2000Annual report

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Foreword 1

The International Conference on Science and Technology 2

Plant genetic resources policy 4

Orphan crops 7

Promoting in situ conservation on-farm 10

Increasing the income of smallholder farmers through coconut research and development 13

Uncovering the value of geneticdiversity 15

The System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources 17

Getting a grip on GeographicalInformation Systems 19

The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain 21

Conserving forest diversity for today and the future 23

Complementary conservationstrategies 25

Selected IPGRI publicationsof 2000 27

IPGRI office locations 27

Financial report 28

Establishment agreement 30

Financial support 30

IPGRI’s professional staff 31

IPGRI’s projects 34

IPGRI’s Board of Trustees 35

Acronyms 36Annu

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Contents

Although the political dimensions of plant genetic resources have taken up an increasing amountof space on IPGRI’s plate in recent years, we are still fundamentally a scientific and technicalresearch institute. And so we were very pleased and proud this year to sponsor a majorinternational conference where the focus was squarely on science. The International Conferenceon Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st Century (SAT21)was held in Malaysia in June with the collaboration of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and supportfrom the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Malaysia. TheConference attracted 260 participants from 63 countries. Their goal: to craft a vision for plantgenetic resources research in the next century. (More on the Conference on p. 2.)

Good progress was made this year in the renegotiation of the International Undertaking on plantgenetic resources, holding out the promise of an eventual resolution of the long impasse and realprospects for the establishment of a multilateral system for access and benefit sharing. As theCGIAR’s lead Centre on genetic resources policy, IPGRI has watched and participated as anobserver in the negotiations with the greatest interest. Present at all 13 negotiating sessions (fourof which took place this year), IPGRI has often been called upon by FAO and its Commission toprovide technical input and advice.

The effectiveness of the multilateral exchange system that could emerge from the negotiations,and the ability to meet the research challenges identified by the SAT21 participants, will largelydepend on our continued commitment to conserve and use the genetic resources held incollections around the world. In 2000, IPGRI began to study the feasibility of launching a majoreffort to support a country-driven process to develop and fund an internationally agreed plan fora rational global genetic resources conservation system. Such as system has been called for inthe Global Plan of Action for plant genetic resources. The effort would also include raising fundsto upgrade and endow the genetic resources collections held in the Future Harvest Centressupported by the CGIAR. The Centres act as trustees for the collections under the auspices ofFAO, which is also expected to play a leading role in the campaign.

As the year drew to a close, anticipation at IPGRI grew high as the builders put the finishingtouches on our new headquarters building in Maccarese, about 25 miles from Rome. Organizingourselves to move, after over 25 years in Central Rome—11 at the last location—involved nearlyall Rome-based staff, be it in assisting the architects in the design of the building, choosing thenew furniture, checking out the location of the nearest snack bars, restaurants, banks and postoffices, or looking into the best means of transportation to the new office.

Maccarese is located on land once occupied by marshes. The land was completely drained in the1930s and turned into prime agricultural property. The main structure for our new building,constructed around that time, is an old grain silo and mill (mulino in Italian). We moved in the firstweek of March 2001, and, as of this writing, are still unpacking and getting used to the newneighbourhood. We would like to acknowledge the Governments of Italy and Japan for assisting usto build our ‘dream house’. We hope to welcome all of our friends here soon.

Finally, we record our sorrow at the passing of two IPGRI colleagues and friends. Dr Abdou-Salam Ouedraogo, Regional Director for IPGRI in sub-Saharan Africa, died in a tragic plane crashin the early days of the year. Dr Eric Quarcoo, a scientist in IPGRI’s West African office in Benin,died of cancer after a long, brave battle. We miss them greatly.

This annual report provides a taste of some of the year 2000’s key projects and activities. Webelieve it shows that, given continued strong support from our donors, IPGRI can continue toplay a significant role in supporting global efforts to conserve and use plant genetic resources forthe benefit of humanity.

Geoffrey C. Hawtin Marcio de Miranda SantosDirector General Board Chair Fo

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Foreword

For IPGRI, one of the most gratifying stories of the year 2000was the International Conference on Science and Technology for

Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st Century. While anumber of high-level conferences—notably the Earth Summit, the World

Food Summit and the International Technical Conference on plant geneticresources—have concerned themselves with biodiversity in recent years, their

content has tended to be political. This meeting (also known as SAT21) was the largestinternational forum in some 25 years to examine the broad and complex range of

scientific and technical issues underlying the conservation and use of plantgenetic resources. The conference, co-sponsored by IPGRI and the Malaysian

Palm Oil Board (MPOB), was held in Kuala Lumpur in June and attracted over250 participants from 63 countries.

Ever since the Earth Summit put the conservation and use of biodiversitysquarely on the development agenda in 1992, the science of plant geneticresources has grown vastly in size and complexity. Today, we recognize the

importance of the social and economic factors related to genetic resources, theneed to support conservation by farmers, the value of a large number of useful

plant species, formerly neglected by research, and the importance of diversitywithin production systems, especially in marginal areas. These issues were not

recognized as being of critical importance, even a decade ago. Once the provincemainly of breeders and genebank curators, the management and use of plant geneticresources for food and agriculture now involves ecologists, plant physiologists,reproductive biologists, biotechnologists, geographers, anthropologists, sociologists andeconomists.

The goal of the SAT21 organizers was to provide a platform for communicating anddisseminating knowledge—drawn from all of these disciplines—about the current state ofthe science of geneticresources management. Theresult was a giant step towardsthe design of a global vision forthe next century, and aheightened awareness of thescientific challenges that lieahead.

Nearly 50 scientists presentedtheir work to the conference,and about 250 posters weredisplayed indedicated sessionsduring the week.Some topics ofconcern includedthe power ofmolecular methodsand of geographicinformation systems(GIS), the costs ofconservation andthe increasedresponsibility of theprivate sector to

The International Conference on Science and TechnologySA

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The conference dinner, sponsored by theMalaysian Ministry of Science, Technology andEnvironment, featured guest speaker ProfessorJack Hawkes who recalled his friendship withgenetic resources pioneer Nicolai Vavilov.Professor Hawkes was awarded a certificatemarking his own outstanding contributions to theconservation and use of plant genetic resourcesover six decades. A number of conferenceparticipants—including IPGRI staff members—

took theopportunity toreminisce withProfessor Hawkes,their formerteacher at theUniversity ofBirmingham, UK.

SAT21 Honoree Jack Hawkes. P. Sands, IPGRI

Designed by P. Tazza, IPGRI

Some of theillustrations from a children’s artcontest held inKuala Lumpur onthe topic ofbiodiversityconservation in the21st century.Illustrations by OngEe Boon, Lim ChinHong and ThumMun Choon

support conservation efforts.Evening sessions consideredthe link between plant geneticresources and povertyalleviation, and progress in thedevelopment of a multilateralsystem for access and benefitsharing.

The SAT21 conference identifiedthe management and use ofbiological information as acritical goal for the future.Biological information isdoubling every two years,based on DNA sequence dataalone. In the pastdecade, more scientificinformation has beencreated than in all ofprevious history.Knowledge about plantresources has grownexponentially as has the

ability to manage and use that knowledge. It is a powerful tool to use to improve thelives of the 1.5 billion people that live in abject poverty in developing countries.

Another topic receiving priority attention was the group of crops known as‘orphans’. Traditionally, agricultural science has mostly concentrated on improvingthe productivity of so-called major crops such as maize, wheat and rice. Far lessattention has been paid to other crops that also often provide food and nutritionalsecurity. But these species, which include many fruits and vegetables with highlevels of vitamin A and other micronutrients, play a vital role in the livesof the poor. Many of them are adapted to marginal farming conditionswhere major crops will not grow, such as degraded or hilly areas orzones with saline soils or arid conditions. Improving the managementand use of these crops is a major research challenge for the future.

Field visits to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and DevelopmentInstitute, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and the UniversitiPutra Malaysia rounded out the week’s programme.

SAT21 concluded with a pledge by participants to maintain themomentum generated by the conference. A Steering Committee wasestablished and is investigating the feasibility of setting up aninternational plant genetic resources society and of organizing a series offollow-up conferences over time. IPGRI also hosts a list-server, whichallows participants to continue to exchange information. The conferenceproceedings will be published in September 2001.

Visit the SAT21 web site (www.ipgri.cgiar.org/sosindex.htm) for moreon future activities, abstracts of papers and the conferencesynthesis paper.

2000 3Annual Report

● The applications of genomic sciences for abetter understanding of genepools

● Technologies and strategies for ex situconservation

● The deployment and management of geneticdiversity in agroecosystems

● The role of bioinformatics in conservation anduse

● Exploring underused species—diverse options ● In situ conservation of wild species ● Germplasm enhancement and pre-breeding● Indicators for sustainable management of

genetic resources ● Implications of gene transformation techniques

for ex situ conservation choices ● GIS applications for genetic resources

management ● The economics of managing genetic resources

and the role of the private and public sectors

SAT21 examined the followingthematic areas:

As commonly understood, the concept of ‘policy’ has two key defining characteristics:first, that it prescribes a set of ideas or a plan of action, and second, that it has beenformally endorsed by a group of people, an organization, a government or a political party.National policy can be, and sometimes is, strongly influenced by the interests of a singlepowerful political leader. However, international policy, by definition, is set by a group ofnations based on due consideration of the trade-off between national interest and thebenefits of belonging to a collective. Mutual interest itself has evolved over time, reflectinga growing awareness of the interdependence of countries with regard to economic andenvironmental concerns, food security and other factors.

No country, however rich in diversity, is self-reliant with regard to plant genetic resources.Crops that originated in one country or region grow and prosper in other parts of the world.These crops often play a crucial part in the economies of their adopted homes. As a result,broad access to genetic resources and international collaboration in collecting, evaluatingand using genetic resources are absolutely essential.

Scientists and breeders have long understood the special nature of agricultural biodiversityand, in response, have operated a partnership system comprising national programmesand other partners, including the Future Harvest Centres, NGOs and the private sector.Many discrete structures exist within the framework of this partnership system; forexample, plant genetic resources networks, which operate formal, rule-based systems ofcooperation and exchange.

Few would deny that this partnership system has benefited both developing and developedcountries over the years—the Future Harvest Centres alone send out about 650000samples of germplasm and improved materials each year, about 90% of which goes to theSouth. However, the field of agrobiodiversity, once the strict province of scientists anddevelopment workers, has become increasingly political in the years since the coming intoforce of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as countries have come to grips withthe benefits—and responsibilities—of national sovereignty over their genetic resources. Thishas led to a call for more formal mechanisms and policy instruments to guide futurecollaboration.

Today, plant genetic resources policy, and the legalmechanisms for implementing that policy, are underdevelopment at both national and international levelsthrough processes that are complex and interrelated.The evolution of international policy and law dependsgreatly on national processes and positions. Likewise,the process at the international level affects nationalpolicy-making.

IPGRI’s historical relationship and physical proximityto the United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO) and its long and activeinvolvement with the CBD has provided significantexperience of the actors, issues and culture in thekey policy fora relevant to agricultural biodiversity.This has allowed IPGRI policy and legal staff tomake a very substantial contribution to theinternational debate, both through informing policybased on the Institute’s own scientific and technicalexpertise, and through representing the issues andinterests of the CGIAR, an explicit responsibility

Plant genetic resources policyPl

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entrusted to IPGRI as Convening Centre of the System-wide GeneticResources Programme (SGRP).

IPGRI has been a consistent presence in meetings of the FAOCommission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The instituteis one of only a few non-parties permitted to participate in theCommission’s Contact Group sessions concerning the renegotiation ofthe International Undertaking on plant genetic resources. IPGRI has alsobeen very active in providing expert input to the discussions of the CBD’sPanel of Experts on Access and Benefit-sharing, which is developingguidelines for national access legislation to be considered by theConference of the Parties to the CBD. In both fora, IPGRI has tablednumerous policy studies and analyses—often at the request of thenegotiators—concerning issues around the development of a multilateralsystem for exchange of plant genetic resources. Recent research resulted,for example, in papers on legal mechanisms to alleviate mistrust amongstnegotiators, and possible financial mechanisms for administering theInternational Undertaking.

