Highlights and images for 27 March 2025

“We can’t see the forest for the trees,” confided a long-term observer of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), as delegates turned their focus to forest genetic resources (FGR) on Thursday. Reflecting on one of the most established areas of expertise for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), members lauded the launch of the Second State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources Report (SOW-FGR), as well as the progress report of the Global Plan of Action for the conservation, sustainable use, and development of FGR, and the associated SilvaGRIS monitoring platform.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Echoing previous discussions on this topic, divergence emerged on the scope and modalities of further research into the effects of seed policies, laws, and regulations on farmers’ access to seeds and planting materials, and whether to undertake such studies at all. Those opposed to continuing this research cited budgetary concerns and highlighted two previous studies that found no significant impacts of such policies and regulations on farmers’ access. They also cautioned against possible overlaps with the mandate of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

Other issues covered on the penultimate day touched on: 

• a new procedure for identifying new and emerging issues to be added to the Commission’s Multi-Year Programme of Work;
• cooperation with international institutions and organizations; and
• procedural matters such as the dates of the next regular session.

A number of outstanding agenda items – including access and benefit-sharing, digital sequence information, and the role of genetic resources for food and agriculture in climate change mitigation and adaptation – remained unresolved and will be further negotiated in informal consultations and contact groups.