About CGRFA

• Established in 1983 under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
• The CGRFA is the only permanent intergovernmental body dedicated to addressing biodiversity specifically related to food and agriculture.
• Initially focusing on plant genetic resources, its mandate expanded in 1995 to encompass all components of biodiversity relevant to food and agriculture, including animal, forest, aquatic, and microbial genetic resources.
• Membership: Comprises 179 members, including India and the European Union.
• Session frequency: Conducts regular sessions biennially (every two years); extraordinary sessions may be convened as necessary.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy.

Major Achievements

• Facilitated the adoption of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in 2001.
• Developed Global Plans of Action to guide countries in conserving and sustainably using various genetic resources:
  • Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) in 2007.
  • Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) in 2011.
  • Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) in 2013.

Why in the News?

• Parties to the CGRFA convened in Rome for their 20th Regular Session (CGRFA-20) on March 24, 2025.
• The regular session also saw the release of two FAO reports, “The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture” and  “The Second Report on the State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources”

Findings of the Reports

• State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture report:

• • • 60 percent of the global crop production relies on just nine crops (sugarcane, maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil palm fruit, sugar beet, and cassava). 
    • An average of 6 percent of farmers’ varieties and landraces (FV/LRs) are threatened globally.
      • Farmer’s varieties and landraces are traditional crop types naturally adapted to local environments. 
      • They contribute significantly to biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience, and typically show greater resistance to pests, diseases, and drought compared to commercial hybrid varieties.
    • Over 50% of documented FV/LRs across five agro-ecological zones in India are under threat.

• State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources report:

• • The report was compiled using data from 77 countries (including India), covering over 75% of the world’s forest area.
  • Conservation efforts such as in-situ and ex-situ methods are increasing; however they currently cover only about 2% of total species.
  • The launch of SilvaGRIS, a global information system developed by FAO to support the monitoring and coordination of forest genetic resources conservation efforts.
  • Several countries report a lack of enough high quality seeds to meet reforestation targets.