6.2 German Case Study
167
cooperation in PGRF A conservation is the intensive collaboration with
international agricultural research, the research centers of the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) as well as non-CGIAR centers.
Because of the federal structure of German policies, the decision-making
process concerning the German conservation strategy incorporates the interests of
various stakeholders at the different political levels. This is achieved by
circulating a final strategy paper to the members of Parliament, the federal
ministries, the federal governments, NGOs, and the interested public via media.
Additionally, the federal governments disseminate the paper to district- and
county-level officials. (Auer, 1995). This is a time-consuming, but participatory
approach to include all relevant interests in the decision-making process. The
approach is linked with the expectation of easing the implementation process.
The establishment of working groups is an additional instrument to involve the
different institutes with their different point of views and expertise in the decision
making process on a national level. For instance, the Working Group for the
"Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources" was established, integrating the
different actors concerned on a national and state level (GCR, 1996). The concept
for the conservation of biodiversity is another example, showing how different
expertise from different areas and levels come together and generate a concept.
The general concept is based on the Federal Nature Conservation Act, designed by
BMU. The scientific background for the concept of nature and species protection,
however, is derived mainly from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
(BiN) as well as the different states and their scientific institutions.
A closer evaluation of the efficiency of the German conservation program
together with programs of other countries is undertaken in Chapter 5.4. Hence,
here only a close look will be taken at the genebanks' integration into the system
of utilization. The two national genebanks are different as regards their historical
backgrounds, their present conservation strategies and their funding. In analyzing
their contribution to the utilization of PGRF A, they are, however, similar. The
supply of conserved PGRF A (in terms of accessions), reflects the degree of
accessibility of the storage facility on the one hand and it indicates the value of a
whole collection on the other hand. While IPK has provided an annual average of
12,252 samples between 1953 and 1992 (Hammer et al., 1994), BAZ has provided
some 7,000 samples or more annually82 (BAZ, 1997). Compared to their overall
conserved accessions, IPK supplied 12% and BAZ 13%, which is a good result for
their accessibility in comparison to other genebanks (see Chap. 5.4).
Two further points must be highlighted. First, the supply of accessions to meet
domestic and foreign demand is well-balanced in both genebanks, whereby IPK,
with 650/0, provides slightly more accessions for the "domestic market" than BAZ
with 56% (GCR, 1996). In spite of being national genebanks, this indicates that
international cooperation is intensively utilized and their international reputation is
good enough to attract a significant demand. Furthermore, it is interesting to note
that although Germany is an agrobiodiverse-poor country, the two main
82 Since 1982, the annual supply has been constantly over 6,000, with peaks in the year 1986
(over 14,000), 1992 and 1995 with over 10,000 samples (BAZ, 1997).
167
cooperation in PGRF A conservation is the intensive collaboration with
international agricultural research, the research centers of the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) as well as non-CGIAR centers.
Because of the federal structure of German policies, the decision-making
process concerning the German conservation strategy incorporates the interests of
various stakeholders at the different political levels. This is achieved by
circulating a final strategy paper to the members of Parliament, the federal
ministries, the federal governments, NGOs, and the interested public via media.
Additionally, the federal governments disseminate the paper to district- and
county-level officials. (Auer, 1995). This is a time-consuming, but participatory
approach to include all relevant interests in the decision-making process. The
approach is linked with the expectation of easing the implementation process.
The establishment of working groups is an additional instrument to involve the
different institutes with their different point of views and expertise in the decision
making process on a national level. For instance, the Working Group for the
"Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources" was established, integrating the
different actors concerned on a national and state level (GCR, 1996). The concept
for the conservation of biodiversity is another example, showing how different
expertise from different areas and levels come together and generate a concept.
The general concept is based on the Federal Nature Conservation Act, designed by
BMU. The scientific background for the concept of nature and species protection,
however, is derived mainly from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
(BiN) as well as the different states and their scientific institutions.
A closer evaluation of the efficiency of the German conservation program
together with programs of other countries is undertaken in Chapter 5.4. Hence,
here only a close look will be taken at the genebanks' integration into the system
of utilization. The two national genebanks are different as regards their historical
backgrounds, their present conservation strategies and their funding. In analyzing
their contribution to the utilization of PGRF A, they are, however, similar. The
supply of conserved PGRF A (in terms of accessions), reflects the degree of
accessibility of the storage facility on the one hand and it indicates the value of a
whole collection on the other hand. While IPK has provided an annual average of
12,252 samples between 1953 and 1992 (Hammer et al., 1994), BAZ has provided
some 7,000 samples or more annually82 (BAZ, 1997). Compared to their overall
conserved accessions, IPK supplied 12% and BAZ 13%, which is a good result for
their accessibility in comparison to other genebanks (see Chap. 5.4).
Two further points must be highlighted. First, the supply of accessions to meet
domestic and foreign demand is well-balanced in both genebanks, whereby IPK,
with 650/0, provides slightly more accessions for the "domestic market" than BAZ
with 56% (GCR, 1996). In spite of being national genebanks, this indicates that
international cooperation is intensively utilized and their international reputation is
good enough to attract a significant demand. Furthermore, it is interesting to note
that although Germany is an agrobiodiverse-poor country, the two main
82 Since 1982, the annual supply has been constantly over 6,000, with peaks in the year 1986
(over 14,000), 1992 and 1995 with over 10,000 samples (BAZ, 1997).