4.2 Actors in the Conservation and Exchange Activities of Plant Genetic
81
national programs for the conservation of PGRFA in many countries. According
to information from FAD, 1996b and FAD's World Information and Early
Warning System, 88 countries are in the process of establishing or maintaining
such a national program. The nucleus of 95% of all programs is an ex situ
collection of national PGRFA (FAD, 1996a). The ex situ activities of 64 other
countries without a national program are organized by some research institute,
e.g., Russia (FAD, 1996h), or are incorporated into some regional network, e.g.,
Bangladesh and Norway (FAD, 1996h).
Since the early 1970s, regional genebanks were established in various regions.
Some of them, like the Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) with its headquarters in Sweden,
hold the base collections for their member countries. In the case of NGB, the
member countries do not hold individual national collections, with the exception
of Sweden. The Southern African Development Community-Plant Genetic
Resources Center (SPGRC) in Zambia stores the duplicates of national collections
for Southern Africa while the member countries hold active collections. The
regional genebank for Central America and Mexico is based on an existing ex situ
plant genetic resources collection established in 1942 (FAD, 1996a).
The primary objective of these regional genebanks is to conserve indigenous
plant genetic resources within the region, and thereby to provide training and
promote germplasm collection, characterization, documentation and utilization. In
order to achieve the objective, a regional plant genetic resources center must be
established and a network with plant genetic resources centers in each member
state must maintain the cooperation. The funding is provided partially by the
member states and partially through financial and technical assistance from other
countries or international organizations. The regional genebank for Central
America and Mexico, for instance, is financially supported by the German
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by
GTZ (German agency for technical cooperation) (FAD, 1996h).
Dther forms of regional cooperation in conservation activities are the regional
PGRFA networks and associated crop networks. These networks, of which most
of the regions have one or more, work with collaborative programs aiming to
ensure the long-term conservation and increased use of plant genetic resources.
They operate through specific working groups in which, curators and breeders
from different countries, work together to analyze needs and set priorities for the
crop concerned (FAD, 1996a). These networks facilitate the dissemination of
information and various collaborative initiatives and they contribute to the
development of overall conservation strategies for the ecosystems to which the
represented species belong. Furthermore, networks aim to develop locally adapted,
improved crop varieties, in close cooperation with the respective international
agricultural research institutions.
In addition to the regional genebanks and networks, there are some more
important actors on regional and international level. Inter-governmental
organizations, such as FAD, UNDP and UNEP allocate financial and technical
resources to support conservation and utilization activities at all different levels.
FAD, for instance, has been supporting conservation efforts since the late 1950s.
In 1957 FAD started a newsletter on plant genetic resources, and since 1961, has
81
national programs for the conservation of PGRFA in many countries. According
to information from FAD, 1996b and FAD's World Information and Early
Warning System, 88 countries are in the process of establishing or maintaining
such a national program. The nucleus of 95% of all programs is an ex situ
collection of national PGRFA (FAD, 1996a). The ex situ activities of 64 other
countries without a national program are organized by some research institute,
e.g., Russia (FAD, 1996h), or are incorporated into some regional network, e.g.,
Bangladesh and Norway (FAD, 1996h).
Since the early 1970s, regional genebanks were established in various regions.
Some of them, like the Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) with its headquarters in Sweden,
hold the base collections for their member countries. In the case of NGB, the
member countries do not hold individual national collections, with the exception
of Sweden. The Southern African Development Community-Plant Genetic
Resources Center (SPGRC) in Zambia stores the duplicates of national collections
for Southern Africa while the member countries hold active collections. The
regional genebank for Central America and Mexico is based on an existing ex situ
plant genetic resources collection established in 1942 (FAD, 1996a).
The primary objective of these regional genebanks is to conserve indigenous
plant genetic resources within the region, and thereby to provide training and
promote germplasm collection, characterization, documentation and utilization. In
order to achieve the objective, a regional plant genetic resources center must be
established and a network with plant genetic resources centers in each member
state must maintain the cooperation. The funding is provided partially by the
member states and partially through financial and technical assistance from other
countries or international organizations. The regional genebank for Central
America and Mexico, for instance, is financially supported by the German
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by
GTZ (German agency for technical cooperation) (FAD, 1996h).
Dther forms of regional cooperation in conservation activities are the regional
PGRFA networks and associated crop networks. These networks, of which most
of the regions have one or more, work with collaborative programs aiming to
ensure the long-term conservation and increased use of plant genetic resources.
They operate through specific working groups in which, curators and breeders
from different countries, work together to analyze needs and set priorities for the
crop concerned (FAD, 1996a). These networks facilitate the dissemination of
information and various collaborative initiatives and they contribute to the
development of overall conservation strategies for the ecosystems to which the
represented species belong. Furthermore, networks aim to develop locally adapted,
improved crop varieties, in close cooperation with the respective international
agricultural research institutions.
In addition to the regional genebanks and networks, there are some more
important actors on regional and international level. Inter-governmental
organizations, such as FAD, UNDP and UNEP allocate financial and technical
resources to support conservation and utilization activities at all different levels.
FAD, for instance, has been supporting conservation efforts since the late 1950s.
In 1957 FAD started a newsletter on plant genetic resources, and since 1961, has