Other international organizations are currently engaged in policy debatesthat impinge on genetic resources, and IPGRI has been a presence thereas well. For example, the Institute participates in the World IntellectualProperty Rights Organization’s (WIPO’s) Working Group on Biotechnologyand assisted in developing the Working Group’s programme onbiotechnology and plant genetic resources. IPGRI has also been deeplyinvolved in genetic resources-related discussions and negotiations of theWorld Trade Organization/Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights (WTO/TRIPS), the Global Biodiversity Forumand the Global Forum for Agricultural Research. IPGRI’s contributions tothese deliberations have, above all, concerned the issues of access andintellectual property rights, issues that are closely linked and whoseinterpretation has enormous implications for multilateral exchange in thefuture and, not least, for the role of the CGIAR.

Many areas of a national economy are concerned with some aspect ofplant genetic resources, including the food, agriculture, forestry, medicine,industry, transport, shelter, energy, tourism and environmental sectors.Farmers, plant breeders, researchers, government agencies and privatecompanies all contribute to and benefit from the conservation andsustainable use of genetic resources. Often, however, these sectors andindividuals do not coordinate their activities and may not even be aware of each other’swork, no matter how closely it may relate to their own. The result may be fragmented orduplicated efforts and the development of national plans and strategies with conflictingobjectives. There are also well-established protocols amongst indigenous and localcommunities for cooperation and exchange of genetic resources, but these are notalways known or understood, and thus often not accounted for in national policy and lawmaking.

IPGRI tries to encourage recognition of the large degree of coincidence between theinterests of these quite distinct but related sectors and disciplines, and to ensure thatpolicies made within them support plant genetic resources conservation and use. Often,this requires nothing more than the fairly straightforward and simple act of bringingpeople together. For example, a recent regional workshop on TRIPS, organized by IPGRIin the Philippines included representatives from agriculture, trade and environment

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IPGRI publicationsin 2000 providedadvice andinformation onpolicy options fornationalprogrammes.

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ministries throughout Asia. Asimilar meeting took place inZimbabwe for the countries ofsouthern Africa.

Another approach is to try toensure a consistentunderstanding of agriculturalbiodiversity at meetings of theFAO Commission, the WTO,WIPO, and the Conference ofthe Parties to the CBD. IPGRI’spresentations, papers andactive participation at thesemeetings provide suchcontinuity and consistency.

IPGRI played a key role in theCrucible II project, whichbrought together a highlydiverse group of individualsfrom the public, private and

grassroots sectors to debate and consider options on intellectual property, the rights offarmers, mechanisms for benefit sharing and appropriate structures for the conservation ofseeds. The multi-donor funded exercise was a follow-up to the highly successful CrucibleProject, which, in the mid-1990s, took the same approach to identifying and examining theimpact of intellectual property on trade, plant biodiversity and rural society.

Many of the elements of national and international legal frameworks needed to ensure theconservation, development, exchange and use of plant genetic resources do not yet exist.To be effective and acceptable, these need to be guided by non-partisan anddispassionate information and analysis, and a solid grounding in plant genetic resourcesscience. IPGRI is active in research and the development of new ideas for international lawand policy in the areas of, for example, sui generis approaches to intellectual property andoptions for protecting traditional knowledge. Sui generis refers to a unique form ofintellectual property protection especially designed to meet certain criteria and needs.

The 1994 agreements with FAO placed a significant obligation on the Future HarvestCentres by formalizing their commitments concerning the genetic resources collectionshoused in their genebanks. The agreements require that the collections remain in trust forthe world community and that they are available without restriction to all users. The termsand conditions applied to all Centres are identical, reflecting the understanding of the FAOCommission that, while the collections may be housed in 11 separate genebanks, theyrepresent a single global resource. For this reason, it is critical that Centres policies on thecollections be uniform across the system, and that they are well understood by the real‘owners’ of the material: the world community.

As Convening Centre for SGRP, IPGRI leads the process to further develop, coordinate andpromote Future Harvest Centre positions on legal and policy issues. It aims to ensure thatthese policies are in line with international developments and that Centres are fullyinformed as to the implications of these developments for their own work. This involves, forexample, the development of Material Transfer and Germplasm Acquisition Agreements inline with the FAO Agreements (for more information, see http://www.sgrp.cgiar.org/).

2000Annual Report

The Crucible II project gave rise to a two-volumepublication, Seeding Solutions. Volume One offerspolicymakers a clear description of the facts, thefights and the fora relevant to plant geneticresources. Volume Two describes legal mechanismsto address three main points:1. The need to conserve and exchange genetic

resources for the benefit of present and futuregenerations.

2. The need to encourage innovation in theconservation and enhancement of geneticresources.

3. New options for securing and strengthening therights and interests of indigenous and ruralpeoples in their role as creators and conservers ofgenetic resources.

Seeding Solutions, co-published with IDRC and theDag Hammarskjöld Foundation, is available fromIPGRI. Contact ipgri-publications@cgiar.org

Crucible II

Over time, humans have chipped away at their food sources until little remains.Although people have used more than 7000 edible species at some stage in their history,today, we essentially depend on just 30 crops to feed ourselves and about 60% of ourcalories come from wheat, rice and maize. For the rich and privileged, the reduction in thevariety of food on our plates may stand as a sad symbol of the standardization of modernlife (although it should be noted, that this trend is beginning to reverse as wealthy countriesbegin to import exotic and diverse foods from around the world). But it has far harsherimplications for the rural poor, particularly in marginal areas. For them, the best guaranteeof food security lies in access to a wide array of crop varieties and species and, inparticular, to crops that can prosper under fragile and risky conditions.

These crops—which exist in every poor country—include hundreds of species of cereals,fruits, vegetables, pulses, roots and tubers, oil crops, spices and medicinal plants. Theyhave much in common. As subsistence crops, they are adapted to local growingconditions and require little or no external inputs. Many of the food species have highlevels of micronutrients and vitamins, thus protecting against the ‘hidden hunger’ causedby vitamin and mineral deficiencies. They provide an opportunity for the poorest people toearn a living as producers or sellers. They are generally a very affordable source ofcalories. Many have important cultural value. And they have been largely overlooked byscience.

The sustainable improvement of rural livelihoods is a complex endeavour. Coping withgreater competition for natural resources, urbanization and climate change will require alarger portfolio of crops to meet new environmental conditions and new markets. Some keyresources needed to meet these challenges are already in the hands of the rural poor in theform of the crop species they routinely use to meet household needs. But becauseagricultural research has paid little attention to these species, there are major gaps in ourknowledge and capacity to conserve and improve them. For instance, we do not know

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Orphan crops

Collecting data on the use of leafy vegetables, Senegal. IPGRI

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enough about their cultivationrequirements in order toincrease their yield performanceand quality traits. Little hasbeen done to identify the mosteffective commercialization,marketing and policyframeworks to promote theiruse and maximize theireconomic value. There have been repeated callsfor greater research attention tothese so-called neglected ororphan species. The FAOGlobal Plan of Action for plantgenetic resources, Agenda 21and the Global Forum forAgricultural Research have allrecognized the significantpotential these crops have tocontribute to food security and

income generation. While IPGRI and other FutureHarvest Centres have supported important programmesof work on a number of these species for many years,these have tended to be carried out on regional andlocal levels, without coordination or a clear internationalstrategy.

In 1999, participants at an international workshop onfood security threw down a challenge. The workshop, organized by the M.S. SwaminathanResearch Foundation in Chennai, India and IPGRI on behalf of the CGIAR’s GeneticResources Policy Committee, called for the development of a coherent framework andstrategy for addressing neglected species and the establishment of a mechanism forpromoting work at the international level. Following the workshop, IPGRI and theInternational Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) developed a comprehensive globalprogramme to address the use and enhancement of neglected species. As part of theproject development process, IFAD supported the organization of three community-drivenpriority-setting meetings in Egypt, Bolivia and India.

The IFAD-funded research will focus on marginal production areas in nine countries of WestAsia and North Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. A series of pilot projects will carry outwork on the priority species identified during the regional stakeholder meetings. Theselections reflect the contribution of the species to sustainable agricultural systems, theireconomic potential, levels of threat from genetic erosion, and their local or regionalimportance for food security, nutrition and income generation. The selected species includenutritious millets and Lathyrus sativus (South Asia), Andean grains such as quinoa andamaranth (Latin America), and medicinal and aromatic species (West Asia and North Africa).

Project activities will include strengthening or establishing local seed production systemsand improvement and selection programmes involving local farmers. Surveys will assessthe distribution of available diversity and traditional knowledge about the target species.Scientists will work with local communities to strengthen the conservation of the specieson-farm and will ensure that material is safely conserved in genebanks as well. Networksinvolving all players in the production to consumption cycle will drive the process to

2000Annual Report

WomanharvestingAmaranthusspp. leavesfor thekitchen.IPGRI

Egypt: argel, caper, oregano, mint, liquoriceTurkey: medicinal orchidsYemen: aloe, cumin, nigella, coriander, mint, hennaBolivia: quinoaPeru: canihuaEcuador: amaranth, lupin

India: grasspea,finger milletNepal: Italian millet,little milletBangladesh:grasspea

Countries and speciesselected by priority-settingregional meetings

improve knowledge about uses of the target crops and to investigate and pursueopportunities for improving access to commercial markets.Traditional leafy vegetables are an important component of home gardens in both rural andperi-urban areas throughout Africa. They are a major part of the household diet and animportant source of micronutrients, including vitamins A and C, and iron. Traditionalvegetables are sometimes gathered from the wild but, when domesticated, they do notrequire many inputs and tend to flourish in areas where imported vegetables are not assuccessful. They also compete effectively in markets with imported vegetables, which bycontrast require high inputs and are often too expensive for rural farmers and the urbanpoor.

Despite their value for food, nutrition and livelihood security, the use of traditionalvegetables has fallen off markedly in Africa. In part, this is because research anddevelopment have paid very little attention to these crops. They are poorly known and notterribly visible, being cultivated in home gardens or growing wild in forest areas. They areabove all the responsibility of women, who are the chief producers, users and sellers ofthese plants. Researchers and, more recently, farmers and consumers, have tended toaccord greater status to imported crops and others with higher income earning potential.

In 1996, an IPGRI project brought together scientists, development organizations andtechnologists from Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal and Zimbabwe to increaseknowledge about the plant genetic resources of African vegetables. The DirectorateGeneral for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands sponsored the two-yearproject, which linked the conservation and use of these resources to poverty alleviation bycommunicating this knowledge in a form that could be directly used by local communities,non-governmental organizations and development agencies. It combined local knowledgeand conventional documentation of genetic diversity with nutritional analyses in order tolink biodiversity to nutritional well-being. In addition, the project made local communitiesthe starting point for efforts to document and conserve traditional vegetables. The chief outcomes of the project were published in 1999 by IPGRI in a book entitled The Biodiversity of Traditional Leafy Vegetables.

This year, IPGRI secured additional resources from the Netherlands that will allow theInstitute to extend its work on African vegetables. The project, conducted in collaborationwith the African regional programme of the Asian Vegetable Research and DevelopmentCenter, includes partners from Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia. Theproject aims to improve the food security, nutritional status and livelihoods of vulnerable

groups, namely womenand children, in the sub-Saharan Africa region byenhancing theconservation, preparation,processing, marketing anduse of African leafyvegetables. The partnershave identified publicawareness as a keyactivity for the project.

2000 9Annual Report

Aloe is one of the crops receiving priorityattention in IPGRI’s IFAD-funded globalproject on neglected crops.IPGRI

On-farm conservation is generally used to describe a process by which farmersmaintain the traditional crop varieties that they have developed and which they continueto manage and improve. Over the past several years, IPGRI has evolved an approach toon-farm conservation that goes beyond this to encompass the entire agricultural andenvironmental system occupied by the farm, and includes both immediately usefulspecies (such as cultivated crops, forages and agroforestry species) and their wild andweedy relatives.

