The 13th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) takes place on 18-22 July 2011 in Rome, Italy. Under Cross-sectorial matters, one of the three agenda items to be considered at the meeting is Ways and means of considering the application and integration of biotechnologies in the conservation and utilization of genetic resources for food and agriculture. For this agenda item, FAO has prepared a Working Document (number CGRFA-13/11/3, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) entitled Status and trends of biotechnologies applied to the conservation and utilization of genetic resources for food and agriculture and matters relevant for their future development. More detailed information is also provided in the 149-page Background Study Paper by P. Lidder and A. Sonnino, entitled Biotechnologies for the management of genetic resources for food and agriculture. The report of the FAO international technical conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC-10) has also been provided as an Information Document (number CGRFA-13/11/Inf.8, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish), while the ABDC-10 proceedings, entitled Biotechnologies for Agricultural Development are provided under Other Documents. See http://www.fao.org/nr/cgrfa/cgrfa-meetings/cgrfa-comm/thirteenth-reg/en or contact [email protected] for more information. The CGRFA is an intergovernmental body established by the FAO Conference in 1983, whose Members include 173 countries and the European Union. It provides the only permanent forum for governments to specifically discuss and negotiate matters relevant to biological diversity for food and agriculture, including all plant, animal, forest, aquatic, micro-organism and invertebrate genetic resources for food and agriculture.