National Biodiversity Authority reconstitutes Agrobiodiversity expert committee; PL Gautam named to lead panel
New Delhi, June 13
The National Biodiversity Authority has reconstituted the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity under Section 13 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, for a period of one year to provide expert guidance on the conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit-sharing of agricultural biodiversity and related matters.
According to the press release by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Committee has been reconstituted with Padma Shri P L Gautam, a renowned agricultural scientist and former Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFRA), as its Chair.
Gautam was recently conferred the Padma Shri in recognition of his distinguished contributions to agricultural science. The Chairperson of PPVFRA will serve as the Co-Chair of the Committee.
Over the years, the Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity has been led by eminent agricultural scientists and experts and has comprised distinguished representatives from leading agricultural, research, academic and policy institutions across the country.
The reconstituted Committee comprises eminent experts and senior representatives from key institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Bureaus of Plant, Animal and Fish Genetic Resources, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, National Innovation Foundation, NALSAR University of Law and other leading research and academic organisations, the release stated.
The Committee will advise the NBA on integrating biodiversity considerations into the agriculture sector and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. It will examine issues relating to the seed sector under the Biological Diversity Act, review guidelines for international collaborative research involving biological resources and recommend measures for the conservation and sustainable use of threatened native crop varieties and livestock breeds.
The Committee will also provide technical and policy inputs to support India's engagement with international agreements relating to agricultural biodiversity, including the ITPGRFA.
The Committee will support the achievement of India's updated NBSAP Targets 4 and 13 and contribute to the realisation of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) through the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural genetic resources, native crop varieties and livestock diversity.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone working in agri-tech, I'm cautiously optimistic. The link between biodiversity and food security is critical, especially with climate change. But reconstituting committees without clear implementation milestones worries me. We've seen many expert panels before—what's different this time? Hope Gautam's leadership brings accountability.
Finally! Someone who actually understands farmers' needs is leading this. P L Gautam has always championed farmer rights and biodiversity conservation together. The inclusion of NALSAR University of Law is smart too—benefit-sharing mechanisms need legal clarity. Let's hope this committee actually listens to small farmers, not just big agri-corporations. 🙏
Impressive lineup of institutions—ICAR, TNAU, National Bureaus of genetic resources, NIF. But I notice no representation from state biodiversity boards or grassroots conservation groups. Biodiversity conservation in India happens at the village level. Hope the committee consults local communities meaningfully, not just top-down policy making.
Good initiative but too bureaucratic! One-year term for such a critical committee? These things need sustained work over years to see real results. Also, linking to NBSAP and SDGs sounds nice on paper, but will the committee have any enforcement power? Or just another advisory body whose recommendations gather dust? 🤔
This is exactly what we need! Our native livestock breeds like Vechur cows and Kankrej cattle are disappearing. Same with traditional rice varieties. P L Gautam's work on plant variety protection is well-known. Hope the committee prioritizes threatened breeds and crops before they're lost forever. This is
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