BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 25
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Kazakhstan’s joining International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) could help improving lives in rural and urban areas and provide economic development, Vice Secretary-General of UPOV Peter Button told Trend.
Button explained that new, improved varieties of plants are an important and sustainable means of achieving food security in the context of population growth and climate change.
“New varieties that are adapted to the environment in which they are grown increase the choice of healthy, tasty, and nutritious food while generating a viable income for farmers,” he said.
Having noted that innovation in agriculture and horticulture is important for economic development, Button thus said that production of diverse, high-quality varieties of fruit, vegetables, ornamentals, and agricultural crops provides increased income for farmers and employment for millions of people around the world.
“New varieties can be the key to accessing global markets and improving international trade for developing countries. At the same time, new varieties can support the development of urban agriculture and the growing of ornamental plants, shrubs, and trees that contribute to improving the lives of people in the expanding urban environment,” he said.
Joining UPOV could also help increasing productivity whilst respecting the natural environment which is a key challenge in the context of population growth and climate change.
“Breeding plant varieties with improved yield, more efficient use of nutrients, resistance to plant pests and diseases, salt and drought tolerance and better adaptation to climatic stress can sustainably increase productivity and product quality in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, whilst minimizing the pressure on the natural environment,” Button said.
Kazakhstan started the procedure to become a UPOV member on April 7, 2000.
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland).
UPOV's mission is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society.
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