First Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights Launched

• 13 Sep 2023

On 12^th September, 2023, the President of India officially opened the inaugural Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights in New Delhi.

Key Points

• Symposium Organizers: The symposium is organized by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (International Treaty), under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome.
• India's Biodiversity: India, despite occupying only 2.4 percent of the world's land area, is home to 7-8 percent of recorded plant and animal species globally.
• It boasts a vast agro-biodiversity, which has been a valuable resource for the global community.
• Indian farmers have preserved local plant varieties, domesticated wild plants, and nurtured traditional varieties that have served as the foundation for crop breeding programs, ensuring food and nutritional security.
• Significance of Farmers: The President acknowledged farmers as the foremost conservers of crop diversity, emphasizing their vital role in protecting and reviving various plant and species varieties essential to humanity.