The unique features of farmers’ knowledge, including how it relates to knowledge held bythe community, how it changes over time and why, and ethical issues relating to collectingand analysing such knowledge, calls for the use of special techniques. IPGRI promotes anapproach that ensures farmers are fully and actively involved in the research process. Thisrequires an understanding of the environmental, biological, cultural and socioeconomicfactors influencing a farmer’s decision to select, maintain or discard a particular cropvariety. As a result, the approach has implications not only for the conservation of plantgenetic diversity but also for ecosystem health, human well-being and the reinforcement ofcultural values.

IPGRI is working with rural communities, researchers, processors and marketing agents innine countries to develop and refine participatory methods to collect, analyse and use themost critical information surrounding the conservation of genetic resources on-farm. Keyquestions being addressed concern the amount and distribution of genetic diversitymaintained on-farm, the processes—human and natural—involved in maintaining thisdiversity, and the identity (rich, poor, male, female) of the people involved in these processes.

Participatory methods for gathering information include interviews, focus groupdiscussions, spatial mapping, matrix ranking and transects. This information issupplemented by household, market and seed system surveys, field trials on-station andon-farm, and genetic diversity measurements in the field and in laboratories.

While the actual approach to crop diversity management tends to be site specific, researchmethods have more widespreadapplication. The creation of stronginstitutional linkages betweencountries and with internationalorganizations is an important goal ofthe IPGRI project. These linkagesallow partners from different regionsof the world to exchange knowledgeand experience, helping them tofurther develop and define their ownresearch methods.

The employment of empirical—including participatory—approacheshas yielded a wealth of informationon local social, cultural, economic

Promoting in situ conservation on-farm

Roadside drama, Nepal. The playis based on a true story from the

village that demonstrates thevalue of rice diversity.

D. Jarvis, IPGRI

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and agro-ecological conditionsin the partner countries, as wellas farmer crop and seedmanagement practices, and thecharacteristics and origins oftheir preferred varieties. Thereis now a better understandingof the key actors in on-farmconservation and use, and thespecific roles of particulargender, age and ethnic groups.

The information links farmerdecision-making on theselection and maintenance ofcrop landraces to measures ofgenetic diversity. Suchinformation helps us to better understand the structure of plant genetic diversity and theforces—human and otherwise—that act upon it. It can be used to discover the bestconservation strategies for particular areas and crops. Analysis of the information suggestsfarming practices that improve ecosystem health through the use of local crop geneticresources, and may uncover factors limiting the maintenance of local crop diversity on-farm. The information also helps breeders to improve varieties for marginal environmentsand to link breeding efforts with farmers’ needs.

2000 11Annual Report

● Maintain the processes of evolution andadaptation of crops to their environments

● Conserve diversity at different levels—ecosystem,species, within species

● Ensure farmers’ efforts are an integral part ofnational plant genetic resources systems

● Conserve ecosystem services critical to thefunctioning of the Earth’s life-support system

● Improve the livelihoods of resource-poor farmersthrough economic and social development

● Maintain or increase farmers’ control over andaccess to crop genetic resources.

On-farm conservation can:

Burkina FasoEthiopiaHungaryMexicoMoroccoNepalPeruTurkeyVietnam

On-farm project partners

Granary with clayroof, Burkina Faso.

M. Djimadoum

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In 2000, IPGRI published ATraining Guide for In SituConservation On-farm. TheGuide was written to providenational programmes with thebasic skills and tools to buildthe institutional capacities andpartnerships needed toimplement an on-farmconservation programme. Itdraws very heavily on theknowledge gained from theprocess of developing andtesting research methodologiesin the partner countries. TheGuide covers disciplinesranging from genetics toecology to anthropology, andtopics such as sampling, dataanalysis and participatorymethods. It includes anextensive bibliography. TheGuide will be produced inseveral languages.

The impact of the IPGRI on-farm project has already beensubstantial. It has been instrumental in putting in situ conservation onto the national policyplanning agendas in Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Morocco and Nepal. National institutions, localcommunities and consumers are being sensitized to the value of local crop varieties in allof the participating countries, while the partners are searching for new market outlets forthese varieties. Agricultural extension workers are learning that local crop resources are aworthwhile addition to modern variety packages. There has also been a strong push toincrease gender awareness in national in situ conservation programmes and to increase thenumber of women participating in decision-making, training and data collection.

See the new in situ Web site in English,French, Spanish and Arabic at IPGRI’shomepage, www.ipgri.cgiar.org. The siteincludes a bibliography related to in situconservation, links to partner Web sites inNepal, Mexico, Morocco and Ethiopia, andthe Training Guide to In Situ Conservationdescribed above.

2000Annual Report

● Farming system practices were shown to beresponsible for improving the productivity of localcrop varieties. In Jumla, Nepal, farmers re-routecold water from high mountain streams to bewarmed by the sun before irrigating the rice crop.The warmed water induces flowering at theappropriate point in the season to enable timelymaturation and harvesting of the crop.

● In Mexico, it was found that there was a higherturnover of the early maturing varieties of maize,which are sown in small areas, while the latematuring varieties tend to be conserved for manyyears. This has strong implications for policy tosupport informal seed systems.

● In parts of Morocco, it was found that farmerssometimes call all local varieties of barley by asingle name even though they clearly distinguishand manage differently sub-units of this ‘named-variety’. These farmer-managed ‘units’ aredistinguished by a set of traits rather than byseparate names. The global project team callsthem ‘farmers’ units of diversity’. The team isusing the concept to enhance the value of geneticresources to benefit farming communities.

Sample research findings

Wild medicinal and aromatic plants, whichare usually collected by women andchildren, being taken to markets, Turkey. A. Tan

Coconut provides a living for about 50 million people around the world, but despite theimportance of the crop, farm yields are declining due to aging palms, population growthand economic pressures to convert land to alternative uses, natural disasters and otherenvironmental pressures. The Coconut Genetic Resources Network, or COGENT,coordinated by IPGRI, is increasing farmers’ incomes through research and developmentand by promoting high-value coconut products as a strategy to support the conservationof coconut genetic resources.

Since its establishment nine years ago, COGENT has grown into a global network involving38 coconut-producing countries and including regional networks for South Asia, SoutheastAsia, South Pacific, Africa and the Indian Ocean, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

COGENT-sponsored activities for coconut researchers and development workers help themto direct research to the needs of smallholder farmers. To date, COGENT has trained morethan 250 researchers in 37 countries. The network has convened dozens of meetings,workshops and conferences. It has conducted technical assistance activities benefitingmore than 70 countries and has implemented 125 research grants in about 30 membercountries.

COGENT has fostered collaboration between its members and advanced laboratories andresearch organizations worldwide. COGENT-sponsored research activities include thedevelopment of molecular marker-based techniques for locating and characterizingdiversity, studies of genetic erosion in coconuts, and genome mapping. Multilocation trialsare studying the yield, performance and farmers’ preference for 30 promising coconutvarieties in 18 countries worldwide.

COGENT’s new coconutgenetic resources databasecontains passport andcharacterization data for over1300 accessions, supplied bygenebanks in 22 membercountries. Additional databaseson coconut researchinformation, farmers’ varietiesand multiple uses of coconutare being developed by theCOGENT secretariat.

A model collecting andconservation strategydeveloped by COGENT isproviding guidance to nationalpolicymakers to assist them todevelop their own strategies.Collecting activities have addedover 500 additional Asiancoconut populations to nationalcollections. COGENT isestablishing a multi-siteInternational Genebank in India,Indonesia, Papua New Guineaand Côte d’Ivoire to provideadditional security for national

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Increasing the income of smallholderfarmers through coconut researchand development

COGENT recently carried out a survey of potentiallymarketable high-value coconut products and relatedcoconut varieties. Results indicate that Indonesiancoconut farmers could earn US$3126 per hectareper year by producing palm sugar and Indiancoconut farmers could earn $1978 from sellingtender nuts. Vietnam estimated that a housewifeworking at home could earn about $72 per month bymaking ropes from coconut fibre using a $15 twiningmachine. Bangladeshi women can earn about $1 perday for making doormats. Thai households can earnUS$200–US$400 per month for producinghandicrafts and kitchen utensils made from coconutshell and coconut wood. Without these products,coconut farmers only earn approximately $250 perhectare per year from copra, the primary coconutproduct. Feasibility studies are being conducted inBangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam topilot the production of these high-value products andthe means for in situ conservation of the coconutvarieties used to produce them.

Enhancing farmers’ incomesthrough multi-use strategies

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collections and a mechanism for evaluation and safe germplasm exchange. Ten AsiaPacific countries are carrying out in situ conservation programmes, with COGENT support.

Coconut farmers, 96% of whom are smallholders, use a range of local varieties thatprovide multiple products and contribute to the food security of low-income households.However, with increasing socioeconomic and environmental pressures on coconut-basedfarming systems, cultivation is declining, as is the crop’s competitiveness with othercommodities. A 14-country project supported by IFAD and the UK’s Department forInternational Development (DFID) is trying to promote and increase the value to the farmerof coconut production and to enhance the genetic basis for multiple uses of the crop. Theactivity uses participatory research methods to incorporate users’ perspectives, to evaluatethe needs and concerns of men and women, and to assess the cultural practices of

household consumers andprocessors as they might relate tococonut production. It hasresulted in the development of anincome generating strategy thatpromotes the deployment of high-yielding and adapted varieties, theproduction and sale of coconut-based products, and inter-cropping of coconuts withlivestock or fodder. The dualobjectives: more effective andconsistent conservation ofcoconut genetic resources andbetter incomes for coconutfarmers.

2000Annual Report

An illustration developed as partof a project to teach childrenabout the importance of plantgenetic resources. It showsmany of the different uses ofthe coconut tree.

Why do farmers continue to conserve and plant traditional crop varieties even aftermodern varieties have been introduced? What is the value of the genetic diversity held ingenebanks and how is this diversity being used? IPGRI’s economics research programme,carried out in association with national plant genetic resources programmes anduniversities, is trying to answer these questions to better understand the economicincentives for conservation.

Approximately 6 million accessions of plant genetic resources are held in national, regional,international and private collections around the world. A good deal of information existsabout the traits and characteristics of this material: data that are extremely valuable tobreeders and other users. However, not much is known about the demand for thisgermplasm by the scientific community, or how this demand is influenced by the economicconditions in which scientists work and the needs of the countries and communities thatthey serve. Our understanding of the costs of maintaining and distributing geneticresources collections is also limited.

IPGRI is leading an SGRP initiative to study the demand for diversity in the Future HarvestCentre genebanks. The initiative involves analysing SINGER data to assess the volume anddestination of samples distributed from the genebanks (see related story on SINGER,p. 17). The study thus far indicates that the overwhelming majority—in the order of 90%—of material distributed from the Centres is destined for developing countries.

Other studies are examining the distribution and use of genetic resources from severalnational genebanks, and seeking to improve economic methods for estimating the value ofaccessions. An SGRP study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI—also a Future Harvest Centre) is analysing the costs of conservation in the Future Harvestgenebanks. The goal of these studies is to help place a value on the costs and benefits ofgenetic resources collections as well as to demonstrate the importance of a multilateralsystem. They will also assist decision-makers to identify ways to improve efficiency.

In some marginal environments, landraces remain the choice of farmers, when eitherbreeding programmes have not been able to develop modern varieties that meet theirneeds and circumstances, or else the seeds of such varieties are too expensive or notavailable. In better environments, farmers often continue to grow landraces even if modernvarieties are available, because they may have qualities or traits they prefer, such as easeof processing or taste.

Some communities favour traditional varieties for cultural reasons including medicinalpurposes, rituals and festivals. In other cases, commercial seed supply systems do notensure ready and affordable access to seed of modern varieties. Even as economiesadvance and farmers specialize in production for more distant markets, there may be aneconomic role for landraces when urban consumers value their unique traits.

