The announcement of the new investment in crop diversity came at the opening of the Fifth session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The meeting has drawn more than 450 participants from governments, science and civil society to Muscat, Oman, where they are discussing plans for sharing food crop varieties among farmers and plant breeders around the world and the Treaty activities over the next two years.
The crucial importance of crop diversity is why Norway gives high priority to the International Treaty and its objectives. Since 2008, Norway has annually provided a grant equal to 0.1 percent of the proceeds from seed sales in Norway to the Benefit Sharing Fund considering it’s now pay back time to the communities where crop diversity originated.
Still the funds available through the Benefit Sharing fund are far from sufficient for meeting the needs. Due to the urgency of saving crops in farmers fields,
Norway gives this additional contribution to secure the launching of the third cycle of projects.
