Beijing workshop: IGTC policy on plant breeding innovation

IGTC welcomes emphasis on transparency, predictability, and sound science in WTO Ministerial statement

The IGTC welcomes the recognition of transparency, predictability and sound science in the “Joint Statement on Trade in Food and Agricultural Products” that was signed by 17 governments at last week’s 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) in Buenos Aires.

The direction and intent of the Joint Statement (here) is generally in-line with IGTC policy document (here) on the implementation of official measures on crop protection products, notably:

• Call for governments to ensure sound scientific basis of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures
• Importance of transparency and predictability in MRL setting
• Support for greater harmonization across national and regional MRLs
• Central importance of risk analysis
• Need to reinforce the work of relevant international standards organizations
• Support for WTO Member countries’ use of existing international MRL standards to reduce the occurrence of MRL-related barriers to trade, without requiring WTO Members to change their appropriate level of protection of human, animal or plant life or health

picture: © WTO/ Cuika Foto

Thanks to Dr. Marcel Bruins

We express our gratitude to our friend and colleague Dr. Marcel Bruins for his 3+ years of service to the IGTC. A plant breeder and passionate advocate for the grain trade, we were able to achieve key successes thanks to his work. A personal message from Dr. Bruins is below, including his contact information. 

As some of you may know, I will be ending my activities with the IGTC by the end of December 2017. I started back in Oct 2014 with the goal of bringing IGTC closer together, which till then had operated as a sort of loose coalition. The aim of that first year was to provide a legal basis by incorporating the Coalition as a formally established non-profit organization, based in the global hub of the grain trade: Geneva. Legal incorporation of the IGTC was also a necessity for engagement with several intergovernmental organizations such as the IPPC.

In that first year we have written the articles of association, organized the foundation General Assembly, and several Assemblies after that, set up the various policy teams and made a start with revamping IGTC’s website. After that first year, I have continued as chief science advisor for both NAEGA and the IGTC, leading the plant breeding innovation and the ISPM teams. Both teams, and in fact all of IGTC’s projects, have made great progress, with lots of tangible results to show for. It has been a pleasure seeing IGTC grow, become stronger and spread its wings. Having such strong global representation is crucial if you wish to have any chance at making policy changes to facilitate the grain trade. I know it can sometimes take a long time, but that’s just the nature of this business. [click here to continue reading....]

The accuracy of the information reported and interpreted in this communication is not guaranteed. All contents are subject to correction and revision. This newsletter and referenced links are for the use of IGTC Members and Stakeholders only and should otherwise be treated as confidential.