A call for urgent action: Asia-Pacific’s plant genetic diversity

[This is not an FCCT-organized event. Free and open to all.]

The Asia-Pacific region, home to more than half the world’s population and several global centres of crop diversity, faces an urgent challenge: narrowing of the diversity of crops cultivated and consumed. Amid rising climate pressures, malnutrition, population growth and food insecurity, countries must prioritize crop diversity to help address these challenges.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has recently published The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (third report). The report provides an assessment of the global status and trends of the conservation and use of PGRFA from 2011 to 2022 based on data provided by 128 Member Countries and 17 international and regional centres.

Join us for a media briefing to explore key findings from the third report. We will address key issues and priorities for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, based on the gaps and needs identified in the third report. The focus is on how conserving and sustainably using crop diversity is vital to transforming agrifood systems, ending hunger and addressing the climate crisis.

At a regional launch in Bangkok this week of the third report*,* government officials, ambassadors, United Nations representatives and technical experts met to chart a way forward.

Yurdi Yasmi, director of the plant production and protection division, FAO.

Stefano Diulgheroff, secretary of the working group on plant genetic resources, FAO.

Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan, plant conservation expert, Department of Agriculture, Thailand.

Moderator: Tiy Chung, communications officer, FAO.
Food and beverages will be available.