Introduction to the Fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources

This United Nations conference organized by the Rome-based Food & Agriculture Organization is expected to adopt a Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources and a Global Plan of Action for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The Global Plan is action-oriented and will be a concrete step towards implementation of:

• "Farmers' Rights";
• the UN Convention on Biological Diversity which resulted from the Rio "Earth Summit"in 1992 and entered into force in late 1993;
• the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.

Along with soil and water, plant genetic resources constitute the foundation upon which agriculture and world food security are based. Plant genetic resources are used by farmers and scientists as the raw material for breeding new plant varieties and in biotechnology and are a reservoir of genetic diversity which acts as a buffer against environmental and economic change.

But many plant genetic resources which may be vital to future agricultural development and food security have been lost to us this century, and more are threatened. Country Reports written by 155 governments for the Leipzig Conference indicate that recent losses of diversity have been large, and that the process of "erosion"continues. Of major concern is the irreversible loss of genes, the basic functional unit of inheritance and the primary source of the variation in the appearance, characteristics and behaviour among plants.

"The diversity of life on earth is essential to the survival of humanity. The conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources is key to improving agricultural productivity and sustainability. It contributes to food security and poverty alleviation,"said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf on release of the Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources.

Few can doubt that the loss of plant genetic diversity has been substantial. But because no one knows how much diversity once existed in domesticated species, no one can say exactly how much has been lost historically. Nor is it possible to speak with complete confidence or precision about the rate of loss of diversity, because no comprehensive inventory has been made to inform us of what currently exists. Better inventories of resources still found in situ and detailed assessments of genetic diversity within ex situ collections will be needed to inform future work and measure future progress in the conservation of crop genetic resources.

The Global Plan of Action has been drafted on the basis of the Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources. Input comes from the Country Reports and from non-governmental organizations and farmers'organizations. Overrall guidance for preparation of the documents and conference came from the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The Global Plan:

• proposes strategies for the conservation of plant genetic resources and their utilization in sustainable agriculture
• and sets priorities for action and estimate costing for the Global Plan, with projects to strengthen capacities at the community, national and regional levels (see paragraphs 23-31).

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