The State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

 
The Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture provides a comprehensive overview on the status and trends of conservation and use of plant genetic resources at the national, regional and global levels. It is a periodic assessment prepared though a participatory, country-driven process and provides objective information and analyses on priorities, gaps and needs, and is a basis to update the rolling Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The First Report of the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was prepared through a participatory, country-driven process. It assessed the state of plant genetic diversity and capacities at the local and global levels for in situ and ex situ management, conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. Country reports were submitted by 154 countries and 143 countries participated in 12 sub-regional and regional meetings which resulted in sub-regional synthesis reports.

Read all the country reports from the first report

The Report was presented at the Fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources held in Leipzig, Germany, in June 1996, and published in 1998. It was welcomed by the 150 countries attending the Conference, as the first comprehensive worldwide assessment of the status and use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. To download the Report, click here.

The Second Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was published in 2010. The main objective is to update the First Report with the best data and information available, through a participatory process, and with a focus on changes that have occurred since 1996. This gives a concise assessment of the status and trends of plant genetic resources and identifies the most significant gaps and needs in order to provide a basis to update the rolling Global Plan of Action. Read more about the Second Report here.

Read all the country reports from the second report

Composition of the Report

The Second Report was prepared with recent data and available information from:

Country Reports;

Regional Consultations (see paragraph below);

National Information and Sharing Mechanisms;

Thematic studies on PGRFA.

The State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources and the Global Plan of Action are closely linked. Countries monitor the implementation of the Global Plan of Action through the establishment of national information sharing mechanisms, which promote a country-driven, participatory and capacity building process. The new monitoring approach for the implementation of the Global Plan of Action, and the preparation of the second report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources are two processes that have been fully integrated.