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Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres

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- The vine collection including more than 3 300 varieties (Montpellier) ;<br />

- The potato collection including more than 2 500 clones, half <strong>of</strong> which is <strong>of</strong> Solanum<br />

tuberosum. A large part <strong>of</strong> the collection is maintained in vitro to prevent any sanitary risk<br />

(Landerneau) ;<br />

- The crucifers collection (forage and vegetable species), which includes more than 1100 old<br />

local populations (Rennes).<br />

3. International implications<br />

France, as 123 other countries, is a member <strong>of</strong> the international Commision for <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Genetic</strong> Resources,<br />

which was created in 1983 by the FAO in order to secure the conservation <strong>of</strong> PGR all over the world.<br />

So it has approved the international agreement for PGR and ensured a financial support for this action.<br />

France is also involved in actions developed by the International Board for <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Genetic</strong> Resources<br />

(IBPGR), particularly devoted to developing countries : prospections for main cultivated species ;<br />

organization <strong>of</strong> their conservation ex situ ; definition <strong>of</strong> passport data for characterization <strong>of</strong> resources<br />

setting <strong>of</strong> local coordinators to work in a consistent way with national programs. Also, IBPRG assumes<br />

a logistic support in the European Cooperative Program for the establishment <strong>of</strong> networks. France is<br />

responsible for several databases at an European (Lucerne, Prunus) or International (Banana,<br />

Coconut,...) level.<br />

4. Towards a national strategy for the <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Genetic</strong> Resources<br />

As it was previously said, a lot <strong>of</strong> work has been done in France for the conservation <strong>of</strong> PGR. However,<br />

works remain to optimize and to better coordinate actions and implications <strong>of</strong> actors for the conservation<br />

<strong>of</strong> plant, animal and microorganism resources.<br />

These reasons have justified the creation <strong>of</strong> a Groupement <strong>of</strong> Scientific Interest (GIS) in 1993, the<br />

partners <strong>of</strong> which are directly involved in the conservation <strong>of</strong> genetic resources : three ministries, five<br />

public institutions and the GEVES. This GIS which is named "Bureau des Ressources Génétiques"<br />

(BRG), has to ensure different missions :<br />

- to organize concertations and works in the field <strong>of</strong> genetic resources concerning animals, plants<br />

and microorganisms ;<br />

- to encourage the scientific research on genetic resources ;<br />

- to favour the transfer <strong>of</strong> knowledge and <strong>of</strong> results by information and training ;<br />

- to record and bring into lines national actions in the field <strong>of</strong> genetic resources ;<br />

- to develop the thoughts and the concertation about the maintenance and the use <strong>of</strong> collections<br />

<strong>of</strong> genetic resources ;<br />

- to put its scientific representativeness at the disposal <strong>of</strong> national establishments, in order to<br />

have a significant French representation in international authorities.<br />

The new BRG is now forming a Scientific and Strategic Commission, which will help it to define an<br />

efficient policy in order to ensure its previous missions.<br />

The definition <strong>of</strong> this policy, its strategic orientations and scientific axis, will be the first task <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Bureau in 1994.

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