Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture for sustainable development

Description

Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, a common concern of all countries, are critically important for the sustainable production of the significantly more nutritious food needed to feed an ever-growing population in the face of climate change and other drivers. This entails the translation of the potentials encoded into their genetic blueprints into improved productivities. The relevant international agreements, instruments and mechanisms, which address the conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit-sharing for these resources, are reviewed along with their remarkable contributions to food security and nutrition. The chapter also highlights the state-of-the-art for the scientific and technological methods used to conserve and add value through genetic gains to these resources. Underscoring the importance of collaborations at various scales, we call for continued global coordination and partnerships on the internationally agreed activities for conserving effectively and deriving the most benefits sustainably from these irreplaceable resources.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA): a common concern for all countries 3 International agreements supporting the Global System on PGRFA 4 Global instruments supporting the global system on PGRFA 5 Global mechanisms supporting the global system on PGRFA 6 Codes of conduct and standards supporting the global system on PGRFA 7 The conservation of PGRFA 8 Pre-breeding and conservation of PGRFA 9 Plant breeding techniques to introduce desirable traits from PGRFA 10 Seed delivery systems 11 Conclusion 12 Where to look for further information 13 References