Why genetic diversity matters

It is 30 years since IPGRI came into being, as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, under the protective wing of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For all that time, regardless of the focus of its work, IPGRI has taken it as axiomatic that agricultural biod...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Bioversity International
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2004
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104355
_version_ 1855518977419116544
author Bioversity International
author_browse Bioversity International
author_facet Bioversity International
author_sort Bioversity International
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description It is 30 years since IPGRI came into being, as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, under the protective wing of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For all that time, regardless of the focus of its work, IPGRI has taken it as axiomatic that agricultural biodiversity is a good thing. In the beginning, it was the vanishing diversity of locally adapted varieties, fundamentally useful to plant breeders in their efforts to improve crops, that IPGRI helped to collect and protect in ex situ genebanks. IPGRI was then among the first to recognize the crucial role that biodiversity, including forest biodiversity, plays in the farming systems for developed and developing countries. By enhancing the value of biodiversity, IPGRI and its partners helped people to conserve and use diversity in situ on farms. Unfortunately, the importance of agricultural biodiversity is still not widely understood, even among fellow scientists. That is why IPGRI was glad to have the opportunity to lead a symposium on 'Why Genetic Diversity Matters' at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Crop Science Society of America. Six speakers from developed and developing countries and the public and private sectors discussed the role of genetic diversity in agriculture today and its value for the agriculture of tomorrow. Much of what was said was positive and optimistic, although naturally difficulties remain. This booklet gives readers a flavour of the discussion, positive and negative, and makes the case that diversity does indeed matter, now and for the future. As IPGRI moves forward into a new phase we believe that agricultural diversity can make a fundamental contribution to sustainable development. We will have to make full use of it if we are to stand any chance of meeting the key millenium development goals of halving poverty and hunger and protecting the environment in a sustainable manner by the year 2015.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace104355
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2004
publishDateRange 2004
publishDateSort 2004
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1043552025-11-05T08:00:17Z Why genetic diversity matters Bioversity International plant genetic resources biodiversity germplasm land races resources storage plant breeding farmers international agreements It is 30 years since IPGRI came into being, as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, under the protective wing of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For all that time, regardless of the focus of its work, IPGRI has taken it as axiomatic that agricultural biodiversity is a good thing. In the beginning, it was the vanishing diversity of locally adapted varieties, fundamentally useful to plant breeders in their efforts to improve crops, that IPGRI helped to collect and protect in ex situ genebanks. IPGRI was then among the first to recognize the crucial role that biodiversity, including forest biodiversity, plays in the farming systems for developed and developing countries. By enhancing the value of biodiversity, IPGRI and its partners helped people to conserve and use diversity in situ on farms. Unfortunately, the importance of agricultural biodiversity is still not widely understood, even among fellow scientists. That is why IPGRI was glad to have the opportunity to lead a symposium on 'Why Genetic Diversity Matters' at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Crop Science Society of America. Six speakers from developed and developing countries and the public and private sectors discussed the role of genetic diversity in agriculture today and its value for the agriculture of tomorrow. Much of what was said was positive and optimistic, although naturally difficulties remain. This booklet gives readers a flavour of the discussion, positive and negative, and makes the case that diversity does indeed matter, now and for the future. As IPGRI moves forward into a new phase we believe that agricultural diversity can make a fundamental contribution to sustainable development. We will have to make full use of it if we are to stand any chance of meeting the key millenium development goals of halving poverty and hunger and protecting the environment in a sustainable manner by the year 2015. 2004 2019-10-15T15:40:54Z 2019-10-15T15:40:54Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104355 en Open Access application/pdf Bioversity International (2004) Why genetic diversity matters. n. 20 p. ISBN: 978-92-9043-617-1, ISBN: 92-9043-617-4
spellingShingle plant genetic resources
biodiversity
germplasm
land races
resources
storage
plant breeding
farmers
international agreements
Bioversity International
Why genetic diversity matters
title Why genetic diversity matters
title_full Why genetic diversity matters
title_fullStr Why genetic diversity matters
title_full_unstemmed Why genetic diversity matters
title_short Why genetic diversity matters
title_sort why genetic diversity matters
topic plant genetic resources
biodiversity
germplasm
land races
resources
storage
plant breeding
farmers
international agreements
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104355
work_keys_str_mv AT bioversityinternational whygeneticdiversitymatters