170
6 Two Country Examples of PGRFA Conservation Systems
As can be seen in Table 6.4, IGR's share of the expenditures in 1995 were less
than 1 %, whereas BSA contributed approximately 30% to the overall expenditures
because of its manifold activities. Not all of BSA' s work contributes directly to
the conservation management of PGRF A in Germany. Hence, the expenditures of
BSA for PGRF A conservation management are overestimated to a certain extent.
Furthermore, expenditures consisting of financial support for PGRF A related
projects were also integrated into the calculation. These supports for PGRF A
related activities were financed by nearly all of the ministries mentioned above:
BMU, BMWi, BMBF, and BMZ.
The total foreign assistance contributed by Germany for the conservation
management of PGRFA amounts to approximately US $ 18 million. These
contributions include, however, expenditures directly correlated to PGRF A
conservation management, such as the support for the Kenyan genebank, but also
partially Germany's contribution to the CGIAR system, which might be utilized
for PGRF A conservation management. Hence, this figure underlies a significant
variation.
Summarizing the analysis of German expenditures for PGRF A conservation
management, it may be highlighted that the conservation of PGRF A in a narrow
sense is only a minor item in the overall expenditures amounting to only
approximately US $ 11 million. This means a unit cost of US $ 55 per accession
conserved in German ~enebanks - which is still higher than the annual unit costs
of US $ 37 in the USA 6.
6.2.2
Breeding
The breeding and marketing of seed in Germany depends on two federal laws: the
Plant Variety Protection Act, which determines the intellectual property of new
breeding products, and the Seed Trade Act, which sets the threshold for the market
entrance of a new variety as well as the definite end of the variety.
The intellectual property rights for breeding are regulated by the Plant Variety
Protection Act of 1985. Every new, homogenous and stable variety, which is
distinct from other varieties, may be granted variety protection by the Federal
Office of Plant Varieties. The owner has the exclusive right to breed, multiply and
sell the variety for as long as the variety protection is valid (generally 25 to 30
years). After the expiration of the variety protection, the variety is free for use by
everyone. A prolongation of variety registration according to the Seed Trade Act
is, however, necessary for further marketing, because of an appropriate cultivation
and market importance of the specific variety. After the expiration of the variety
registration, the variety must be removed from the market. (BSA, 1996).
8S The quoted US $ 11 million are not clearly marked in Table 6.4, they are mainly hidden in the
expenditures for breeding, but because of joint costing in these institutes, the plain
conservation expenditures could not be separated.
86 See for more detail Chap. 5.2.
6 Two Country Examples of PGRFA Conservation Systems
As can be seen in Table 6.4, IGR's share of the expenditures in 1995 were less
than 1 %, whereas BSA contributed approximately 30% to the overall expenditures
because of its manifold activities. Not all of BSA' s work contributes directly to
the conservation management of PGRF A in Germany. Hence, the expenditures of
BSA for PGRF A conservation management are overestimated to a certain extent.
Furthermore, expenditures consisting of financial support for PGRF A related
projects were also integrated into the calculation. These supports for PGRF A
related activities were financed by nearly all of the ministries mentioned above:
BMU, BMWi, BMBF, and BMZ.
The total foreign assistance contributed by Germany for the conservation
management of PGRFA amounts to approximately US $ 18 million. These
contributions include, however, expenditures directly correlated to PGRF A
conservation management, such as the support for the Kenyan genebank, but also
partially Germany's contribution to the CGIAR system, which might be utilized
for PGRF A conservation management. Hence, this figure underlies a significant
variation.
Summarizing the analysis of German expenditures for PGRF A conservation
management, it may be highlighted that the conservation of PGRF A in a narrow
sense is only a minor item in the overall expenditures amounting to only
approximately US $ 11 million. This means a unit cost of US $ 55 per accession
conserved in German ~enebanks - which is still higher than the annual unit costs
of US $ 37 in the USA 6.
6.2.2
Breeding
The breeding and marketing of seed in Germany depends on two federal laws: the
Plant Variety Protection Act, which determines the intellectual property of new
breeding products, and the Seed Trade Act, which sets the threshold for the market
entrance of a new variety as well as the definite end of the variety.
The intellectual property rights for breeding are regulated by the Plant Variety
Protection Act of 1985. Every new, homogenous and stable variety, which is
distinct from other varieties, may be granted variety protection by the Federal
Office of Plant Varieties. The owner has the exclusive right to breed, multiply and
sell the variety for as long as the variety protection is valid (generally 25 to 30
years). After the expiration of the variety protection, the variety is free for use by
everyone. A prolongation of variety registration according to the Seed Trade Act
is, however, necessary for further marketing, because of an appropriate cultivation
and market importance of the specific variety. After the expiration of the variety
registration, the variety must be removed from the market. (BSA, 1996).
8S The quoted US $ 11 million are not clearly marked in Table 6.4, they are mainly hidden in the
expenditures for breeding, but because of joint costing in these institutes, the plain
conservation expenditures could not be separated.
86 See for more detail Chap. 5.2.