Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres
Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres
Such activities are important for the better conservation and use of plant genetic resources in Europe and it was felt that a key element of a fifth Phase would be the elaboration of projects in these areas and the search for donors to fund them. In addition the political and economic changes in eastern Europe are putting at risk valuable collections of germplasm. An FAO/IBPGR mission in 1992 surveyed the security of collections in six countries and found that most programmes were experiencing serious difficulties as a result of drastic budget and staff cuts. Recommendations were sent to Governments of the countries visited to raise awareness of the problem and to try to increase their commitment to maintain the collections, and a special activity account has been opened at the CGIAR Secretariat to receive funds from various donors, for which IBPGR was requested to be the executing agency. The collaborative links forged through the ECP/GR are an important safeguard for protecting these threatened materials and related research; the working groups are invaluable partners for IBPGR in its monitoring task as they serve as an effective early warning system for threats to particular collections and work programmes (as in the case of the Allium field genebank at Olomouc, Czech Republic). In addition, the authoritative voices of working groups aid IBPGR in its search for support for eastern European collections. The ECP/GR, over the course of its first four phases, has greatly stimulated awareness among European nations of the benefits of collaborative activities on genetic resources. At the same time there has been a growing public realization of the need to take action in combatting the global loss of biodiversity. It is essential that this public awareness is maintained and developed in order to ensure wide recognition of the vital role that plant genetic resources play as a fundamental component of biodiversity. This will be a crucial factor in ensuring continued support for plant genetic resources activities. Recently the European Community (EC) has proposed implementing a programme on the conservation, characterization and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture. This would involve action on characterisation and evaluation of existing collections, help for documentation activities and could include measures to encourage the wider use of material in collections. Pure research projects would be excluded. The proposed programme is broad in scope and general in nature, whilst the ECP/GR is essentially a coordinating mechanism focussed on specific crops, operating through expert working groups; the two programmes are therefore complementary. Indeed the working groups are ideal platforms for identifying priorities and developing proposals which could be submitted for funding to the EC programme; the proposals would cover joint activities among EC member countries but, at the same time, close links would still be maintained with activities in countries outside the EC. With these considerations in mind a meeting in Bulgaria in August 1993 of the Technical Consultative Committee (TCC) - the body, composed of National Coordinators, which oversees the Programme - agreed unanimously on the need to continue the programme into a fifth phase. In view of the implementation of Agenda 21, the TCC also urged national governments to recognise that plant genetic resources are the most directly useful component of biodiversity and that resources allocated to the conservation of biodiversity should reflect this fact.
Operation of the ECP/GR in Phase V Following a recommendation of the fourth meeting of the Technical Consultative Committee, held in 1989, the input of the IBPGR coordinator was reduced from full time in Phase III to one quarter time in Phase IV; with an enlarged programme this inevitably led to a less proactive approach. Whilst it was possible to keep members appraised of developments and to coordinate input to the various meetings it was not feasible to take the initiative in programme development. Nor was it possible to give as full a response as might have been desirable to working groups' suggestions and recommendations or to ensure all the follow-up necessary. The 1993 TCC meeting considered it essential that a full-time coordinator be appointed by IBPGR to serve the needs of working groups and maintain the necessary level of contact with national institutes and coordinators, and with the relevant ministries. The TCC meeting formulated the following general objectives for Phase V: • to ensure the long term conservation and to facilitate and encourage the increased utilisation of plant genetic resources in Europe; • to increase the planning of joint activities; • to develop joint project proposals to be submitted for funding to the EC and other programmes; • to strengthen links between eastern and western European plant genetic resources programmes; • to contribute to monitoring the safety of plant genetic resources collections and take appropriate action when required; • to increase public awareness at all levels of the importance of plant genetic resources activities. Operating through short phases of only 2-3 years duration has meant that there is relatively little time for working group activities to progress before questions arise