ZHOU Jinfeng Remarked the Third Symposium on Conservation and Benefit Sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Wild plant genetic resources for food and agriculture serve as the foundation for human survival, and their protection and sustainable use are crucial. In order to conserve and ensure the sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and to fairly and equitably share the benefits arising from their use, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) and the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences jointly organized ‘The Third Symposium on Conservation and Benefit Sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture’ on May 23, 2023 in the International Exchange Center of Vegetable Research Institute of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences.

The symposium aims to bring together experts, scholars, policy-makers, private sector and field practitioners, from relevant fields to exchange ideas and experiences on the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.  The discussions centers on the importance of conserving plant genetic resources and ensuring their sustainable use, as well as the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from their use.

The meeting was broadcast live online, and a total of 6,000 people have watched the discussion online. The speech by Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation as follows:

First of all, on behalf of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and Chairman XIE Boyang, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone for coming. We would like to thank Dr. Kent Nnadozie, Secretary-General of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), for coming here and continuing to share his international experiences with us on the issue of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. At the same time, we are very grateful to the International Cooperation Office of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences and the Vegetable Institute of Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences for providing us with such a platform, and we also thank the expert team of the institutes for participating in this work. The Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry is not limited to Beijing or China, and has also made positive contributions to the world. It is a leader in agriculture-related production and scientific research.

Yesterday was May 22, 2023, and it was the first International Day for Biological Diversity after the 15th session of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CBD COP15) which the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was achieved. Today, we are on such a day, for agricultural biodiversity, CBCGDF, together with Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and Dr. Benefit hold this meeting which is also one of the parallel forums of the 2023 International Conference on Biodiversity (IBCOP 2023).

Here, on the one hand, we focus on agriculture and food, on the other hand, we carry out in-depth work on biodiversity and include it in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,to promote it to reach the people of the world and all walks of life. This includes popularization and promotion in the field of science and technology, practice and implementation among the public, which is also part of our meeting’s purpose.

Here, I would also like to thank Dr. Wang Ren, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and former Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, for your long-term attention and support for this work, and for your fruitful efforts and contributions.

Today's meeting will also gather, and then report to the relevant departments,the Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture through the two sessions. As a family of scientists and a think tank for government decision-making consultation, we actively promote related work. Once again, on behalf of CBCGDF, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone for coming.

(Please note this text has not proofread by the speaker.)

For more information:

FAO participated in seminar on conservation and benefit-sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture focusing on post-2020 agricultural biodiversity
https://www.fao.org/china/news/detail-events/en/c/1185435/
Synergies between ITPGRFA and Convention on Biological Diversity - “Conservation and Benefit Sharing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Focusing on Agricultural Biodiversity After 2020” Seminar
https://www.fao.org/plant-treaty/news/news-detail/en/c/1184580/

Speaker: Jinfeng ZHOU

Reporter:Daisy

Checked by Sara

Editor: Daisy

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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