Global status of genetic resources for food and agriculture: challenges and research needs

Plant, animal, forest, aquatic, micro-organism and invertebrate genetic resources are vital to food security, nutrition, livelihoods and the resilience and adaptability of global agricultural production systems. Despite increasing efforts in recent years, much remains to be done to improve the management of these resources. Many are at risk of extinction or erosion and many have been overlooked in terms of use and development. There is an urgent need to address these deficiencies, both within the individual sectors of food and agriculture and in terms of how genetic resources management can be better integrated across sectors. These efforts will need to include action to address the multiple knowledge gaps that constrain improvements to management. They will also need to include the creation of policy and institutional frameworks that promote collaboration and stakeholder participation and allow sustainable management strategies to be implemented effectively at appropriate scales.