Knowledge from economics research can help inform policy decisions by predicting theextent to which farmers will continue to grow traditional varieties, given the economicopportunities they face. Using in-depth case studies carried out with national researchpartners, IPGRI is examining the factors that enhance or detract from on-farmconservation. Research in both developing and developed economies (Morocco, Hungary,Burkina Faso, Nepal and Finland) aims to assess the multiple benefits of crop landraces tofarmers and society as a whole and to identify appropriate economic policies to supporton-farm conservation. The studies have found that least-cost conservation of crop geneticdiversity will occur where farmers derive the greatest net benefit—either in monetary ornon-monetary terms—from growing traditional varieties and if the varieties they grow aremost genetically distinctive and therefore of greatest public benefit. Unc

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For example, a detailed study in the hillsides ofNepal showed that the benefits of traditionalvarieties to farmers in marginal areas outweighthe costs by a ratio of nearly 4:1. In a sitewhere the use of modern varieties isincreasing, Nepalese researchers haveidentified a subset of rice landraces that aregenetically distinct and that farmers perceiveas providing traits of particular significance.Further research is quantifying the relativevalue of these landraces to farmers andidentifying the economic and policy factors thatcan enhance the chances that farmers willcontinue to grow them (see table above).

Indian researchers in the state of Kerala haveshown that conserving the diversity oftraditional coconut varieties improves thelivelihoods of poor farmers by generatingmultiple sources of income. Unlike modernvarieties that are grown for copra production,traditional types can be used to producemultiple products including toddy and sweetjuice for drinking and thus provide higherincomes for producers with one hectare orless planted to coconut.

Comparing situations in developing andadvanced economies provides insights into theconditions under which development isconsistent with maintaining crop diversity. Forexample, whereas Nepal’s agricultural policytends to encourage the use of modernvarieties, Finland provides subsidies to farmerswho grow landraces or older varieties. Casestudies have been initiated this year in Finlandand Hungary to assess the social, cultural andeconomic role of local crop diversity inadvanced economies.

2000Annual Report

In Nepal, farmers value varieties that require less labourand time to process. D. Hines

SiteNumber of farmers Bara Kaski Jumla All

197 173 180 550

Percent of farmersGrowing only landraces 7 48 100 50Growing only modern varieties (MV) 51 7 0 20Growing both landraces and MVs 42 45 0 29

This table was constructed by Devendra Gauchan and Melinda Smale.

Farmers’ cultivation of different rice types at three sites in Nepal

Ever since the first grunted exchangeof knowledge, information has beenknown to have value and potentially,enormous power. Now, as we enter the21st century, the revolutionaryadvances of the past decade havemade information the single mostimportant tool for global change.

The genetic resources collectionshoused in the Future Harvest Centresare widely seen as an invaluableinternational public good that must becentral to any global genebank system.But without SINGER—the System-wideInformation Network for GeneticResources—their true value would gounrecognized and unrealized. SINGERis the flagship project of the SGRP andis managed by IPGRI.

The past two years have seen amassive effort to improve the qualityand accuracy of the SINGER data.Now, SINGER contains passport,characterization and evaluationinformation for over 500 000 in-trustaccessions. A parallel effort has beenunderway to improve the distributiondata in the system. Work still remains,but by the end of 2000, SINGERalready contained data on 1.5 milliongermplasm transfers.

The importance of documentinggermplasm flows has come to the foreto support resource-mobilization for thegenebanks and to inform the debate on

TheSystem-wide InformationNetwork for Genetic Resources

Preliminary analysis on recipients of more than 1.7 million samplestransferred from the genebanks

at CIP, CIMMYT, CIAT, ICARDA,ICRISAT, ILRI and IRRI (1974–2001).

85%

15%

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50%

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benefit-sharing under a multilateral system. Analysis of the data is revealing some veryinteresting trends. For example, germplasm transfers from seven Future Harvest Centreswere tracked over a period of 25 years. Over 90% of the material distributed from thosegenebanks—more than 850 000 samples—went to public and private sector organizationsin developing countries.

More and more, researchers are taking a holistic approach to agrobiodiversity conservationand use, which considers entire production systems and their environs, forestry, aquaticand livestock genetic resources all as pieces of the development puzzle. This trend, whichcan be seen in the broad mandate of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the morerecent extended coverage of the FAO Commission, is very much echoed in the strategy ofthe SGRP. SINGER is working hard to integrate information systems relating to the non-plant sectors supported by the CGIAR—such as the Domestic Animal Genetic ResourcesInformation Database developed by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI—also a Future Harvest Centre)—and to activities, such as breeding, which are closely linkedto germplasm use but not traditionally included in genebank data sets.

The increased collaboration between SINGER and other information systems, and themoves at Centre-level to integrate their own genetic resources and breeding information,foretell greater opportunities to increase the usefulness of SINGER to a broader scientificcommunity. The SINGER model has already been adopted for the development of theEuropean Crop Genetic Resources Information System (EPGRIS), providing a test case forother regional or crop-based information platforms. A policy on the roles andresponsibilities of SINGER ‘partners’ from outside the CGIAR is under development.

A new SINGER user-interface, with multiple query functions and mapping, statistical andgraphical features, was released on the Web in 2000. The interface was created usingsoftware designed by the SINGER team that can easily be modified according to Centreand other user needs. SINGER staff conducted two-week training sessions at all of theFuture Harvest Centres in 1999–2000 on the application of the software for the design anddissemination of Centre databases. Funds permitting, a new CD-ROM version of SINGERwill be produced shortly.

2000Annual Report

The conservation challenge is a massive one. No country has yet devoted adequateresources to addressing that challenge. The limited resources that are available must betargeted with care; a task that is virtually impossible without adequate information onecogeographic distribution, genetic diversity and genetic erosion, or the analytical toolsand skills needed to use that information.

However, conservation is a discipline often driven by urgency, frequently requiring actionbefore all the facts are known. Very often it becomes necessary to intervene while stillgathering information about the genepool or place that has been targeted for conservation.The paucity of knowledge about plant genetic diversity and the lack of skills needed tomanage what knowledge exists are major obstacles to the development of national geneticresources strategies.

The different stages in the process of managing genetic resources, from collecting toconservation to use, all yield data that are crucial to the effectiveness of the process as awhole. These include data on the identity and characteristics of the material, and on theplace where the material originated, and where it presumably developed its distinctiveproperties. Thus, much information related to genetic resources is associated with specificgeographical locations.

Geographical information systems (GIS) assemble, store, manipulate and analyse such‘geo-referenced’ data. GIS make it possible to integrate complex spatial information frommany different sources, and then analyse and model the data in different ways to revealpatterns, relationships and future scenarios.

IPGRI has a keen awareness of the potential value of GIS for managing and understandingthe large and complex datasets associated with plant genetic resources. A key aspect ofIPGRI’s GIS strategy is to raise awareness throughout the plant genetic resourcescommunity of the power of this tool, which can be used to track deforestation anddesertification, locate sites of potential occurrence of a particular species, identify diversityhotspots, and assess the impact of the products arising from the use of genetic resources.

Geo-referenced genetic diversity data can also be linked to other geo-referenced data,such as digitized maps and remote sensing data on climate, soils, topography, humandisturbance and other aspects of the physical and biotic environment. This informationadds considerable value to the conventional passport data associated with geneticresources, and can facilitate the conservation and use of genetic resources.

Another important component of IPGRI’sstrategy is the development, testing andtransfer of GIS methods and tools. Inparticular, IPGRI is interested in the use of GISto analyse spatial patterns related to geneticdiversity. The relationship betweenenvironmental and socioeconomic data andthe genetic diversity of cultivated crop speciesis a research area of particular interest.

IPGRI has collaborated with two other FutureHarvest Centres to develop and test a pair of

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Getting a grip on Geographical Information Systems

GIS can be used to pinpoint high priorityareas for collecting genetic resources.I. de Borhegyi, IPGRI

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GIS packages for national programmes: Diversity Analysis or DIVA-GIS (with theInternational Potato Center—CIP) and FloraMap® (with the International Center for TropicalAgriculture—CIAT). DIVA-GIS, which was also supported by SGRP, uses spatial analysis toidentify areas of high diversity. In addition, DIVA-GIS can extract climate data for alllocations on Earth. These can be used for ‘retro-classification’ of the environment atcollecting sites, a useful function for germplasm curators and users.

The first formal release version (ver 1.4) is currently available and can be downloaded freeof charge at http://www.cipotato.org/tools/diva.htm. IPGRI is collaborating with CIP in thedesign and testing of the software, and in providing training in its use.

FloraMap® is designed to predict the distribution of organisms in the wild when little ornothing is known of the physiology of the species involved. It is based on the assumptionthat climate is an important determinant of the environmental range of wild plants andmany other organisms. Likely additional sites for finding a particular species will haveclimate profiles similar to those of the original locations where the wild accessions werecollected. FloraMap® uses latitude, longitude and altitude data to extract climate data onthe sites of collecting, and then produces probability maps showing where else in theworld the species might be found.

FloraMap® is designed mainly to help plant breeders and managers of genebanks to predictnew collecting sites for wild plants. However, the maps it generates have other uses, suchas identifying suitable locations for cultivating promising wild species or conducting fieldtrials. In addition, biodiversity specialists can use the maps to plan more efficient in situconservation programmes. By overlaying probability maps for various wild plant species,specialists can select those sites that have a climate compatible with the largest number ofspecies targeted for conservation. IPGRI is collaborating with CIAT in testing the software,and in making it available for use to interested genetic resources programmes, including byproviding training. For more on FloraMap® see http://www.floramap-ciat.

In collaboration with USDA and others, IPGRI has conducted case studies on theeffectiveness of GIS approaches to data analysis. One study resulted in theidentification of high priority areas for the conservation of wild peanuts, based onvarious diversity and erosion risk indicators. This study, which also involves theInternational Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT—also aFuture Harvest Centre), is now examining the possible effects of global climatechange on the geographical patterns of peanut biodiversity.

Another GIS study, funded by Germany, is looking at crop genetic diversity in theUcayli region of Peru (based at the CGIAR Ecoregional Benchmark for the ForestMargins at Pucalpa). A collaboration with the Peruvian national plant geneticresources programme, the study is adding data on genetic diversity and geneticerosion to an extensive environmental and socioeconomic database, with theobjective of identifying patterns and associations that may be used to developconservation strategies for similar areas of the Amazon margins.

In late 2000, IPGRI hosted a training course on the use of GIS at its RegionalOffice for sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi. Genetic resources scientists from Sudan,Burkina Faso and Kenya attended the three-month course, which covered themost advanced methods of data formatting, diversity studies, and analysis ofspatial distribution using different GIS tools. IPGRI has also provided GIS trainingwithin the context of its work on tropical fruits in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania.

2000Annual Report

Collectinggeneticresources.I. deBorhegyi,IPGRI

Most people in developed countries think of bananas as a snack or dessert food.However, for more than 400 million people in the tropics, bananas, especially cookingvarieties, are a dietary staple. In countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, bananasaccount for well over half of the daily calories for much of the population. The crop growsin more than 120 countries on about 10 million hectares, with an annual production of88 million metric tons. Bananas are the developing world’s fourth most important food cropafter rice, wheat and maize, with nearly 90% grown by small-scale farmers for homeconsumption and local trade.

The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), an IPGRIprogramme, is dedicated to advancing banana production among small-scale farmersaround the world. INIBAP contributes to improving the livelihoods of small-scale bananafarmers by conserving banana diversity and helping to put it to use.

The INIBAP genebank contains the world’s largest collection of banana diversity, more than1000 accessions, which are held in trust for the world community. The genebankdistributes about 6000 samples each year to users, from breeders developing resistance todiseases, to farmers who have lost their crops through natural disasters. Recently, forexample, the genebank sent bananas to Nicaragua as part of an effort to replace the cropsdestroyed by Hurricane Mitch.

The International Musa Testing Programme (IMTP) evaluates germplasm for resistance tospecific banana pests and diseases. The crops of small-scale farmers are particularlysusceptible to pests and disease since these farmers usually lack the money for chemicalsto combat them. By testing resistance under different environmental conditions, the IMTPcan identify the most appropriate germplasm for use in different parts of the world, andthus move one step further to getting pest and disease resistant high-performing bananasinto farmers’ fields. INIBAP has produced a CD-ROM in order to promote further researchin testing and evaluation. The CD-ROM includes the IMTP database, IMTP cultivars andreference clones catalogue, the compilation of all IMTP results (Evaluating Bananas: aGlobal Partnership), and the guidelines needed for the evaluation of the resistance to blackSigatoka, Fusarium wilt and nematodes, which are parasitic worms.

