but one piece of evidence that refutes such a view. You might also look at the composition of the CGIAR itself, which encompasses more than 40 countries, and at the heterogeneous composition of the individual center Boards of Trustees, which are ultimately responsible for center policies. In addition, staff of virtually every center attended and represented their centers at one or more negotiating sessions on the International Treaty at the FAO.

●We are satisfied and grateful for the high quality of representation the CGIAR has had throughout the negotiations.

CGIAR centers currently hold more than 500,000 accessions “in trust” under the auspices of the FAO for the international community. This is a significant proportion of all crop diversity held in ex situ conditions. Thus, we consider it important that your readers (many of whom access these materials for scientific research and plant breeding) understand our position on matters concerning the management and disposition of this diversity.