The Verkhovna Rada ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, thanks to which Ukraine will gain access to the global system of exchange of genetic materials and will be able to participate in the sharing of benefits from their use. This was reported by the Ministry of Economy.
The adopted document provides for Ukraine’s accession to the mechanism of simplified exchange of genetic resources between genetic banks of different states. First of all, it concerns approximately 64 major agricultural crops, including wheat, rice, corn, barley, potatoes and soybeans, which provide up to 80% of the world’s plant food consumption.
In addition to access to genetic resources, Ukraine will also be able to participate in the international mechanism for sharing the benefits of their commercialization through a special fund.
The need to join this agreement is due, in particular, to the consequences of the war, which resulted in the loss of part of the genetic collections and the destruction of the infrastructure for their storage.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky noted that participation in the agreement will give Ukraine the opportunity to restore its genetic base, develop breeding and create new varieties resistant to climate change and diseases. It is expected that the implementation of this agreement will also contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, strengthening food security and the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector of Ukraine.
Previously, the Ministry of Economy reported that the agricultural sector of Ukraine should switch to EU standards by 2028. At the same time, the head of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Andriy Dykun, noted that the implementation of EU environmental standards will cost the Ukrainian agricultural sector 2.5 billion euros annually.
