The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), a critical pact among 155 member countries under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aims to secure the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, while protecting Farmers’ Rights.

The ITPGRFA is vital, acting as an “insurance policy” for global food production by safeguarding plant diversity. In an era of increasing crop diversity loss and the urgent need for climate change adaptation, the Treaty provides a global platform for information exchange.

Farmer-produced seeds are central to this effort, ensuring the sustainability of farming inputs and the preservation of traditional agricultural practices.

Crucially, the Treaty’s Multilateral System (MLS) and Benefit-sharing mechanism covers about 64 of the world’s major crops—including rice, potato, citrus, and coconut—which account for approximately 80% of the food we derive from plants. This system ensures plant breeders and farmers can access the genetic material necessary to develop new, higher-yield, and more resilient crop varieties.

The Second Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights was recently hosted by the Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry, from Sep. 16 to 19, 2025.

The event convened key stakeholders—including policymakers, scientists, researchers, practitioners, and representatives of farmers’ organizations and Indigenous Peoples—to recognize the essential role of farmers in global biodiversity conservation.

The Symposium served as a vital platform for knowledge exchange and forging partnerships, ensuring farmers worldwide are acknowledged and empowered. These efforts aim to translate dialogue into concrete actions that will further cultivate the future of food security for all.