Standard Material Transfer Agreement(SMTA)

Access to PGRFA is via the SMTA, a legally-binding contract with pre-negotiated terms under the Treaty.

Developed by International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture (the Treaty) under the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

What is an SMTA?

SMTA must accompany each transfer of covered PGRFA materials

The Treaty establishes a multilateral system for facilitated access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and sharing benefits arising from their use

What is covered by an SMTA?

Over 60 food & feed crops listed in Annex 1 of the Treaty.

PGRFA in the International Agricultural Research Center Collections

PGRFA ex situ collections under management and control of national governments and in the public domain

PGRFA donated or availableto the multilateral system by public or private entities

What does the SMTA NOT cover?

Crops not listed in Annex 1 of the Treaty

Chemical, pharmaceutical or other non-food or non-feed uses of Annex I crops

Public collections not under the management and control of national governments and in the public domain, or private collections

PGRFA found in situ

What are the SMTA rules?

Transfer of PGRFA covered by the SMTA must be reported to the International Treaty

All non-confidential information resulting from

using PGRFA must be made available to the MLS

Research & breeding materials that incorporate PGRFA must be exchanged under the terms of the SMTA

The full text of the SMTA is available at ftp://ftp.fao.org/ag/agp/planttreaty/agreements/smta/SMTAe.pdf

ONP authorization is requiredto place SMTA material in the

National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS)

Check with your RL, National Program Leader (NPL) & TTC

In general, PGRFA accompanied by the SMTA are not incorporated into ARS

breeding programs

Check with your RL, National Program Leader (NPL) & TTC if exceptions are sought

Seedlings bred from publically available germplasm (ARS germplasm) crossed with germplasm covered by the SMTA becomes SMTA-covered germplasm

If an ARS breeding program incorporates germplasm covered by the SMTA, then it is not publically available without restrictions

SY contacts TTC; TTC sends SMTA to OTT for processing

OTT signs with NPL approval

SY / RL / NPL decide if SMTA materialshould be used

What is the procedure for seeking permission to use SMTA material in an ARS breeding program?

TTC send approvedSMTA to SY

If germplasm/cultivar is released that incorporates SMTA germplasm, that is stated in any release or distribution notice