The Treaty and the CGIAR Centres

In 2006, the CGIAR Centres signed agreements with the Governing Body of the Treaty placing approximately 650,000 accessions of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) under the purview of the Treaty. The Centres use the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) not only for PGRFA listed in Annex 1 of the Treaty but for all PGRFA, thus extending the benefit-sharing provisions in the SMTA.

Bioversity, through the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), reports to the Governing Body on transfers of PGRFA facilitated by the Centres. The Centres make information about those transfers globally, publicly available through their own individual websites, and collectively on the System-wide Information Network on Genetic Resources (SINGER).

In the first year and a half of their operation under the Treaty, from January 2007 to July 2008, the Centres facilitated the international movement of approximately 550,000 samples of PGRFA using the SMTA. 14% of those samples moved between Centres as part of their efforts to create safety back-ups. 6 % went to developed countries. The main bulk of the material distributed – 80 % that is, approximately 440,000 samples - went to developing countries and countries with economies in transition.  Most of that went to public sector research and plant breeding organizations that are engaged in work critically important to promoting food security. See:

•  Experience of the Centres of the CGIAR with the implementation of the agreements with the Governing Body, with particular reference to the Standard Material Transfer Agreement. (SGRP 2007). (64 KB)
•  Experience of the IARCs of the CGIAR with the implementation of the agreements with the Governing Body, with particular reference to the use of the Standard Material Transfer Agreement for Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 crops. (SGRP 2009). (270 KB)

Bioversity and the CGIAR have actively participated in every meeting for the negotiation of the Treaty and the SMTA. Details of our oral statements, targeted research papers, policy briefs and side events are available on the SGRP website. 

You can also find more information about CGIAR policies, guidelines and instruments related to the management of genetic resources on the SGRP website.

See also:

• A brief history of the Treaty
• The Treaty's multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing