About the Learning Module

This module will help professionals who are managing, conserving and using plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in developing countries and/or who have policy-making responsibilities in this field to navigate through the policy environment in such a way as to promote the sound and scientific management of PGR for food and agriculture in their roles as custodians and developers of genetic resources or as policymakers.

The Learning Module includes 13 sessions organized into a 5-day schedule. Sessions flow from a general context regarding international policy and legal instruments and issues affecting the management of plant genetic resources, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to more specific but equally important themes and issues such as IPRs and biosafety, among others.   The sessions can also be used independently for classroom teaching or short seminars.

The Review of Regional Policy Instruments, Developments and Trends complements the base Learning Module and  reviews trends and selected laws and policies for four regions: Latin America; Sub-Saharan Africa; Central and West Asia and North Africa; and developing countries of Asia, the Pacific and Oceania.  It is designed for a 1-day workshop.

Both the base Learning Module and the Regional Review provide a trainer’s tool, complete with background papers, handouts, overheads, case studies, interactive group exercises, notes for trainers, bibliography and references linked to full text of laws and policies. The module also provides Information for trainers which gives detailed, step by step guidance, tips, templates, training plans and schedules to use the module in training courses or workshops.

Important Note: Session 5 of the Learning Module  on "The FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture " has been completely replaced by  a new Learning Module “The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2010)". This covers the implementation of the Treaty and use of its Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA). Complimentary CD's of the new module can be ordered by contacting the Capacity Development Unit at Bioversity International.