Georgia: The Georgian delegation participated in the session of the Governing Council of the United Nations International Treaty on Food and Agriculture.
At the opening of the session, a documentary film was presented that depicted Georgia’s efforts to protect the genetic resources of Georgian plants and the practice of storing seeds of local species in Georgia at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
The session, which was attended by delegations from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South and North America, discussed the policy of conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, farmers’ rights and their protection mechanisms, strengthening the global information system; assessing the functioning of multilateral genetic systems (MGS), the impact of climate change on plant genetic resources and other important issues.
The presentations at the thematic meetings held parallel to the session were about the standards of gene banks, quality management, and the involvement of scientific research, educational universities, and academic circles in them. Employees of the Scientific and Research Center also got acquainted with the large-scale exhibition of agricultural crops and technologies present in the exposition space.
Participation in the meeting of the Governing Council of the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources of Georgia (ITPGRFA) will make a significant contribution to strengthening the overall policy of the country’s genetic resources and expanding international cooperation. The gained experience and contacts will strengthen future cooperation with both the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and international scientific institutions.
It should also be noted that the initiative of the Crop Trust of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, to hold a regional meeting in Georgia, the main topics of which will be the documentation of plant genetic resources, databases, and the implementation of the GRIN Global information system.
On June 2-4, 2026, meetings of the Supervisory Committee of the Cooperative Program of Plant Genetic Resources of European Countries (ECPGR), organized by the Scientific and Research Center of Agriculture, will be held in Georgia.
