Agrobiodiversity Expert Committee
Why in News?
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) officially reconstituted the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity for a one-year term on June 13, 2026. This reconstitution was done under Section 13(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Padma Shri Dr. P. L. Gautam (renowned agricultural scientist, former Chairperson of NBA and PPVFRA) has been named as the Chair of the reconstituted committee.
Core Objectives & Responsibilities
- Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS): Formulates policy guidelines ensuring that commercial entities exporting crop seeds or livestock/animal embryos fairly compensate indigenous and local communities.
- Preservation of Threatened Breeds: Proposes urgent containment and revival roadmaps for endangered native crop varieties and indigenous livestock breeds.
- Regulatory Seed Oversight: Reviews regulatory gridlocks and compliance frameworks specifically affecting the domestic seed sector under the Biological Diversity Act.
- International Collaborative Research: Evaluates and approves international joint research proposals under Section 5 to prevent bio-piracy while facilitating global scientific innovation.
Key Institutional Composition
The committee integrates India’s topmost legal, environmental, and agricultural scientific bodies, featuring senior representatives from:
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- National Bureaus of Plant, Animal, and Fish Genetic Resources
- NALSAR University of Law (for legal and intellectual property expertise)
- National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Global and National Strategic Impact
- International Treaty Alignment: Provides technical and diplomatic advisory frameworks to assist India's alignment with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
- NBSAP Target Achievement: Directly advances Targets 4 and 13 of India’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
- UN SDG Fulfillment: Functions as a key policy vehicle to realize United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
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