Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge for Food Security

281 Pages·2015·5.635 MB·English

by  Romesh Kumar Salgotra, Bharat Bhushan Gupta (eds.)

Romesh Kumar Salgotra
Bharat Bhushan Gupta Editors
Plant Genetic
Resources and
Traditional
Knowledge for Food
Security
Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional
Knowledge for Food Security

Romesh Kumar Salgotra
Bharat Bhushan Gupta
Editors
Plant Genetic Resources
and Traditional
Knowledge for Food
Security
Editors
Romesh Kumar Salgotra Bharat Bhushan Gupta
School of Biotechnology Division of Plant Breeding and Genetics
Sher-e-Kashmir University Sher-e- Kashmir University
of Agricultural Sciences of Agricultural Sciences
and Technology of Jammu and Technology of Jammu
Jammu , Jammu and Kashmir , India Jammu , Jammu and Kashmir , India
ISBN 978-981-10-0058-4 ISBN 978-981-10-0060-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-0060-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015959595
Springer Singapore Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Foreword
Growing population, declining productivity, shrinking resource base, chang-
ing climate and ethnic concerns are the challenges towards food security
globally. Plant Genetic Resources (PGRs) and Traditional Knowledge (TK)
constitute our invaluable assets in this direction. They play an increasing role
in world food security and economic development. They are crucial for sus-
tainable agricultural growth and offer livelihood security to agrarian society.
Therefore, conservation and effective utilization of PGRs and TK, which con-
stitute a unique global heritage, is of immediate concern.
The United Nation Department of Economic & Social Affairs Population
Division has estimated world population around 7.4 billion (July, 2015). It is
expected to stabilize around 9 billion by 2050. Even today, millions of people
go hungry every day, and the scenario may be more serious and disturbing in
future. The agriculture sector today is facing challenges like shrinking culti-
vable land, dwindling water resources, changing climate, energy crisis, labour
issues and increasing cost of inputs. The agriculture has to grow against all
these odds with effi cient utilization of all inputs and management skills.
Crop improvement is one way of achieving the desired goals, which
requires a very strong bio-diversity basis. The IPR, protection and promotion
of farmers’ rights, access and benefi t sharing to genetic resources and rele-
vant knowledge are key issues for the developing and developed countries.
These will provide steady and fairly legal basis for relevant stakeholders’
parties. Regarding challenges of food security in future, a common outlook in
management and use of plant resources genetic, indigenous/traditional
knowledge and intellectual property should be discussed, shared and released.
In addition, various international conventions have addressed the issue of
genetic erosion and declining use of agro-biodiversity in modern intensive
agriculture. Concern about the future vulnerability of agricultural production,
food security and environmental stability has moved the conservation and
sustainable use of plant genetic resources to the top of the international devel-
opment agenda. An enhanced use of plant genetic diversity is essential to
address these and other future challenges.
The book, Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge for Food
Security , is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the global situa-
tion and trends regarding the conservation and use of PGRs and TK. It
describes the current status and the signifi cant improvements made through
PGRs and TK and brings out major gaps between erosion of PGRs and TK to
that of their preservation to set future priorities for the conservation and sus-
v
vi Foreword
tainable utilization of plant genetic resources for agriculture. The book
emphasizes on the importance of an integrated approach for the management
of PGRs and TK. It points out the need to secure broad diversity of crop
plants, including their wild relatives and underutilized species in the acces-
sible conservation systems, and to increase capacities for plant breeding and
seed delivery worldwide.
One of the important issues explored in this publication is the need for a
joint effort between farmer innovators and researchers to further improve
modern and traditional farm practices. Equally important to the application of
TK is the monitoring and assessment of its effects in combating desertifi ca-
tion. Many of the issues surrounding the promotion, protection and use of
plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge are being addressed
through international collaborative efforts. It has been emphasized to realize
the signifi cance and benefi t of such works at the local level.
It is hoped that this publication will serve to sensitize the scientifi c com-
munity, local partners and the various specialized agencies for their willing-
ness and commitment in countering the problem of desertifi cation. I hope and
believe that the information contained in this book will be useful for policy
planners, researchers, teachers, students and farming community.
Chatha
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India

