The Role of Biotechnology in Exploring and Protecting Agricultural Genetic Resources

This publication brings together papers from a 2005 preparatory meeting in Turin, Italy and the background and summary documents from the subsequent e-mail Conference hosted by the FAO Biotechnology Forum and dedicated to “the role of biotechnology for the characterization and conservation of crop, forest, animal and fishery genetic resources in developing countries”.

Biotechnology is a broad collection of tools, which can be applied for a range of different purposes (e.g. genetic improvement of populations; disease diagnosis and vaccine development; improvement of feeds). The focus in the e-mail conference was on biotechnology tools, such as molecular markers or cryopreservation and reproductive technologies that can be used directly for the characterization and/or conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture. About 650 people subscribed to the conference and 127 messages were posted from people living in 38 different countries. Over 60 percent of messages posted were from people living in developing countries.

The book aims to provide an updated overview of the current status of the world's genetic resources for food and agriculture, of the use of biotechnology tools for characterizing and conserving these genetic resources, and of the many specific issues involved in applying them in developing countries.

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