The importance of IPGRI’s efforts to conserve, evaluate and promote the use of bananadiversity was recently validated by the Ugandan Government, which has invested itscontribution to the CGIAR in an INIBAP-coordinated project that uses novel biotechnologytechniques to enhance the disease resistance of East African Highland bananas. The projectwill establish a regional biotechnology centre in Uganda and will upgrade the country’sexisting molecular biology facilities. It will host training programmes, international meetingsand workshops in order to build skills and knowledge amongst Ugandan scientists.

The Uganda project willsupport efforts toimprove resistance to thedevastating bananadisease black Sigatoka,and to nematodesthrough genetictransformation. The mosteffective genes will be IN

IBAP

The International Networkfor the Improvement of Banana and Plantain

Carrying plantains to market on horseback,Rwanda. G. Hawtin, IPGRI

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identified in transgenic model plants and confirmedby field-testing. The project will also support researchby the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA—also a Future Harvest Centre) and the Ugandannational agricultural research organization on thegenetic mechanisms underlying weevil resistance inthese banana types. At the same time, new strains ofBt toxin will be tested for their effectiveness incontrolling weevils. Bt toxin is a naturally occurringpesticide that is lethal to certain insects.

A recent study by SGRP traced the development ofnew disease-resistant bananas that offer tremendouspotential to improve the well-being of the world’spoor. The improved banana hybrids are the product ofyears of research by the Fundación Hondureña deInvestigación Agrícola (FHIA). Fortunately, FHIA had awide variety of banana germplasm to work with,thanks to a worldwide collecting effort four decadesago. Two renowned botanists, Paul Allen and J.J.Ochse collected nearly 800 banana accessions fromSoutheast Asia and the Western Pacific for the UnitedFruit Company’s work in Honduras in what was oneof the greatest and most successful collectingmissions in the history of plant introduction.

The banana germplasm collection passed fromprivate hands into public trust in 1984 and it nowforms the backbone of the FHIA collection. Elevenwild types of bananas collected by Allen from Borneo,Burma, Java, Malaysia, the Philippines and PapuaNew Guinea were used to develop the diseaseresistant bananas. The development and testing ofthe new bananas was an international effort,supported in part by INIBAP and a network of bananaresearchers around the world.

The FHIA improved banana hybrids are now beingintroduced by INIBAP and partners into areas affectedby black Sigatoka disease. In Cuba, up to a threefoldincrease in banana and plantain production has beenreported from the improved bananas. The varieties arealso being introduced into Africa, where they have thepotential to alleviate the crisis caused by disease-devastated crops and thus to help millions of people.

INIBAP and FHIA have recently compiled and editeda catalogue of Paul Allen’s banana collections. Thispublication is available from IPGRI under the title ATribute to the Work of Paul H. Allen: a Catalogue ofWild and Cultivated Bananas. Information about thegermplasm and improved varieties is also availablethrough INIBAP’s Musa Germplasm InformationSystem.

2000Annual Report

Recognized for its innovative research and theimportance of its conservation work, the INIBAPgenebank was invited to participate in the EXPO2000 World Exposition as one of 767 ‘projectsaround the world’. While EXPO 2000 was based inHannover, Germany, by shining a spotlight onprojects in other locations, such as the genebank, itexpanded its reach beyond the walls of the exhibithall. INIBAP’s participation in EXPO 2000 highlightedthe importance of bananas for smallholder farmers indeveloping countries. It resulted in the publication ofarticles in the German and Belgian press, including afeature in Lufthansa magazine. Deutsche Welle inGermany and Arte in France and Germany broadcastfilm footage about the project. During Belgian Day atEXPO, the Prime Minister and Prince Philippe ofBelgium were briefed on the INIBAP project, whichwas on display in the Belgian Pavilion. INIBAP’s workwas presented on the EXPO Web site, in the EXPOcatalogue and on CD-ROM. INIBAP also served asan expert source in the Global Dialogue on ‘the roleof the village in the 21st century: crops, jobs andlivelihoods’. The Global Dialogue included a debateand discussion with an invited audience ofinternational leaders in business and politics, as well

as advocacygroups, grassrootsorganizations andthe general public.

INIBAP genebank showcasedat EXPO 2000

Banana genebank,Indonesia. I. de Borheygi,IPGRI

In many parts of the world, people depend on forests for building materials, fuel,medicines, fodder and other resources used for food and income generation. Forestecosystems protect watersheds from erosion and trap carbon, which, in the form of carbondioxide, is believed to be a major contributor to global warming. Agricultural crops havebeen domesticated from forests where their wild relatives still evolve. But in spite of theirvalue, forests are under threat from the encroachment of agriculture and urban areas,commercial timber harvesting, over-harvesting of non-timber forest products, forest firesand many other factors.

IPGRI addresses the problems of deforestation and land use changes through programmesto conserve biodiversity in natural areas and reserves and on private lands. The Institute’sforest genetic resources programme involves local communities, researchers and scientistsfrom more than 50 countries. The programme works closely with other Future HarvestCentres and the FAO Forestry Department. Projects focus on providing an array of optionsto farmers and other stakeholders to allow them to make informed decisions about theconservation and use of high value species for timber, and non-timber forest products,such as rubber, resins and medicines, and those which are useful for providingenvironmental services.

The Mapuche people in Argentina and Brazil depend upon the fuel-wood, medicinal resinand seeds of the Araucaria tree, which are consumed as food and sold to generate familyincome. However, overharvesting is putting both the species and the future livelihoods ofthe Mapuche at risk. An IPGRI project in Argentina and Brazil is working with the Mapucheand other forest-dependent communities to help them develop effective restorationpractices and conservation strategies to address the impact of human activities on theAraucaria and other key tree species. This German-sponsored project focuses oncommunities in Acre, Pontal, Curitiba in Brazil, and Bariloche in Argentina.

Workshops held in 2000 involved stakeholders in planning for this project, including theidentification of priority species and research sites and the development of detailed

workplans. Working closely with local communities, scientistsare currently assessing the contributions of forests tocommunity livelihoods, tracing the history of forest use,assessing forest diversity and the amount of timber and otherproducts harvested from the forests, and documenting currentforest management practices.

With support from the government of Japan, IPGRI is workingwith the International Network on Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)to promote the conservation and sustainable use of these twoimportant forest products, which provide diverse employmentopportunities, a myriad of products, and have more uses thanany other multipurpose tree species in the world.

A major focus of the INBAR–IPGRI partnership has been tostrengthen the capacity of national programmes to manageand study bamboo and rattan resources and to developmethods for sustainable harvesting. In Hongqiang, CentralYunnan, China, a training workshop on bamboo and rattanmanagement techniques was conducted for about 30members of the local community. The workshop inspired thecommunity to establish a genebank, which now conserves 20species of native bamboo. IPGRI also sponsored participantsfrom partner research institutes in India, Indonesia and

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Conserving forest diversity for today and the future

Tabebuya echinatatree in a savannaecosystem in Brazil.W. Amaral, IPGRI

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Vietnam on a short training course at the UniversitiPutra Malaysia at Serdang where they learnedtechniques for carrying out genetic diversity studieson bamboo and rattan.

Medicinal trees from the forest play a vital role inhuman health and provide a significant source ofincome for urban and rural people in developingcountries. However, high demand for medicinal treeproducts can threaten the future of a species.Alstonia boonei, found in coastal Africa, is mainlyused for the anti-malarial properties found in its bark.Unfortunately, there is no way to harvest the barkwithout damaging the tree. There is only limitedinformation available about the genetic diversity of the

tree, its distribution, threats and conservation approaches and no specific conservationactivities have yet occurred.

Now, a sub-network of SAFORGEN—the Sub-Saharan African Forest Genetic ResourcesNetwork—is helping to develop a strategy for the conservation of Alstonia boonei. Thesub-network, which is coordinated by IPGRI’s West and Central African office in Benin withfinancial support from UNEP, promotes action on medicinal tree species. The goal ofSAFORGEN is to strengthen the capacity of national programmes through regionalinitiatives on forest genetic resources.

IPGRI has developed a decision model to help land use planners, forest managers, andgovernment officials make better decisions about the conservation and use of forest

biodiversity. The model prioritizes tree species based upon their utilityand their vulnerability to present threats. It helps decision-makers toassess the cost-effectiveness of different management options.Developed with the University of British Columbia, the model wasfield tested by researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazilin a tropical evergreen forest and a tropical semi-deciduous forest. Inaddition to economic and biological factors, the model also analysesthe perspectives of different stakeholders, including scientists,farmers, business people and others. The main results of the researchwere presented at the International Conference on Science andTechnology for Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st centuryin Kuala Lumpur, June 2000 (see article page 2).

2000Annual Report

At least 2.5 billion people depend on or use bamboo;it has so many uses—from building material tofood—that it is often called ‘green gold’. Rattan, orclimbing palm, is the source of cane for furniture andweaving.

Together, bamboo and rattan earn global revenuesexceeding US$11 billion.

Indonesian rattan diversity includes 250 out of the596 species known to exist. In Indonesia, 142species of bamboo have been recorded.

Bamboo and rattan facts

Parkia biglobosa trees in a parkland ecosystem,Burkina Faso.A. S. Ouédraogo, IPGRI

Mapuche Indians fromArgentina discussing

priority areas forconservation and use of

Araucaria araucana.L. Gallo

In situ has long been the conservation method of choice for wild species andecosystems, while ex situ approaches have generally been preferred by plant breeders andother scientists for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The CBD expressed apreference for in situ conservation, viewing ex situ as predominantly a complement.Proponents of each approach argue their greater value based on technical or philosophicalgrounds, often failing to recognize that there is no one solution to all conservationchallenges.

IPGRI recognizes the importance of putting the genepool rather than the technology firstand thus promotes the concept of complementary conservation strategies. This approachcalls upon the entire suite of available conservation methods, at any one time employingthe ones that best serve the needs of the genepool, or part of the genepool, in question.Complementary conservation strategies recognize that both in situ and ex situ conservation(including ex situ technologies such as seed storage, field genebanks, in vitro conservation,pollen and DNA storage) have advantages but that neither is sufficient alone.

It is relatively easy to discern the extent of diversity held ex situ in a genebank or botanicalgarden since the conserved germplasm is usually documented for the use of plantbreeders and other users. The genetic resources maintained in this way are relativelysecure and accessible. There are, however, disadvantages to this approach. Ex situconservation removes material from itsnatural environment, halting theevolutionary processes that makelandraces unique and adaptable tochanging environments. Ex situtechnologies carry a significant costand even seed storage, which is oneof the least expensive options, may beout of reach for many nationalgenebanks, especially if they aspire toconserve the whole range of diversityfound within a country’s borders.Special methods are required for theex situ conservation of certainspecies, and this may drive the costeven higher. The result is that ‘major’crops or those of high economic valueare likely to receive more attentionthan the locally important crops thatcan be so critical for food security inthe developing world.

In situ conservation protects bothgenetic resources and the processesthat give rise to diversity. The long-term sustainability of breeding effortsmay depend on the continuedavailability of the genetic variationmaintained and developed in farmers’fields. Under certain circumstances,depending on the crop or type ofgenetic resources to be maintained,interventions supporting their continuingevolution on-farm may be cheaper and

Com

plem

enta

ryco

nser

vatio

n st

rate

gies

Complementary conservationstrategies

Cassava for sale at a market in Cuzco.S. Hood

26

more effective than ex situ storage. However, it may be difficult for scientists to identify andaccess genetic resources conserved in situ. The same factors that allow for dynamicconservation may serve to threaten the security of landraces. Genetic erosion can stilloccur due to unforeseen circumstances like war and natural disasters, while social andeconomic change may either foster or hinder on-farm biodiversity conservation over time.Indeed, one of the challenges of in situ conservation research is to evaluate how economicdevelopment is affecting farmer maintenance of diversity so as to account for this processin the implementation of conservation initiatives.

