International policy on Plant Genetic Resources and the conservation activity on temperate fruit tree germplasm in Italy

The International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources (IU), hosted at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and monitored by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), is an international nonbinding agreement adopted in 1983 by the FAO Conference, which aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable utilisation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). Three FAO Conference resolutions are now annexed to the IU: Res. 4/89, recognising plant breeders' rights, as provided by UPOV; Res. 5/89, recognising farmers' rights; Res. 3/91, recognising sovereign rights of nations over their genetic resources. The CBD, opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United nations Conference for Environment and Development (the Rio "Earth Summit"), and to date ratified by 177 countries, recognised the need to seek solutions to outstanding matters concerning PGRFA within the Global System, in particular the access to ex situ collections acquired before the entry into force of the CBD and the question of farmers' rights. FAO Conference Res. 7/93 requested FAO to provide a forum for negotiation among governments for the adaptation of the IU on PGRFA in harmony with the CBD; consideration of the issue of access on mutually agreed terms to PGRFA, including ex situ collections not addressed by the Convention and the issue of realisation of farmers' rights. In Italy, the Ministry for Agricultural and Forestry Policy (Mi.P.A.F.) responsible for the PGRFA, to implement the GPA, supported a "Plant genetic resources" project. This project, promoted by the Istituto Sperimentale per la Frutticoltura (ISF)-Roma, coordinates the collection, conservation, characterization, evaluation and utilization of PGRFA held by the Agricultural Research and Experimental Institutes (IRSA) of Mi.P.A.F. and in particular on fruit tree genetic resources of the Italian research institutes belonging to universities, the National Research Council and regional research centres. Out of 21 institutes interviewed, 27 species of temperate fruit trees for a total number of 17,377 accessions, 33% of which are of Italian origin, are conserved ex situ. Most of the material collected consists of cultivars (35.1%) and non-cultivated varieties (36.4%). "Other" material, generally breeder's selections and material of unknown origin (14.7%), while landraces and mutants count 7.5% and 6.3% of the accessions, respectively.