Conservation of plant genetic resources in the spotlight
On 22-23 June, the 2nd meeting of stakeholders involved in the conservation and development of plant genetic resources (PGR) was held at Institut Agro in Angers. These two days were organised by the National Coordination Structure at GEVES, an activity designated by the Ministry of Agriculture. The 90 participants came from a wide range of organisations (public, private, associations, etc.) involved in the conservation of many different species and varieties, and came from all over France.
Some key words that illustrate these meetings: high stakes (for food, the agro-ecological transition, climate change), a network of players, diversity (of players and collections), the necessary characterisation of plant genetic resources, traceability, sharing, recognition, awareness-raising, the passion and commitment of stakeholders and the need for resources to meet these challenges.
These meetings began with a welcome by Dominique VOLLET, Deputy Director of Institut Agro and Alain Tridon, Director General of GEVES, followed by a speech (via video) by Marc Fesneau, the French Minister of Agriculture.
The aim of these meetings was to share information on key points (with speeches from GEVES and the Ministry’s Directorate General for Food):
– A presentation of the state of play on cultivated biodiversity in France, based on a survey conducted by the National Coordination Structure between 2019 and 2020, showed the wealth of collection resources, the stakeholders involved and the actions taken to preserve them. The full report is available on the GEVES website,
– An assessment of the actions implemented at national level on the official recognition of managers of collections of plant genetic resources and the identification of resources of importance for France in the National Collection. The CTPS “Plant Genetic Resources” section is responsible for monitoring this process,
– The conservation strategy for plant genetic resources of orphan species and threatened collections, one of the tasks of the National Coordination Structure,
– The integration of the national dynamic at European and international level in order to understand the workings of the ECPGR (European programme on the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources) and the actions it is developing, such as the EURISCO database, the AEGIS shared collection on a European scale, and the ITPGRFA (International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture),
– The results of initiatives funded by the Ministry of Agriculture’s support fund and the Collections & Biodiversity Endowment Fund.
In addition to this information, testimonies and workshops provided an opportunity to share experiences and reflect collectively on how to co-construct and propose solutions on subjects such as the implementation of plant health regulations, access to and sharing of benefits arising from the use of PGR, future funding for the conservation of PGR and how to become a collection manager and/or contribute resources to the National Collection.