The concept of complementary strategies has been debated for many years but with littlefollow up by the conservation community. Recently, IPGRI decided to put the idea to thetest in developing a cassava conservation strategy for Peru. Cassava conservation expertsmet at a workshop in Huaral, Peru to identify conservation objectives for the crop and todetermine the range of diversity that should be conserved. Using guidelines developed byIPGRI, the group identified field and in vitro genebanks as the most useful options forcassava conservation in that country and expressed interest in exploring possibilities forin situ conservation as well. The participants also sketched out a national work plan forcassava conservation.

The workshop in Peru provided the first example of a case study of the type required tovalidate the complementary conservation approach. A number of other crops are beingconsidered for case studies by IPGRI, such as coffee in sub-Saharan Africa and sweetpotato. These crops (including cassava) are all promising examples because there is noone overriding preferred conservation method for any one of them. Seed storage, fieldgenebanks and in vitro conservation are prominent methods for each so the concept ofgetting the right balance is particularly pertinent. As our experience grows, it will be usefulto explore the economic aspects of the different decisions that are needed in theimplementation of a complementary conservation strategy.

2000Annual Report

Cassava farmer,West Sumatra.I. de Borhegyi,

IPGRI

Regional OfficesPlant Genetic ResourcesProgramme Sub-RegionalOfficesINIBAP Offices

Turrialba, Costa Rica

Cali, Colombia

Hervelee, Belgium

Aleppo,Syria

Douala, Cameroon

Cotonou, BeninKampala, Uganda

Nairobi, Kenya

Serdang, Malaysia

Los Baños, Philippines

Beijing, China

New Delhi, India

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

IPGRI HQ, Rome, ItalyINIBAP HQ, Montpellier, FranceRome, Italy

Rabat, Morocco Tozeur,Tunisia

● Conserving agricultural biodiversity in situ: scientificbasis for sustainable agriculture (with SDC, DGIS,BMZ/GTZ, IDRC and FAO)

● Descriptor Lists for: Rocket, Citrus (English, French.Spanish), Lathyrus (with Japan-ODA), Jackfruit

● Milho (with CIMMYT, Ministério da Agricultuta, doDesenvolvimiento Rural e das Pescas, Brazil)

● Priority-setting for underutilized and neglected plantspecies of the Mediterranean region

● Management of field and in vitro germplasmcollections (with FAO, SGRP)

● Genes in the Field● FAO/IPGRI PGR Newsletter, Nos. 119–123 (with

FAO)● Cryopreservation of tropical plant germplasm● Populus nigra Network—6th meeting (with

EUFORGEN)● Safflower—Germplasm collection directory● Farmer Participatory research on coconut diversity

(with COGENT, IFAD)● Working procedures for cocoa germplasm evaluation

and selection (with CFC, International CocoaOrganization)

● Moving forward with the International Undertaking:legal mechanisms to alleviate mistrust

● 1999 IPGRI Annual Report (English, French, Spanish)● Geneflow 1999 (French)● Seeding Solutions (with IDRC, the Dag

Hammarskjöld Foundation)● Research on Rattans in China (with Japan-ODA,

INBAR)● Forest Genetic Resources Research Highlights● Forest Genetic Resources IPGRI’s Strategic Action

Plan● SGRP Annual Report 1999● Participatory approaches to the conservation and

use of plant genetic resources (with the Center forDevelopment Research, Denmark)

● Ethnobotany and genetic diversity of Asian taro:focus on China (with the Chinese Society forDevelopment Assistance)

● Directorio de Colleciones de Germoplasma enAmerica latina y el Caribe (with DANIDA)

● A Training Guide for In Situ Conservation On-farm(with SDC, DGIS, BMZ/GTZ, IDRC and FAO)

● Core collections of plant genetic resources

Selected IPGRI publications of 2000

IPGRI officelocations

27

Restricted projectsAustralia

Taro Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization 3Nematology—Vietnam 24Subtotal 27

ADBCoconut Genetic Resources Network and Human ResourcesStrengthening in Asia and the Pacific Region (Phase II) 179Conservation and Use of Native Tropical Fruit Species Biodiversity in Asia 239Subtotal 418

AfDBPlant Genetic Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa 119Musa Genetic Resources 27Subtotal 146

BelgiumCollaborative Musa Research—KUL 254Gembloux—Musa Virus Diseases 163INIBAP Transit Center—KUL 302Musa Coordination in Africa 207Studies on Breeding Systems (Phaseolus lunatus) Phase II 132Study of Diversity (Colletotrichum and Stylosanthes) Phase II 14Subtotal 1,072

BrazilLusophone Project 58

CanadaDeveloping Decision-making Strategies on Priorities forConservation and Use of Forest Genetic Resources 28International Conference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 19Subtotal 47

CFCBanana Improvement Programme Assessment 2Cocoa Germplasm Utilization and Conservation 470Coconut Germplasm Utilization and Conservation 156Subtotal 628

CIRADMusa Publications 31Musa Nematode Research 29Subtotal 60

COLCIENCIASConservation and Use of Genetic Resources of Passiflora 7

CTACRBP Symposium Proceedings 3Forestry Genetic Resources Workshop 9Information Services/Publications 30International Conference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 7Organic Banana Production Workshop 2Subtotal 51

DenmarkJunior Professional Officer—Benin 11Junior Professional Officer—Colombia 17Effective Conservation and Use of Intermediate and Recalcitrant Tropical Forest Tree Seed Phase II 107Participatory Approaches to the Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources 4Subtotal 139

European CountriesECP/GR—Phase VI 232EUFORGEN—Phase I 62EUFORGEN—Phase II 146Subtotal 440

European UnionGlobal Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—Latin America 103Global Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—ACP 18Global Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—Asia 130Human and Policy Aspects of Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use—ACP 5Human and Policy Aspects of Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use—Asia 114Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut Genetic Resources—Latin America 118Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut Genetic Resources—ACP 27Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut Genetic Resources—Asia 148Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and Regional Networks in the Americas—Latin America 191Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and Regional Networks in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania—ACP 27Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and Regional Networks in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania—Asia 114Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and Regional Networks in Central and West Asia and North Africa—MED 170

Unrestricted andAttributedAustralia 299Austria 50Belgium 256Canada 474China 120Denmark 468France 206Germany 297India 75Italy 912Japan 1,488Netherlands 1,345Norway 360Philippines 23Republic of Korea 50South Africa 50Spain 50Sweden 361Switzerland 539Thailand 10United Kingdom 894USA 600Various Asian Institutions 19World Bank 3,749Subtotal 12,695

Above figures include accountsreceivable at 31 December 2000for:1. Belgium’s 1998 and 2000

unrestricted contributions ofBF11,400,000 at year-endrate of exchange ofBF42.9674=US$1.00.

2. Italy’s unrestrictedcontribution of Lire788,000,000 at year-endrate of exchange of Lire2062.39=US$1.00.

3. The Philippines’ unrestrictedcontribution ofPHP519,151.33 at year-endrate of exchange ofPHP50=US$1.00.

Financial reportFor the year ended 31 December 2000, in US dollars (‘000)

Restricted

Australia 27ADB 418AfDB 146Belgium 1,072Brazil 58Canada 47CFC 628CIRAD 60COLCIENCIAS 7CTA 51Denmark 139European Countries 440European Union 1,505FAO 73Finland 82FONTAGRO 51France 353Future Harvest 20Germany 533GFAR 2IDRC 231IFAD 355IFS 4Italy 90Japan 434JIRCAS 19Luxembourg 116Netherlands 843Norway 58Peru 14Philippines 12Portugal 120PRGA 24Republic of Korea 110Rockefeller Foundation 41Spain 256Sweden 143Switzerland 652TBRI 25Technova 36Uganda 319United Kingdom 70UNDP 64UNEP 79USDA 49VVOB 199World Bank 120Subtotal 10,195

Total Grants 22,890

Support to regional Musa programs—Latin America 142Support to regional Musa programs—ACP 21Support to regional Musa programs—Asia 177Subtotal 1,505

FAOGuidelines for the Safe Movement of Acacia Germplasm 3Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Acacia Germplasm II 5Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Small Grain Germplasm 3International Conference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 12International Training Course on Fruit Tree Genetic Resource Conservation and Use for Central Asia 3National Programme Strategies and In Vitro Conservation Manual 4Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter 41Publication of Two Decision Guides 2Subtotal 73

FinlandAssociate Expert—Malaysia 82

FONTAGROAprovechamiento de los Recursos Genéticos de las PapayasPara su Mejoramiento y Promoción 51

FranceCoconut Genetic Resources Network 52Senior Scientist – Commodity Chains Project 103MGIS – Musa Germplasm Information System 6Peri-urban Banana Production in West Africa 20Senior Scientist—Research on Tropical Fruit 103Mapping Musa acuminata translocation break points through molecular cytogenetics (Montpellier Biotechnology Platform) 69Subtotal 353

Future HarvestFundraising Campaign to Support Genetic ResourcesCollections Around the World 20

GFARAnalysis of National Genebank Data 2

GermanyForest Genetic Resources in Brazil and Argentina 246Home Gardens and In Situ Conservation 101In situ Conservation (Morocco component) 28International Conference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 13Patterns of Genetic Diversity and Genetic Erosion of Traditional Crops in Peru 139Southern African Workshop on TRIPS 6Subtotal 533

IDRCAssociate Scientist 10Community Level Management of Plant Genetic Resources 34Conserving Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Species 0Crucible Meetings—Publications 16Diversification of Coconut Products to Enhance Incomes of Coconut Farming Communities 4In situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase II 104Musa Germplasm Information System 4Musa In Situ Conservation 59Subtotal 231

IFADSustainable Use of Coconut Genetic Resources in the Asia–Pacific Region 238In situ Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources in Desert-prone Areas of Africa 105Workshop on Enlarging the Basis of Food Security 12Subtotal 355

IFSTropical Root Crops Meeting (Support for Attendance ofDeveloping Countries Scientists) 3Forestry Genetic Resources Workshop 1Subtotal 4

ItalyJunior Professional Officer—Forest Genetic Resources Research 90

JapanPlant Genetic Resources Programme in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania 134Global Forestry Genetic Resources Strategies—Research on the Genetic Resources of Bamboo and Rattan 200CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Program Policy Research and Coordination of the System-wide Genetic Resources Program 100Subtotal 434

JIRCASJapan Workshop Proceedings 19

LuxembourgGenetic Resources of Broad-leaved Forest Tree Species in Southeastern Europe 116

NetherlandsAssociate Expert—Conservation Strategies Research 90Associate Expert—Forest Genetic Resources Research—CWANA 68Associate Expert—Forest Genetic Resources Research—Americas 90Associate Expert—Home Gardens Research 90In Situ Conservation in Burkina Faso and Nepal 505Subtotal 843

NorwayPolicy Unit 58

PeruPeruvian Banana Research 14

PhilippinesPhilippine Musa Collection 12

PortugalLusophone Project 120

PRGAFarmers Domestication and Improvement of Yam in West Africa 24

Republic of KoreaAssociate Scientist—In Vitro Conservation 90Associate Scientist—Research Grant 20Subtotal 110

Rockefeller FoundationMusa Baseline Project 41

SpainCherimoya Germplasm Bank in Peru 35Technology Transfer Project (Musa) 52Training Programme 169Subtotal 256

SwedenAssociate Expert—Cucurbitaceae Research 90Genetic Resources Policy 44Eastern Africa Regional Meeting 9Subtotal 143

SwitzerlandCGIAR—Plant Genetic Resources Policy Research Unit 120In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase II 116In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase III 403IPM Banana Conference 1Singer Phase II 12Subtotal 652

TBRIRISBAP 25

TechnovaResearch on Sweet Potato 36

UgandaMusa Biotechnology for Uganda Project 319

United KingdomCryopreservation Techniques for Plant Species in India 6Farmer Testing of Banana in East Africa 64Subtotal 70

