ROME, July 1 (Reuters) — The United Nations World Food Organization agreed today to try to save the diversity of agricultural crops, reaching an accord on payments but not on patents for seeds.

The pact followed a debate pitting many poor countries and environmentalists against multinational corporations and wealthier nations.

After a week of talks, delegates said, the United States agreed publicly for the first time to mandatory payments by plant breeders and geneticists developing new crop varieties, in return for access to public seed banks, which lend crop seeds at no charge.

That enables research into new varieties to increase resistance to disease and to lessen some of the impact of climate changes.

"This international undertaking is a milestone," said José Esquinas- Alcázar, secretary of the organization's commission on genetic resources for food and agriculture. "It will allow the conservation of genetic resources for future generations."

He said an international agreement to conserve genetic resources was needed because agricultural biodiversity was being lost at an alarming rate.

Mr. Esquinas-Alcázar estimated that historically, 10,000 plant species had been used for human food and agriculture, but that now no more than 120 cultivated species provide 90 percent of human food supplied by plants.

Representatives of 161 countries reached the agreement by consensus in the early hours today.

But a separate issue over the patenting of seeds was not resolved. The patents issue was the biggest stumbling block, and participants decided not to adopt a clause on intellectual property rights that would limit access to seeds. The issue will be tackled by a conference in November.

Environmental groups say the patenting of food and seeds by multinational companies threatens food security and farmers' access to genetic resources. Developers argue that patents are a vital incentive for research.

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

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