American Soybean Association (ASA) President Richard Wilkins wrote to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker and Ranking Member Ben Cardin to support ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

“ASA is a strong supporter of innovation and research,” the letter states.  “As the world’s leading producer of soybeans, the U.S. is at the forefront of plant breeding. Ratification of the ITPGRFA will guarantee our plant breeders and researchers access to germplasm from around the world, which is key to breeding new varieties and ensuring the soybean industry continues to meet a growing global demand.”

Currently, soybeans are not covered under the ITPGRFA. It is one of the commodities subject to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Nagoya Protocol. Many countries require a benefit sharing arrangement for the exchange of germplasm. Under Nagoya, these are negotiated on a bilateral basis, which creates significant uncertainty. Not only do bilateral agreements pose significant logistical problems, the compliance issues raised are both cumbersome and costly. There have been instances where public researchers have been unable to access germplasm due to the high cost of compliance. By delaying ratification, the U.S. is missing out on the opportunity to negotiate a place for soybeans.

The U.S. signed the treaty in 2002 during the Bush administration, but ratification is still pending in the Senate. In December 2010, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee recommended ratification on a voice vote.  It was placed on the Senate calendar but not voted on.  The last committee hearing to consider the treaty was in November 2009.

The 131 countries that have ratified the treaty include the EU28, which includes France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and UK. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, India. Most of Africa and Central America have ratified.

ASA encourages the Foreign Relations Committee to consider the treaty as soon as possible.