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Practices and networks supporting the on-farm management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2014

Linn Borgen Nilsen ,
Abishkar Subedi ,
Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo ,
Kakoli Ghosh ,
Jorge Chavez-Tafur ,
Genowefa Maria Blundo Canto  and
Walter Simon de Boef
Linn Borgen Nilsen
Affiliation:
Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome00153, Italy
Abishkar Subedi
Affiliation:
Centre for Development Innovation (CDI), Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 88, 6700 ABWageningen, The Netherlands
Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo
Affiliation:
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese 00057, Rome, Italy
Kakoli Ghosh
Affiliation:
Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome00153, Italy
Jorge Chavez-Tafur
Affiliation:
ILEIA – Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture, PO Box 90, 6700 ABWageningen, The Netherlands
Genowefa Maria Blundo Canto
Affiliation:
Faculty of Economics, University Roma Tre, Via Silvio D'Amico 77, Rome00145, Italy
Walter Simon de Boef*
Affiliation:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PO Box 23350, Seattle, WA98102, USA
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Millions of farmers depend on the use of local crops and varieties for their food and livelihood. These resources constitute a reservoir of alternative traits and characteristics, which allow us to diversify crops, foods and farming methods and provide material for targeted plant breeding. Still, many countries lag behind in providing support to farming communities for the maintenance and use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). A global survey was conducted among a wide range of stakeholders to gain insights into the state of on-farm management (OFM) as a strategy for enhancing the maintenance and sustainable use of PGRFA. The survey showed that a wide range of stakeholders provide de facto support to OFM and that the practices they consider critical are focused on building capabilities in local communities. This supports the fact that the management of crop diversity on farm can be promoted in a variety of ways, depending on the specific context, and that local solutions are needed to successfully support OFM. Partnerships and networks should be considered as one of the critical means to promote OFM, as they involve a diversity of stakeholders working towards common goals. The survey further showed that many respondents currently contribute to existing networks relevant to OFM, but that these networks are mainly nationally or internationally oriented and might therefore exclude crucial local stakeholders, such as community-based organizations. Therefore, mechanisms should be put in place to strengthen the collaboration between stakeholders and networks, especially at the local level.

Keywords

national plant genetic resource programmesnetworkson-farm managementplant genetic resources for food and agriculturerural development
Type
Research Article
Information
Plant Genetic Resources , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , April 2015 , pp. 36 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2014 

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Supplementary material: PDF

Nilsen Supplementary Material

Global Survey

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Supplementary material: PDF

Nilsen Supplementary Material

Figure S2

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