2000 29Annual Report

30

UNDPIMTP - Phase II 46

UNDP-GEFParticipatory Management of Date Palm Plant GeneticResources in Oases of the Maghreb 18

UNEPSAFORGEN—Conservation Strategies for Priority Tree Species in Sub-Saharan Africa 14

UNEP-GEFIn situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives through Enhanced Information Management and Field Application 65

USDAWild Relatives of Crop Species in Bolivia 34In Situ Conservation of Wild Crop Relatives in Paraguay 3Development/Testing of Geographical Information System for Locating Cultivated Plant Diversity 5Collection of Germplasm of Phaseolus spp. and Arachis hypogaea L. in Venezuela 7Subtotal 49

VVOBResearch Fellow—Nematology in Costa Rica 44Research Fellow—Nematology in Vietnam 49Research Fellow—Technology Transfer in Uganda 58Entomology in Cameroon 48Subtotal 199

World BankCGIAR Genetic Resources Policy Committee 10Germplasm Conservation in Central Asia and the Caucasus 18Fundraising Campaign to Support Genetic ResourcesCollections Around the World 60Intellectual Property Rights Audit 32Subtotal 120

Total Restricted Grants 10,195

Financial Support for the Research Agenda ofIPGRI was provided in 2000 by the Governments of:

Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, F.R. Yugoslavia (Serbiaand Montenegro), Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, UnitedKingdom, USA

and by the:

African Development Bank, Asian DevelopmentBank, Common Fund for Commodities, Centre deCoopération Internationale en RechercheAgronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD),Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de laCiencia y la Tecnología (COLCIENCIAS), TechnicalCentre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA),European Union, Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations (FAO), Food and FertilizerTechnology Centre for the Asia and Pacific Region(FFTC), FONTAGRO, Future Harvest, Global Forumon Agricultural Research (GFAR), InternationalDevelopment Research Centre (IDRC), InternationalFund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),International Foundation for Science (IFS), JapanInternational Research Center for AgriculturalSciences (JIRCAS), CGIAR Programme onParticipatory Research and Gender Analysis forTechnology Development and InstitutionalInnovation (PGRA), Participatory Research andGender Analysis Programme of the CGIAR (PRGA),Rockefeller Foundation, TBRI, Technova, UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP), UnitedNations Development Programme GlobalEnvironmental Facility (UNDP-GEF), United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP), United NationsEnvironment Programme Global EnvironmentalFacility (UNEP-GEF), United States Department ofAgriculture (USDA), Vlaamse Verenining voorOnderwijs en Technische Bijstand in het Buitenland(VVOB), World Bank

Financial support

Establishment agreement

The international status of IPGRI is conferred underan Establishment Agreement which, by December2000, has been signed and ratified by theGovernments of:Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil,Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, CostaRica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India,Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia,Mauritania, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia,Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda andUkraine.

31IPGRI’sprofessional staff

OFFICE OF DIRECTOR GENERALHAWTIN, Dr Geoffrey Director GeneralFOWLER, Dr Cary Honorary Research Fellow,

Senior AdvisorWATTS, Ms Jamie Impact Assessment and

Evaluation SpecialistWATANABE, Dr Kazuo Honorary Research FellowWITHERS, Dr Lyndsey Assistant Director General

SECRETARIAT OF THE CGIAR SYSTEM-WIDEGENETIC RESOURCESTOLL, Ms Jane Senior Scientist, SGRP

CoordinatorDAOUD, Ms Layla Communications and

Administration AssistantGAIJI, Mr Samy Scientist, SINGER Project

LeaderROBINSON, Dr Jonathan*/** ConsultantSKOFIC, Mr Milko Database and

Programmer Analyst

OFFICE OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL,PROGRAMMEHOOGENDOORN, Deputy Director General, Dr Coosje* ProgrammesIWANAGA, Dr Masa** Deputy Director General,

Programmes THOMPSON, Dr Judith Scientific AssistantTHORMANN, Ms Imke*** Consultant

DOCUMENTATION, INFORMATION AND TRAINING GROUPGOLDBERG, Ms Elizabeth Group DirectorALERCIA, Ms Adriana Germplasm Information

SpecialistCISSOKHO, Ms Pascale* Multimedia/Web SpecialistDEARING, Ms Julia Anne Scientist, Library and

Information ServicesGARRUCCIO, Ms Maria* Library and Information

Services SpecialistHAZEKAMP, Ir Tom** Scientist, Germplasm

Documentation METZ, Dr Thomas* Scientist, Genetic

Resources InformationSystems Management

NEATE, Mr Paul* Senior Scientist, Head,Communications Services

RAYMOND, Ms Ruth Senior Scientist, PublicAwareness

SEARS, Ms Linda** EditorSTAPLETON, Mr Paul** Senior Scientist, Head,

Editorial and PublicationsUnit

TAZZA, Ms Patrizia Design/Layout Specialist

GENETIC RESOURCES SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY GROUPENGELS, Dr Jan Group DirectorAMARAL, Dr Weber* Forest Genetic Resources

ScientistBOFFA, Dr Jean-Marc** Consultant, Forest Genetic

ResourcesBRAGDON, Ms Susan Senior Scientist, Law and

PolicyBROWN, Dr Tony Honorary Research Fellow,

Genetic DiversityENGELMANN, Dr Florent Senior Scientist, In Vitro

ConservationEYZAGUIRRE, Dr Pablo Senior Scientist,

Anthropology andSocioeconomics

HODGKIN, Dr Toby Principal Scientist,Genetic Diversity

JARVIS, Dr Devra Scientist, In SituConservation

MOORE, Dr Gerald* Honorary Research Fellow,Law and Policy

PETRI, Dr Leonardo Associate Scientist, ForestGenetic Resources

SAKALIAN, Dr Marieta* Consultant, In SituConservation of Crop WildRelatives

SMALE, Dr Melinda* Senior EconomistTHORMANN, Ms Imke* Scientific Assistant,

GenebankTROEDSSON, Ms Karin** Research Fellow, Law and

Policy

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIONGEERTS, Mr Koen Director Finance and

AdministrationHARMANN, Ms Karen Senior AccountantLUZON, Ms Josephine Finance ManagerPAPINI, Ms Silvia Office ManagerRASMUSSON, Ms Lotta Human Resources

ManagerTEMKOW, Mr Stephen Budget/Audit OfficerVALORI, Mr Dario Computer Services

Manager

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAATTA-KRAH, Dr Kwesi Regional DirectorDULLOO, Dr M. Ehsan Germplasm Conservation

ScientistGRUM, Dr Mikkel Scientist, Genetic DiversityKAMAU, Mr Henry Scientist, Training/SADC

Programme

32

KERJE, Mr Torbjörn Associate Scientist, GeneticResources /SADCProgramme

KIAMBI, Mr Dionysious K. Scientist, East AfricaProgramme

MUKEMA, Mr Isaiah Documentation andInformation Officer

NDUNG’U-SKILTON, Associate Scientist, In SituMs Julia ConservationOBARA, Ms Anne* Administrative OfficerOBEL-LAWSON, Scientific AssistantMs ElizabethOUEDRAOGO, Regional DirectorDr Abdou-Salam(deceased)

WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICAVODOUHE, Dr S. Raymond Scientist/Coordinator,

Genetic DiversityDOSSOU, Dr Bernadette Associate Scientist, In Situ

Conservation (Burkina Faso)EYOG-MATIG, Dr Oscar Forest Genetics

ResourcesScientist/Coordinator SAFORGEN

QUARCOO, Mr Eric Associate Scientist, Root (deceased) and Tuber Genetic

ResourcesSANGARE, Honorary Research Fellow, Dr Abdourahamane Training

AMERICASLASTRA, Dr Ramón Regional DirectorBAENA, Ms Margarita Publications and Public

Awareness SpecialistCHAVEZ, Dr Jose Luis Conservation Specialist,

In Situ Crop GeneticResources

COPPENS, Dr Geo Senior Scientist, TropicalFruit

FRANCO, Mr Tito Documentation andInformation ProgrammeSpecialist

GUARINO, Mr Luigi Senior Scientist, GeneticDiversity

HOOGENDIJK, Mr Michiel Associate Scientist,Genetic DiversityDocumentation andAssessment

LEAL, Prof. Freddy Honorary Research FellowMORALES, Dr Francisco Germplasm Health

SpecialistSEGURA, Mr Sergio Visiting Researcher,

Passiflora Genetics

VAN BREUGEL, Mr Paulo* Associate Scientist, ForestGenetic Resources

VAN DEN HURK, Ir Anke Associate Scientist,ComplementaryConservation Strategies

WILLIAMS, Dr David E. Senior Scientist, GeneticDiversity

ASIA, PACIFIC AND OCEANIA SAJISE, Dr Percy* Regional DirectorBATUGAL, Dr Pons A. Senior Scientist, COGENT

CoordinatorCHIN, Prof. H.F. Honorary Research Fellow,

Public AwarenessCHO, Mr Eun-Gi Associate Scientist, Citrus

CryopreservationHONG, Mr Lay Thong* Specialist, Bamboo and

Rattan and Forest GeneticResources

KOSKELA, Dr Jarkko* Associate Scientist, ForestGenetic ResourcesConservation and Use

MOHAMED, Hj. Azhari* ConsultantQUEK, Dr Paul Scientist, Documentation/

InformationRAO, Dr V. Ramanatha Senior Scientist, Genetic

Diversity/ConservationSHAHARUDIN, Dr Saamin Scientific AssistantSHALIZAHANIM, Ms Shukor Communications AssistantSTHAPIT, Dr Bhuwon Ratna Scientist, In Situ Crop

Conservation SpecialistWELLER, Mr Michael Administrative Officer

EAST ASIAZHOU, Prof. Mingde Senior Scientist, East Asia

CoordinatorZHANG, Mr Zongwen Associate Scientist, East

Asia AssociateCoordinator

SOUTH ASIABHAG MAL, Dr Senior Scientist, South

Asia CoordinatorARORA, Dr R.K. Honorary Research FellowMATHUR, Dr Prem. N. Associate Scientist, South

Asia AssociateCoordinator

RAMAMANI, Ms Y.S.* Scientific Officer, TropicalFruits

CENTRAL AND WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICAAYAD, Dr George Regional DirectorACHTAR, Ms Suha** Associate Scientist, In Situ

Conservation

2000Annual Report

BAMMOUN, Ms Aicha* In Situ Conservation ofAgricultural Biodiversity-National ProfessionalOfficer

BARI, Mr Abdullah Associate Scientist, PGRInformation/DataManagement and AnalysisMethodologies

BAZUIN, Mr Tom* Associate Scientist, ForestGenetic Resources

DE VICENTE, Dr M. Carmen*Scientist, Plant MolecularGenetics

DURAH, Dr Kheder* Regional Network andInformation Manager

KHABBAZ, Mr Antoine** Public Awareness OfficerKHALIL, Mr Rami* Public Awareness OfficerLABIB, Mr Nabil Regional Coordinator for

GEF/UNDP ProjectMAMELLY, Mr Adib Finance and

Administration OfficerPADULOSI, Dr Stefano Senior Scientist,

Integrated ConservationMethodologies and Use

TURDIEVA, Dr Muhabbat Scientist, Forest GeneticResources, Central Asiaand the Caucasus

VAN BREUGEL, Mr Paulo*** Associate Scientist, ForestGenetic Resources

EUROPETUROK, Dr Jozef Regional

Director/EUFORGENCoordinator

BORELLI, Mr Simone Scientific Assistant, ForestGenetic Resources

LALIBERTÉ, Ms Brigitte Scientific Assistant, CropGenetic Resources

LIPMAN, Ms Elinor Scientific AssistantMAGGIONI, Mr Lorenzo Scientist, ECP/GR

Coordinator

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THEIMPROVEMENT OF BANANA AND PLANTAINFRISON, Dr Emile A.G. DirectorARNAUD, Ms Elizabeth Information/

Documentation SpecialistDOCO, Ms Hélène Information/

CommunicationsSpecialist

ESCALANT, Senior Scientist, MusaDr Jean-Vincent Genetic ResourcesESKES, Dr Bertus Coordinator CFC/ICCO/

