by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
Deputy Director of the ministry of agriculture, food, forestry and fisheries, Sione Foliaki, says Tonga will now have access to vegetables, fruits, root crops and planting materials through the International treaty on Plant and Generic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which was signed on March 16 by Tonga.
Under the direct control of all the contracting parties or participating countries, the treaty has created a global gene-pool for food security, thus promoting sustainable global food security and providing an easy gateway when exchanging seeds and other building blocks of the genetic diversity of the world of crops.
The treaty now gives Tonga more access to the genetic resources for food and allows its future generation to have more access to the genetic diversity, which is very essential.
Secretary of the International Treaty, Dr. Shakeel Bhatti, said Tonga will be eligible to participate in both the monetary and non-monetary benefit-sharing mechanisms including the initiatives on technology transfer and capacity building.