(Pradeep K. Sharma)
Vice Chancellor
SKUAST of Jammu (J&K)
Pref ace
The preservation, protection, and promotion of the Plant Genetic Resources
(PGR), Traditional Knowledge (TK), innovations, and practices of local and
indigenous communities are of key importance for the development of a
country. The rich endowment of PGR and TK plays a critical role in health
care, food security, culture, religion, identity, environment, sustainable devel-
opment, and trade. But these valuable assets are at risk in many parts of the
world, and here are concerns that PGR and TK are being used and patented
by third parties, with few or none of the benefi ts being shared with the origi-
nal traditional knowledge holders and without their prior informed consent.
While such concerns have pushed PGR and TK to the forefront of the inter-
national agenda, the best ways of addressing the range of issues related to its
preservation, protection, further development, and sustainable use are not yet
clear.
PGR and TK represent the basic building blocks for the sustainable devel-
opment of the agro-based industries in a country. Empowerment of local
communities is a prerequisite for the integration of PGR and TK into the
development process. The integration of PGR and TK into development pro-
grams has already proved to contribute to effi ciency, effectiveness, and sus-
tainable development. Supporting local and regional networks of traditional
practitioners and community exchanges can help to disseminate useful and
relevant indigenous knowledge and to enable communities to participate
more actively in the development process. However, experience has shown
that this cannot be done by one institution acting alone. Therefore, partner-
ships are needed to support this process at all levels.
A great part of the modern pharmaceutical industry has been developed on
the basis of medicinal plants discovered by indigenous peoples and local
communities; nevertheless, the economic benefi ts that these medicines give
remain in the companies, without any type of recognition or compensation
for those who created these valuable resources. Supporting small-scale farm-
ing systems and indigenous communities who are having indigenous knowl-
edge, improving their agricultural productivity and livelihood base, is crucial
in this context.
T he growing global demand for food, feed, fi ber, and bio-based renewable
materials, such as biofuels, is changing the conditions for genetic resources
development and bio-resource production worldwide. TK in the fi elds of
medicine, healing, and biodiversity conservation are well known, and the
need for protection of this TK is a crosscutting issue at the moment involved
vii
viii Preface
in discussions from different institutions, with different approaches. Only
1 % of TK is known by scientists and accepted for commercial purposes. Part
of the modern pharmaceutical industry is developed on the basis of PGR
discovered and use by indigenous peoples and local communities, even
though the economic benefi ts are not equitably shared.
I nternational conventions and treaties together with the rapid bioscience
development have led to new conditions for the access of genetic resource
and knowledge. The Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 (CBD), man-
dates the contracting parties to preserve and maintain knowledge, innova-
tions, and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities embodying
traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of bio-
logical diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and
involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations, and practices and
encourage the equitable sharing of benefi ts arising from their utilization. The
Nagoya Protocol further regulates the conditions for accession to genetic
resources and the fair and equitable division of monetary and nonmonetary
benefi ts raised from their use. This protocol regulates the rights and obliga-
tions of entities that use genetic resources for research, development, and
commercialization or that use traditional knowledge associated with genetic
resources.
Recent developments related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) for
PGR and TK have created both threats and opportunities for developing
countries. With the advent of genetic engineering and novel multilateral IPR
agreements, a new chapter in the history of gene hunting has started while
genetic resources have been important raw materials in agriculture and in the
natural products industry, biotechnology, and the information technology,
and novel IPR regimes are opening new frontiers. The demand for PGR and
TK is likely to grow rapidly with the improved techniques for rapid genetic
characterization and screening of valuable genetic traits and the possibilities
to improve, modify, and add value to genetic resources. Thus, the era of bio-
informatics and genetic engineering will have a major impact on the trade of
PGR and TK and the development of natural products industries worldwide.
F armers’ Rights are essential for maintaining plant genetic diversity,
which is the basis of all food and agricultural production in the world. This
book shows the necessity of realizing Farmers’ Rights for poverty alleviation
and food security, the practical possibilities of doing so, and the potential
gains for development and society at large. It provides decision-makers and
practitioners with a conceptual framework for understanding Farmers’ Rights
and success stories showing how each of the elements of Farmers’ Rights can
be realized in practice. The success stories have brought substantial achieve-
ments as regards one or more of the four elements of Farmers’ Rights: the
rights of farmers to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seed; the protec-
tion of TK; benefi t-sharing; and participation in decision-making.
This book provides an opportunity for various authors from widely differ-
ing backgrounds to explore some of the issues raised by conserving PGR and
TK. A wide range of expertise and experiences will be needed to develop
realistic approaches for sustainable utilization of genetic resources. Genetic,
ecological, agricultural, social, economic, and legal concerns all have to be
Preface ix
considered and integrated in developing practical work plans at international,
national, and local levels. In this book, authors with experience in different
fi elds explore some of the problems and possibilities from their perspective.
T his book, P lant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge for Food
Security, is designed to provide in-depth information of PGR and TK, their
protection, conservation, access, and commercial use on benefi t-sharing basis
in a balanced and comprehensive fashion to researchers, professionals, and
students. The book is well illustrated to help students, researchers, and pro-
fessionals to better understand the principles and concepts about the PGR and
TK. International treaties for sustainable utilization of PGR and TK are well
discussed. The style of presentation throughout the book is easy to follow and
comprehend. Professionals, researchers, and students are constantly reminded
of previous topics of relevance to current topics being discussed. This book is
not only an excellent teaching tool, but it is also a suitable reference source
for professionals.
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India Romesh Kumar Salgotra
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India Bharat Bhushan Gupta