Asian countries link up to protect plant resources
1 April 1999
(see Nature Volume 398 page 360)[ NEW DELHI] Seven countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) reached an agreement last week not to pass on the plant genetic resources that they exchange among themselves to any country outside the association.
The agreement was reached during a four-day meeting of SAARC countries held to evolve joint strategies for dealing with the issues of plant genetic resources and intellectual property rights, and "to preserve and protect the plant genetic resources of the region." They also agreed to cooperate in addressing the emerging biosafety issues related to genetically modified organisms.
The seven countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- agreed to exchange plan germplasm for research purposes freely, but only among themselves. Initially, rice, wheat, and maize varieties will be exchanged.
The seven countries also agreed to exchange experts as well as information, and to hold an annual meeting to discuss issues raised over plant genetic resources. But an offer by India to use its gene bank, which has a capacity for one million seed types, for storing the germplasm of SAARC countries was turned down. An Indian official said members wanted their scientists to be trained in India, but preferred to build their own gene banks.
K S JAYARAMAN
 |  |  |  |
Nature © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1999 Registered No. 785998 England.