Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Syllabus: Agriculture

Source: DTE

Context: The FAO released the Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture on March 24, 2025.

• The report highlighted alarming dependency on nine crops and threats to global plant genetic diversity.

About State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoW-PGRFA):

• What it is:

• A comprehensive assessment of the conservation, use, and status of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) at global, regional, and national levels.

• Report released by: Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

• To evaluate trends, gaps, and priorities in in situ and ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources. To guide global action plans for safeguarding plant biodiversity and food security.

• To evaluate trends, gaps, and priorities in in situ and ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources.

• To guide global action plans for safeguarding plant biodiversity and food security.

• History of the Report: First Report (1998)

• First Report (1998)

• Presented at the Fourth International Technical Conference in Leipzig, Germany (1996). Based on inputs from 154 countries and 12 regional consultations. First global assessment of PGRFA conservation status and management practices.

• Presented at the Fourth International Technical Conference in Leipzig, Germany (1996).

• Based on inputs from 154 countries and 12 regional consultations.

• First global assessment of PGRFA conservation status and management practices.

• Second Report (2010):

• Updated findings of the first report. Highlighted changes since 1996 and focused on global conservation needs and gaps. Emphasized linking conservation with climate resilience and food security.

• Updated findings of the first report.

• Highlighted changes since 1996 and focused on global conservation needs and gaps.

• Emphasized linking conservation with climate resilience and food security.

Key Insights in the Third Report (2025):

• Crop concentration: 60% of global food comes from just nine crops (sugarcane, maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil palm, sugar beet, cassava).

• Threatened diversity: Globally, 6% of farmers’ varieties (FV/LR) are threatened; in nine sub-regions, this exceeds 18%.

• Highest risk regions: Southern Africa, Caribbean, and Western Asia face the highest loss of genetic diversity.

• India’s scenario: Over 50% of documented FV/LRs across five agroecological zones are under threat.

• Ex situ collections: Over 5.9 million accessions conserved globally, with 41% safety-duplicated, many in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

• On-farm efforts: Around 35 million hectares in 51 countries cultivated with FV/LR to conserve genetic diversity.

• Climate threat: Frequent disasters impact crop diversity, with poor germplasm adaptation to local conditions post-disasters.

Challenges:

• Genetic erosion: Traditional crop varieties decline due to climate change, monoculture, and urbanization, threatening biodiversity.

• Funding gaps: Inconsistent financial support weakens gene bank operations and long-term conservation efforts.

• Lack of expertise: Shortage of skilled taxonomists and plant breeders hampers genetic resource management.

• Poor documentation: Incomplete data on plant genetic resources limits research and crop improvement.

• Seed system challenges: Limited access to quality, locally adapted seeds affects post-disaster recovery.

Way Ahead:

• Strengthen conservation: Integrate in-situ and ex-situ methods with community participation.

• Enhance funding: Boost investments in genebanks and explore public-private partnerships.

• Capacity building: Train professionals in plant breeding and genebank management.

• Participatory breeding: Engage farmers and Indigenous communities in developing resilient crops.

• Policy support: Promote crop diversification, local seed banks, and climate-adapted varieties.

Conclusion:

The third SoWPGRFA report underscores the urgent need to preserve crop genetic diversity for food security. Global collaboration, adequate investment, and community engagement are essential. Strengthening national systems will secure biodiversity for future generations.

• Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region. (UPSC-2019)