concerning the programme's continuation. There is also little opportunity for the TCC to get feedback from the working groups, particularly from those that meet after the TCC. For this reason the meeting agreed that Phase V should be planned to last for five years, covering the period 1994-98. This would permit both a meeting of country coordinators in late 1995, at which they would be able to discuss the scope of the working groups and to address a number of key issues of relevance to the Programme, and also a TCC meeting towards the end of the phase in 1998 to review its operation. Role of working groups The concept of working groups has been found successful because it promotes direct contact between scientists actually working with the genetic resources, rather than general discussion at inter-governmental level. Besides the existing working groups consideration could be given to inclusion of other crops: those assessed during previous phases include Citrus, cotton, Lupinus, maize, olive, Phaseolus, potato, Secale, tobacco, Vicia faba, Vitis, wheat; a proposal has also been made to establish a flax working group. Other potential crops include Daucus, Lactuca, and Malus. Further cooperation with other networks such as those of FAO should be strengthened and consideration will be given to the possible broadening of some working groups to cover several similar crops such as small grain cereals and grain legumes. In each working group, one
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Operation <strong>of</strong> the ECP/GR in Phase V<br />
Following a recommendation <strong>of</strong> the fourth meeting <strong>of</strong> the Technical Consultative Committee, held<br />
in 1989, the input <strong>of</strong> the IBPGR coordinator was reduced from full time in Phase III to one<br />
quarter time in Phase IV; with an enlarged programme this inevitably led to a less proactive<br />
approach. Whilst it was possible to keep members appraised <strong>of</strong> developments and to coordinate<br />
input to the various meetings it was not feasible to take the initiative in programme development.<br />
Nor was it possible to give as full a response as might have been desirable to working groups'<br />
suggestions and recommendations or to ensure all the follow-up necessary. The 1993 TCC<br />
meeting considered it essential that a full-time coordinator be appointed by IBPGR to serve the<br />
needs <strong>of</strong> working groups and maintain the necessary level <strong>of</strong> contact with national institutes and<br />
coordinators, and with the relevant ministries.<br />
The TCC meeting formulated the following general objectives for Phase V:<br />
• to ensure the long term conservation and to facilitate and encourage the increased<br />
utilisation <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources in Europe;<br />
• to increase the planning <strong>of</strong> joint activities;<br />
• to develop joint project proposals to be submitted for funding to the EC and other<br />
programmes;<br />
• to strengthen links between eastern and western European plant genetic resources<br />
programmes;<br />
• to contribute to monitoring the safety <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources collections and take<br />
appropriate action when required;<br />
• to increase public awareness at all levels <strong>of</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources<br />
activities.<br />
Operating through short phases <strong>of</strong> only 2-3 years duration has meant that there is relatively little<br />
time for working group activities to progress before questions arise concerning the programme's<br />
continuation. There is also little opportunity for the TCC to get feedback from the working<br />
groups, particularly from those that meet after the TCC. For this reason the meeting agreed that<br />
Phase V should be planned to last for five years, covering the period 1994-98. This would permit<br />
both a meeting <strong>of</strong> country coordinators in late 1995, at which they would be able to discuss the<br />
scope <strong>of</strong> the working groups and to address a number <strong>of</strong> key issues <strong>of</strong> relevance to the<br />
Programme, and also a TCC meeting towards the end <strong>of</strong> the phase in 1998 to review its<br />
operation.<br />
Role <strong>of</strong> working groups<br />
The concept <strong>of</strong> working groups has been found successful because it promotes direct contact<br />
between scientists actually working with the genetic resources, rather than general discussion at<br />
inter-governmental level. Besides the existing working groups consideration could be given to<br />
inclusion <strong>of</strong> other crops: those assessed during previous phases include Citrus, cotton, Lupinus,<br />
maize, olive, Phaseolus, potato, Secale, tobacco, Vicia faba, Vitis, wheat; a proposal has also<br />
been made to establish a flax working group. Other potential crops include Daucus, Lactuca, and<br />
Malus. Further cooperation with other networks such as those <strong>of</strong> FAO should be strengthened<br />
and consideration will be given to the possible broadening <strong>of</strong> some working groups to cover<br />
several similar crops such as small grain cereals and grain legumes. In each working group, one
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