IPGRI Cocoa ProjectLIPMAN, Ms Elinor Scientific Assistant

LUSTY, Ms Charlotte* Pulbic Awareness andImpact AssessmentSpecialist

OMONT, Mr Hubert Senior Scientist,Commodity Chains

PICQ, Ms Claudine Head, Information/Communications

PONSIOEN, Mr Guido Information/Documentation Specialist

SHARROCK, Ms Suzanne Scientist, GermplasmConservation

THORNTON, Mr Tom Financial Manager

ASIA AND PACIFICMOLINA, Dr Agustín Regional CoordinatorVALMAYOR, Dr Ramón** Honorary Research Fellow

VIETNAMVAN DEN BERGH, Dr Inge Associate Scientist,

Nematology

EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAKARAMURA, Dr Eldad Regional CoordinatorBLOMME, Dr Guy* Associate Scientist,

Assistant to RegionalCoordinator

KARAMURA, Dr Deborah* Genetic ResourcesSpecialist

ELEDU, Mr Charles* GIS Specialist

WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICAAKYEAMPONG, Dr Ekow Regional CoordinatorMESSIAEN, Ir Stijn Associate Scientist,

Entomology

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEANROSALES, Dr Franklin Regional CoordinatorMOENS, Mr Thomas Associate Scientist,

NematologyPOCASANGRE, Dr Luis* Associate Scientist,

Technology Transfer

INIBAP TRANSIT CENTREVAN DEN HOUWE, Ir Inès Scientist, Germplasm

ConservationSWENNEN, Prof. R. Honorary Research Fellow,

Musa GeneticImprovement

* Joined during 2000** Left during 2000*** Moved groups during 2000

2000 33Annual Report

Support to plant genetic resources programmesand regional networks in the Americas (Project Coordinator: David Williams)

assists countries in Latin America and theCaribbean to build up their capacities to conserveand use plant genetic resources

Support to plant genetic resources programmesand regional networks in Asia, the Pacific andOceania(Project Coordinator: Ramanatha Rao)

assists countries in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania tobuild up their capacities to conserve and use plantgenetic resources

Support to plant genetic resources programmesand regional networks in Europe (Project Coordinator: Jozef Turok)

assists countries in Western and Eastern Europe tobuild up their capacities to conserve and use plantgenetic resources

Support to plant genetic resources programmesand regional networks in sub-Saharan Africa (Project Coordinator: Mikkel Grum)

assists countries in sub-Saharan Africa to build uptheir capacities to conserve and use plant geneticresources

Support to plant genetic resources programmesand regional networks in Central & West Asiaand North Africa (Project Coordinator: Stefano Padulosi)

assists countries in Central & West Asia and NorthAfrica to build up their capacities to conserve anduse plant genetic resources

Global capacity building and institutionalsupport (Project Coordinator: Elizabeth Goldberg)

trains scientists and trainers and develops trainingtools

Global forest genetic resources strategies(Project Coordinator: Weber Amaral)

supports strategic research on the conservationand use of intraspecific diversity of useful foresttree species; it also aims to develop an informationsystem on forest genetic resources

Promoting sustainable conservation and use ofcoconut genetic resources (Project Coordinator: Pons Batugal)

promotes national, regional and global collaboration

through COGENT among coconut-producingcountries and partner institutions in theconservation and use of coconut genetic resources

Locating and monitoring genetic diversity(Project Coordinator: Luigi Guarino)

develops methods for locating and measuringgenetic diversity in cultivated and wild species,combining ethnobotanical with agro-ecologicalapproaches; it also develops methods formonitoring genetic erosion

Ex situ conservation technologies and strategies (Project Coordinator: Florent Engelmann)

develops improved low-input technologies for theex situ conservation of plant genetic resources, andinvestigates ex situ conservation strategies

In situ conservation of crop plants & wild relatives (Project Coordinator: Devra Jarvis)

develops a scientific basis for effective on-farmconservation that meets farmer and communityneeds and maintains diversity; assists nationalsystems in locating, monitoring and maintainingviable in situ populations of wild relatives of crops

Linking conservation and use (Project Coordinator: Toby Hodgkin)

taking ex situ, in situ and complementaryapproaches; emphasizes neglected and underusedcrops and supports the use of cocoa geneticresources

Human and policy aspects of plant genetic resources conservation and use (Project Coordinator: Pablo Eyzaguirre)

strengthens links between conservation and thewell-being of people, particularly poor rural people,emphasizing gender, nutrition, income, indigenousknowledge, traditional resource rights andparticipatory approaches

Information management and services (Project Coordinator: Paul Neate)

builds capacity in information management andservice provision to meet national, regional andinternational responsibilities; provides publicationsand information to support the research activities ofIPGRI staff and their partners

Public awareness and impact assessment(Project Coordinator: Ruth Raymond)

IPGRI’s projects

builds financial and institutional support for plantgenetic resources activities worldwide by raisingawareness among key target audiences of therole of these resources in sustainabledevelopment and food security; assesses IPGRI’simpact on the conservation and use of plantgenetic resources

Musa genetic resources management(Project Coordinator: Suzanne Sharrock)

collects the germplasm of Musa and its wildrelatives; promotes its safe storage, movement anduse; develops standardized tools for retrieving andexchanging information on Musa germplasm

Musa germplasm improvement (Project Coordinator: Jean-Vincent Escalant)

identifies disease- and pest-resistant Musagenotypes, researches Musa pathogen diversity,screening methods and molecular genetics anddevelops improved Musa genotypes; providesMusa germplasm

Musa information and communication(Project Coordinator: Claudine Picq)

supports the production, collection and exchangeof information on banana and plantain; publicizesMusa issues and the work of INIBAP to scientificand non-technical audiences

Support to regional Musa programmes(Project Coordinator: Suzanne Sharrock)

supports INIBAP’s global, regional and nationalnetworks and other partnerships in Latin Americaand the Caribbean, in Asia, the Pacific andOceania, and in sub-Saharan Africa

CGIAR system-wide Genetic ResourcesProgramme and policy support(Project Coordinator: Jane Toll)

provides support to the CGIAR system in twoareas: (1) genetic resources policy, (2) in IPGRI’scapacity as convening centre of CGIAR’s System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP).

IPGRI’s Boardof Trustees

Dr Masahiro NakagahraVice Director General, STAFFInstitute, 446-1 IppaizukaKamiyokoba,TsukubaIbaraki 305-0854Japan

Dr Gene NamkoongP.O. Box 763Leicester, NC 28748USA

Prof. Ivan NielsenUniversity of AarhusDepartment of SystematicBotanyNordlandsvej 688240 RisskovDenmark

Dr Nohra Pombo deJunguito4425 Macarthur BoulevardWashington, DC 20007USA

Dr René SalazarChairpersonProgramme CoordinationCommitteeCommunity BiodiversityConservation DevelopmentProgrammeQuezon City, Philippines

Dr Theresa SengoobaNamulonge Agricultural andAnimal Production ResearchInstituteP.O. Box 7084Kampala, Uganda

Dr BenchaphunShinawatraChiang Mai UniversityMultiple Cropping CentreFaculty of AgricultureChiang Mai 50002Thailand

Dr Florence Wambugu Director, AfriCenterCIP/ISAAA, ILRI CampusOld Naivasha Rd, KabeteNairobi, Kenya

BOARD CHAIRDr Marcio de MirandaSantos Embrapa RecursosGenéticos e BiotecnologiaSAIN Parque Rural, FinalW/5 Norte70770-970 Brasília-DF, Brazil

MEMBERSDr Thomas CottierDirectorInstitute of European &International Economic LawHallerstrasse 6/9CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

Dr Mahmud DuwayriDirector AGPFAOVia Terme di CaracallaRome, Italy

Dr Geoffrey HawtinIPGRIVia dei Tre Denari 472/a00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino)Rome, Italy

Dr Malcom HazelmanSenior Extension, Educationand Communications OfficerFAO Regional Office ForAsia and The Pacific (RAP)Maliwan Mansion39 Phra Atit RoadBangkok, Thailand

Dr Marianne LefortHead of Plant BreedingDeptartmentI.N.R.A. – D.G.A.P.RD 10 (Route de Saint Cyr)78026 Versailles CedexFrance

Prof. Luigi MontiIstituto di AgronomiaGenerale e ColtivazioneErbacee Cattedra diGenetica AgrariaUniversità di Napoli,Via dell’Università 10080055 PorticiNaples, Italy

2000Annual Report 35

Acronyms

ADB Asian Development Bank

AfDB African Development Bank

BMZ/GTZ Bundesministerium für WirtschaftlicheZusammenarbeit/DeutscheGesellschaft für TechnischeZusammenarbeit, Germany

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CFC Common Fund for Commodities

CGIAR Consultative Group on InternationalAgricultural Research

CIAT International Centre for TropicalAgriculture, Colombia

CIMMYT Centro Internacional de Mejoramientode Maíz y Trigo

CIP International Potato Center, Peru

CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationaleen Recherche Agronomique pour leDéveloppement

COGENT Coconut Genetic Resources Network

COLCIENCIAS Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollode la Ciencia y la Tecnología

CTA Technical Center for Agricultural andRural Cooperation, Netherlands

DANIDA Danish Development Assistance

DFID Department for InternationalDevelopment, UK

DGIS Directorate General for InternationalCooperation, Netherlands

ECP/GR European Cooperative Programme forCrop Genetic Resources Networks

EPGRIS European Crop Genetic ResourcesInformation System

EUFORGEN European Forest Genetic ResourcesProgramme

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization

FFTC Food and Fertilizer Technology Centrefor the Asia and Pacific Region

FHIA Fundación Hondureña de InvestigaciónAgrícola

GEF Global Environment Facility

GFAR Global Forum for Agricultural Research

GIS Geographical Information System

ICARDA International Center for AgriculturalResearch in the Dry Areas

ICRISAT International Crops Research Institutefor Semi-Arid Tropics

IDRC International Development ResearchCenter, Canada

IFAD International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment

IFPRI International Food Policy ResearchInstitute

IFS International Foundation for Science

IITA International Institute of TropicalAgriculture

ILRI International Livestock ResearchInstitute

IMTP International Musa Testing Programme

INBAR International Network on Bamboo andRattan

INIBAP International Network for theImprovement of Banana and Plantain

IPGRI International Plant Genetic ResourcesInstitute

IRRI International Rice Research Institute

JIRCAS Japan International Research Centerfor Agricultural Sciences

NGO Non-governmental Organization

ODA Overseas Development Assistance

PRGA Participatory Research and GenderAnalysis Programme of the CGIAR

SAFORGEN Sub-Saharan African Forest GeneticResources Network

SAT21 International Conference on Scienceand Technology for Managing PlantGenetic Resources in the 21st Century

SDC Swiss Agency for Development andCooperation

SINGER System-wide Information Network forGenetic Resources

SGRP CGIAR System-wide GeneticResources Programme

TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of IntellectualProperty Rights

UNDP United Nations DevelopmentProgramme

UNEP United Nations EnvironmentProgramme

USDA United States Department ofAgriculture

VVOB Vlaamse Verenining voor Onderwijs enTechnische Bijstand in het Buitenland

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization

WTO World Trade Organization

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is aninternational scientific organization, supported by the ConsultativeGroup on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IPGRI’smandate is to advance the conservation and use of plant geneticresources for the benefit of present and future generations. IPGRI’sheadquarters are in Maccarese near Rome, Italy, with offices inanother 22 countries worldwide. It operates through threeprogrammes:

● the Plant Genetic Resources Programme● the CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Programme● the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and

Plantain (INIBAP)

Cover illustrationThis poster is a composite of winning illustrations from an artcontest held in Kuala Lumpur prior to IPGRI’s InternationalConference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant GeneticResources in the 21st Century. Students from a local school wereasked to imagine what biodiversity conservation in the 21st centurymight look like.

Citation:IPGRI. 2001. Annual Report 2000. International Plant GeneticResources Institute, RomeISBN 92-9043-485-6

IPGRI, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino), Rome, Italy

© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2001

2000Annual report