What Will be the Basis for Accessing the Crop Genetic Resources Supported by the Trust?
The Trust will adhere to the policies set by the International Treaty with regard to access and benefit sharing for genetic resources. The Treaty envisages a mechanism for sharing benefits whereby the ‘owners’ of a commercialized product that incorporates material obtained from the multilateral system will pay a royalty to a specially-designated fund. This fund is independent of the Trust. The payment is mandatory if the product is not available for further research and breeding. It is voluntary when the product can be freely used for such purposes. The details of the level of royalties, the organization and governance of the fund, and disbursements from it have yet to be agreed. However, the Treaty clearly foresees that benefits will flow primarily to farmers in developing countries.
