Policy, social and other matters: cooperating to achieve success
This section moves away from the mainly technical topics of the other sections, and considers some institutional, social, economic and environmental matters that have an important bearing on the successful selection, procurement, propagation, and improvement of forest reproductive material. These matters are important and should be considered at the beginning of any project involving forest reproductive material.
The topics covered here are: (i) the relevance of the increasing number of international agreements, and schemes for certification that are related to forest reproductive material; (ii) key issues, such as intellectual property rights, biopiracy and the need for material transfer agreements; the increasing environmental problem of weediness of introduced species; and genetic engineering; (iii) the importance of good management and opportunities for participation by stakeholders and contributions to their livelihoods; and (v) the economic aspects of using and improving appropriate material.
- Regulating and applying standards
- Understanding current issues:
- Ownership of forest reproductive material
- Introduction of species
- Modification of genotypes
- Ownership of forest reproductive material
- Management and participation
- Valuing benefits