110
5 Conservation Costs of PGRFA
only been developed for a relatively small number of species, there are only a few
storage facilities utilizing in vitro conservation. Therefore, the amount of conserved
accessions in vitro is still very small. Approximately 37,600 accessions are stored in
this way (FAD, 1995d).
For approximately 1,400,000 ex situ conserved accessions (25%) the information
concerning the storage type is missing. As can be seen from the Country Reports,
most of the accessions without detailed storage type information may be assigned to
orthodox seed and consequently may be assumed to be stored in some seed
genebank facilities. It is assumed that approximately 90% of these accessions are
stored in seed genebanks, 8% in field genebanks and 2% in in vitro storage
facilities. Based on these assumptions, 88% of all worldwide conserved accessions
are stored in seed gene banks and 11 % in field genebanks, whereas only about 1 %
are stored in in vitro facilities and less than 0.2% of the accessions are conserved
with the technique of cryopreservation 53 (WIEWS, 1996; FAD, 1996a).
With the rough knowledge of the distribution of accessions according to the
different storage types, this information can be combined with the distribution of
stored collections according to the grouping into DECD and developing countries
(see Table 5.5). In this way, a rough cost estimate may be carried out, taking into
consideration the different levels of costs. Hereby it is assumed that these
differences may be captured by the two different levels of cost calculations made
(Table 5.7).
By dividing the worldwide conserved accessions according to storage type and
location and, simultaneously, assigning the different costs to the corresponding
conservation technologies and locations, the total costs of all ex situ conserved
PGRF A may be estimated. Nearly US $ 250 million are spent annually for the
global ex situ conservation of agriculturally relevant germplasm. Approximately
85% of the costs are spent for seed genebanks, which store nearly 90% of all
accessions. The average costs per accession were calculated for each storage type.
An overall unit cost may be calculated as well. This unit cost amounting to US $ 44
per accession at the international level may be used as a calculation basis for
obtaining an overview of the costs for conserving PGRFA ex situ.
" See Appendix 11 for more detailed information.
5 Conservation Costs of PGRFA
only been developed for a relatively small number of species, there are only a few
storage facilities utilizing in vitro conservation. Therefore, the amount of conserved
accessions in vitro is still very small. Approximately 37,600 accessions are stored in
this way (FAD, 1995d).
For approximately 1,400,000 ex situ conserved accessions (25%) the information
concerning the storage type is missing. As can be seen from the Country Reports,
most of the accessions without detailed storage type information may be assigned to
orthodox seed and consequently may be assumed to be stored in some seed
genebank facilities. It is assumed that approximately 90% of these accessions are
stored in seed genebanks, 8% in field genebanks and 2% in in vitro storage
facilities. Based on these assumptions, 88% of all worldwide conserved accessions
are stored in seed gene banks and 11 % in field genebanks, whereas only about 1 %
are stored in in vitro facilities and less than 0.2% of the accessions are conserved
with the technique of cryopreservation 53 (WIEWS, 1996; FAD, 1996a).
With the rough knowledge of the distribution of accessions according to the
different storage types, this information can be combined with the distribution of
stored collections according to the grouping into DECD and developing countries
(see Table 5.5). In this way, a rough cost estimate may be carried out, taking into
consideration the different levels of costs. Hereby it is assumed that these
differences may be captured by the two different levels of cost calculations made
(Table 5.7).
By dividing the worldwide conserved accessions according to storage type and
location and, simultaneously, assigning the different costs to the corresponding
conservation technologies and locations, the total costs of all ex situ conserved
PGRF A may be estimated. Nearly US $ 250 million are spent annually for the
global ex situ conservation of agriculturally relevant germplasm. Approximately
85% of the costs are spent for seed genebanks, which store nearly 90% of all
accessions. The average costs per accession were calculated for each storage type.
An overall unit cost may be calculated as well. This unit cost amounting to US $ 44
per accession at the international level may be used as a calculation basis for
obtaining an overview of the costs for conserving PGRFA ex situ.
" See Appendix 11 for more detailed information.