Spain requests international recognition for the BMGO

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has requested the international recognition of the World Bank of Germplasm of the Cordoba Olive Tree (BMGO). In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), Kent Nnadozie, the Minister requests the start of negotiations that will culminate in the signing of the agreement recognizing the BMGO as an international collection.

In this regard, Luis Planas also expressed the objectives shared by the ITPGRFA, a cooperation instrument of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food itself in terms of conservation and research on international collections of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Minister also indicated the interest shown by the Regional Government of Andalusia in signing this agreement for the deposit of the collections included in the BGMO within the scope of the Treaty.

During the tenth meeting of the governing body of the Treaty, held last November, the Spanish Government emphasized the importance of olive genetic resources and international collections within the framework of the IOC.

Spain is the world leader in the olive sector in terms of surface area, production and foreign trade. It is a sector that not only has an indisputable economic relevance in the agri-food field, but also contributes to great benefits from a social, environmental and territorial point of view.

The ITPGRFA, which was ratified by Spain in 2004, establishes a multilateral system to facilitate access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and to share in a fair and equitable way the benefits arising from their use. Its article covers ex situ collections of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture held by international agricultural research centers and other international institutions.