March 31 (Bloomberg) -- A United Nations treaty that aims to fight hunger in the developing world by encouraging genetic variety in agriculture will take effect in three months after 12 European countries ratified it.

Treaty members now number 48, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, based in Rome, said in an e-mailed statement. The body needed more than 40 nations to agree to implement the first binding accord on biodiversity.

``The Treaty will conserve biodiversity for future generations and is essential for food security and sustainable development,'' Jose Esquinas-Alcazar, secretary of the FAO's Intergovernmental Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, said in a telephone interview.

The number of crops used to feed most people has shrunk from about 10,000 when agriculture began to 150 today, according to the FAO. Wheat, rice, corn and potatoes provide 60 percent of food energy. Cultivating a wider range of crops helps reduce the risk of disease or unusual weather hurting food supply, Esquinas said.

``Access to a wide range of genetic resources will make possible the development of a greater variety of food products, which will improve the lives and diets of consumers in both rural and urban areas,'' the FAO said in an e-mailed statement.

The treaty seeks to improve access to seeds and to ensure that farmers are paid enough by companies for growing and selling new plant varieties.

The U.K., Denmark, Spain and Sweden are among countries that have ratified the treaty, and Brazil's parliament is in the process, Esquinas said. The U.S. has signed the agreement and hasn't ratified it.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eleanor Wason in London ewason@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 31, 2004 09:08 EST