[Senate Treaty Document 110-19]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



110th Congress 
 2d Session                      SENATE                     Treaty Doc.
                                                                 110-19
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

 
       TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
                              transmitting

     INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND 
 AGRICULTURE, ADOPTED BY THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE 
UNITED NATIONS ON NOVEMBER 3, 2001, AND SIGNED BY THE UNITED STATES ON 
                   NOVEMBER 1, 2002 (THE ``TREATY'')




 July 7, 2008.--Treaty was read the first time, and together with the 
accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
            ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate


                      LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

The White House, July 7, 2008.
To the Senate of the United States:
    I transmit herewith for advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification the International Treaty on Plant Genetic 
Resources for Food and Agriculture, adopted by the Food and 
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on November 3, 
2001, and signed by the United States on November I, 2002 (the 
``Treaty''). The Treaty entered into force in June 2004.
    The centerpiece of the Treaty is the establishment of a 
multilateral system under which a party provides access to 
other parties, upon request, to listed plant genetic resources 
held in national genebanks. These resources are to be used 
solely for purposes of research, breeding, and training in 
agriculture. A recipient of such a resource must then share the 
benefits from its use, e.g., a recipient who commercializes a 
product containing an accessed plant genetic resource must 
generally pay a percentage of any gross sales into a trust 
account.
    Transfers under the multilateral system are to be 
accompanied by a standard material transfer agreement, the 
current version of which was concluded in June 2006.
    Provision of plant genetic resources from u.s. genebanks is 
fully consistent with the Department of Agriculture's long- 
standing general practice of providing access to such plant 
genetic resources upon request. Ratification of the Treaty will 
provide u.s. agricultural interests with similar access to 
other parties' genebanks, thus helping u.s. farmers and 
researchers sustain and improve their crops and promote food 
security.
    The Treaty may be implemented under existing U.S. 
authorities.
    I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the 
report of the Department of State concerning the Treaty, which 
contains an understanding regarding Article 12.

                                                    George W. Bush.
                          LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                                       Department of State,
                                     Washington, February 11, 2008.
The President,
The White House.
    The President: I have the honor to submit to you, with a 
view to its transmittal to the Senate for advice and consent to 
ratification, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic 
Resources for Food and Agriculture, adopted by the Conference 
of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 
on November 3, 2001 (the ``Treaty''), and signed by the United 
States on November 1, 2002.
    The Treaty establishes a system of access to plant genetic 
resources held in a Party's national gene banks with 
concomitant sharing of benefits by the recipient arising trom 
their use. It also commits Parties to promote the conservation 
and sustainable use of plant genetic resources integral to 
global food security. Throughout the complex negotiations, the 
United States was firmly committed to creating a system that 
promotes U.S. and global food security and protects U.S. access 
to genetic resources held outside of our borders.
    All interested agencies in the Executive Branch favor 
ratification of the Treaty, which can be implemented under 
existing authorities. I recommend, therefore, that the Treaty 
be transmitted to the Senate as soon as possible for its advice 
and consent to ratification.
    Respectfully submitted.
                                                   Condolezza Rice.
    Enclosures: As stated.
    
    
