b'This is no easy feat. As an example, R says that in China, there are hun-dreds of organizations involved in the licensing of germplasm for rice.This is not our preferred way, but this is where we are now, R says. So far, weve been able to survive, but I dont know for how long.Representing RiceTec, R has worked hard to coordinate with and support efforts of both ISF and the American Seed Trade Association to accelerate and try and get leaders in the governing body to come to an agreement on the IT.According to ISF, the best way to preserve genetic resources is to use them.Genetic resources which arent broadly circulated will not only be under-used, they are the ones at risk of being lost, said Michael Keller, ISF secretary general, during his opening remarks at the GB8 meeting in November. Using broadly genetic resources is the best way to conserve them. And together, we continue to work to sustain crop diversity and to breed improved varieties that address the nutritional and agronomic challenges of current and future generations.As part of the negotiations, one of the goals of ISF was to expand the scope of the IT beyond the 64 crops it covers. Many of the vegetables con-sumed around the world are not part of the treaty.To access germplasm for crops that fall outside the scope of the inter-national treaty, companies have to do one-on-one negotiations through the Nagoya Protocol.This is essentially starting from scratch, Khan Niazi says, adding that it can take years to negotiate, which is especially hindering for small- and medium-sized companies that dont have the inhouse resources to track down and then go through all the negotiations.She also notes that some companies are still using the language from the ITs SMTA for vegetable germplasm accessions but then going through the Michael Keller serves as secretary general for ISF.process associated with the Nagoya Protocol.As the negotiations failed in November at GB8, the scope of crops listed under the IT remains the same. Nearly everyone recognizes the role of the treaty and the need for compromise.At the outset of the meeting, Kent Nnadozie, the secretary of the Eighth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty, said: The chal-lenge facing us now is to maintain the momentum built over the past 15 years and continue making meaningful contributions toward global food security, sustainable agriculture and the achievement of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We just need to keep in mind our common interests, our undeniable interdependence and arrive at mutually beneficial compromises for the common good of all.Marie Haga, who chairs the Global Crop Diversity Trust, added: The impor-tance of the Treaty has never been greater. This is not a nicety to be said at a birthday partyits not an exaggerationthe Plant Treaty has never been more important than it is today and will continue to be so in the years to come.The future of food is quite simply dependent on a well implemented Plant Treaty with a functioning access- and benefit sharing system.What next?Many in the governing body and associated with the ITPGRFA will be closely watching the meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity and how it moves forward in handling digital sequencing information.As for the governing body, it wont meet again for another two years, leav-ing a lot of companies and participants to smolder. Some might be extin-guished as a result, while others might be embers waiting for fuel.SWHlne Khan Niazi serves as ISFs international agricultural manager. 14/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2020'