An international technical meeting organised by MESFIN (Mediterranean Selected Fruits Inter-country Network) was held in Madeira, Portugal, from 5-8 August 1997 with the participation of scientists from 13 countries (Brazil, France, Greece, Israel, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, USA, Vietnam). The meeting was also attended by representatives of FAO, as well as representatives from international institutions and centres (IPGRI, ICUC).

The meeting was opened by His Excellency, the President of the Government of Madeira and the Regional Secretary for Agriculture, and the closing session was chaired by the Regional Secretary for Agriculture in the presence of the President of the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria of Spain.

The proposal to establish a global network on tropical and subtropical fruit genetic resources conservation and utilisation was recognised and agreed during the first meeting of MESFIN on TSTF genetic resources held in Tenerife, Spain, in October, 1995.

The meeting led to recommendations on the following:

• to establish a global network under the aegis of FAO to facilitate inter-country and inter-regional scientific collaboration on tropical and subtropical fruit (TSTF) genetic resource conservation, evaluation and utilisation. The global network on Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Germplasm Conservation and Utilisation was given the Spanish acronym REMUFRUT (Red Mundial de Frutales Tropicales). The network should function on a voluntary basis involving the participation of interested national institutions as well as regional and inter-regional networks dealing with TSTF genetic resource conservation and utilisation.
• that the global network could also play a role in harmonising ongoing networking initiatives in different regions.
• that the regional networking initiatives dealing with TSTF genetic resources in Asia and the Pacific, the Wider Mediterranean Region, Africa, and the Americas, as detailed in Annex 1, could constitute the initial regional components of the global network.
• that efforts should be made to expand the participation in the global network to include interested countries / institutions and other existing relevant networks. More specifically for Africa there is a need to expand networking activities on TSTF genetic resources to West African countries.
• Participants invited international institutions and centres - IPGRI, ICUC, CIHEAM, and others to provide technical and financial support to specific tasks to be carried out within the framework of the network.
• that FAO should explore the possibility to assist in strengthening the capacity of existing regional networks to participate actively as partner groups in the global network.

The major goal of the network is to link different initiatives in different parts of the world dealing with TSTF - including under-utilised fruits - genetic resource exploration, conservation and utilisation.

The structure of the global network is represented in the following chart:

The role and functions of the General Coordinator were defined as follows:

• Guarantee divulgation of information among members.
• Guarantee regular publication of a newsletter.
• Promote coordinating board meetings as well as specific meetings on species or subjects.
• Guarantee that the database will be accessible for world benefit.
• Facilitate exchange of PGR.
• Promote efforts to obtain funding assistance from donors and financing agencies for strengthening network activities.

Dr. Victor Galan from the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (I.C.I.A.) was designated as General Coordinator. I.N.I.A. of Spain is the coordinating institution. The mandate will be reviewed every three years.

The role and functions of the Coordinating Board were defined as follows:

• Facilitate communication among different regions.
• To help the General Coordinator in promoting activities both at the regional or species level.
• Facilitate adaptation of the working arrangements of the network to meet member requirements.
• Cooperate to identify and obtain funding assistance from donors and financing agencies for strengthening network activities.

The coordinating board will include representatives of the different regional and inter-regional networks participating in the global network as well as interested countries/institutions not involved in regional networks.

It is expected that the first meeting of the Coordinating Board will be in one years time.

The specific tasks to be addressed by the network are the following:

• Identify primary and secondary centres of diversity for selected TSTF.
• Facilitate cooperative efforts in genetic resource exploration.
• Facilitate cooperation between PGR research work at the basic level and at field level.
• Organise and develop documentation (e.g. catalogues).

• Facilitate cooperative studies on characterisation of TSTF through biotechnological or traditional means.
• Revise criteria for existing descriptors, specifically to include utilisation criteria, as well as developing new ones.

• To facilitate cooperative studies on appropriate and efficient conservation strategies for germplasm of selected tropical and subtropical fruits and their wild relatives.

• Facilitate the exchange of information among regional networks.
• Disseminate information on collections, accessions, conservation technologies, catalogues, utilisation and plant genetic erosion concerning TSTF.
• Facilitate development of a global database on TSTFGR.

• Help member networks and institutions on exchange of TSTF germplasm in full respect of all international agreements.

• Encourage regional collaboration to facilitate cooperative studies in TSTF genetic improvement.
• Encourage the development of appropriate production technologies.

• Identify the needs for technology dissemination in TSTF and promote the establishment of appropriate mechanisms to address them.

- Promote efforts to increase public and institutional awareness about the importance of work on TSTF genetic resources.

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Funchal, Madeira.

8 August 1997

Institution: Tropical Research and Educational Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, USA

Tanzania - National Plant Genetic Research Centre (G.O.)

Malawi - Department of Agriculture

South Africa - Genetic Research Centre

Namibia - Genetic Research Centre

Uganda - National Agriculture Research Organization

Kenya - Genetic Research Centre

Swaziland - Genetic Research Office (D.A.)

Mozambique - Department of Agriculture

Zambia - National Scientific Council

Zimbabwe - Department of Research and Specialist S. C.

Botswana - Department of Agriculture