US adds signature to treaty to save crop variety
Date: 08-Nov-02
Country: ITALY
The United States, along with Japan, was one of two countries that originally abstained from voting on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources.
"I understand that this signing is a kind of reversal from what we said just about a year ago," said Tony Hall, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations food agencies.
"But we have seen the wisdom of the treaty and are very glad to sign it," he added in a statement released by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
On November 3 last year, FAO member states approved the treaty, which aims to ensure that plant genetic resources can be preserved and made available for research and plant breeding.
The seed banks lend out crop seeds, enabling research into new varieties of plants to raise resistance to disease and global warming and improve yields, aiding the war on hunger.
The United States signature meant that 77 countries as well as the European Union have now backed the pact. Japan has still not signed up.
