Global challenges for agricultural plant biodiversity and international collaboration

Abstract

Agricultural plant biodiversity, a major component of biodiversity, is one of the most fundamental resources on earth, on which the food security and well being of humankind depends. In this paper the importance of plant and particularly crop diversity to food security and the threats they face, such as the impact of climate change, genetic erosion and genetic vulnerability are discussed. The effective and efficient conservation and use of genetic resources are discussed focusing on the links between conservation and sustainable use, describing complementary ex situ and in situ approaches to conservation and sustainable use and providing conclusions on how the linkage between them can be strengthened. In recognition of the threats posed by global changes, the world community has taken policy measures to ensure that genetic diversity of crops is effectively conserved and used sustainably. A quick overview of the international conventions, treaties and State of the World Reports relating to genetic resources, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), FAO State of the World's Report on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) and the Global Plan of Action are presented.