NRES 700

Interest in conserving plant genetic resources began in the early twentieth century. One of the pioneers of the plant genetic resources was a Russian, Nikolai I. Vavilov . Vavilov is often credited as the father of the plant genetic resources conservation movement. In an article in 1936, Vavilov brought to the public attention the danger of genetic erosion and the importance of collecting and conserving germplasm. Unfortunately, Vavilov met a tragic end and died in prison in 1943. Read Vavilov's biography on the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry website on # (required) N.I. Vavilov.

The term "plant genetic resources" was first used at the FAO's International Technical Conference on Exploration, Utilization and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources in 1967. The conference recognized the importance of conserving genetic diversity and preventing genetic erosion. The scientific principles which underlie strategies and methodologies for collecting, conserving, evaluating and documenting genetic resources were also addressed for the first time.

As the awareness of the danger of genetic erosion and the need for conservation grew, countries began placing greater priority to collecting plant genetic resources in the field and establishing ex situ genebanks. Initially, the efforts were modest with the establishment of about 10 long-term genebanks housing approximately half a million accessions in total.

By 1974, the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and was established under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) whose mandate was to promote and coordinate an international effort to collect, conserve, document, evaluate and use plant genetic resources. Eight CGIAR centers (IRRI, CIMMYT, CIAT, IITA, CIP, ICRISAT, ILRAD and ILCA) joined IBPGR to establish ex situ genetic resources collections. In 1994, IBPGR became known as the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). Read this website on # (required) Ex Situ Conservation. (read sections on Methods of Ex Situ Conservation; Drawbacks to Ex Situ Conservation). Read the national Wildlife Federation Website on # (required) Hedging Bets With Frozen Seeds.

In 1983, the FAO developed a comprehensive system called the Global System for the Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This system consisted of various international bodies and agreements, scientific networks and an early warning system.

As a result of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, 150 countries signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Convention provides the legal framework for the Global System and was set into force on 29 December 1993. All signatories are required to develop national programs to conserve and use biological diversity. The Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources (1996) attributed the increase in the number of gene banks to more than 1300 (containing over six million accessions) at the end of the 1990s as an indication of the countries' commitment to the conservation of biological resources. Read the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute Website on # (required) In situ conservation. Read Paul Gepts 2006 article entitled, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization: The Accomplishments and Future of A Societal Insurance Policy (#required).

With the concerted efforts to save these plant genetic resources, then came the question of who will have access to these resources. After all, maintaining these germplasm came with high costs. What about plant patenting rights of those who developed plant varieties? What will this mean to the common resources that might become scarce in the future? Read this article on # (required) Mexican Bean Biopiracy. Read Douglas Pachico's 2001 article on Implementing Farmer's Rights In Genetic Resources: approaches to benefit sharing and Kristin Dawkins et al. article on Information About Intellectual Property Rights No.1(# Both required). The genetic anatomy of a patented yellow bean (optional) described a study by Pallotini et al. (2004) that showed that the patented yellow bean cultivar, "Enola' was nearly identical to Mexican pre-existing yellow bean cultivars and thus questioned the rationale for awarding a patent to the Enola cultivar.

If you would like more general information on Arguments for the Conservation of Plant Resources, click on and visit the following optional links: Values of Biodiversity

National Plant Germplasm System

Hopis and Zunis

The Plant Genetic Resources Conservation