The genetic diversity that we rely upon for food and other materials is a critical issue for our future. Expanding human populations (if we totally ignore the doomsayers of Global Warming) are pressuring many species of plants to virtual oblivion. We must preserve and propagate the planet's plant diversity to ensure our future as a species.
Sowing the seeds of uncertainty
Jonathon Porritt Founder director of Forum for the Future
There has always been a problem about the way in which big environmental issues are handled by the media.
Causes once "in fashion" suddenly become invisible; other causes suddenly become all the rage. Today, it's all climate change; if it isn't climate change - from a media point-of-view - just don't bother.
Two weeks ago, for instance, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) published its Global Environmental Outlook - a quite devastating audit of the state of the Earth, its habitats, species and resources.
A quarter of the world's flowering plants, for instance, are now threatened with extinction over the next 50 years. There was some reasonable coverage on the day itself (especially in the Independent), but then silence. Environment going to hell in a handcart - heard it all before; so what? Or words to that effect.
Save our seeds
The number of people out there today seriously worried about the health of all the plants and seeds on which modern agriculture depends must...(complete article here).
Showing posts with label genetic diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genetic diversity. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
International Plant Gene Pool
Genetic diversity is essential to future food production.
International plant gene pool becomes operational
Multilateral system boosts the exchange of plant genetic material
29 October 2007, Rome – A new multilateral system for the fair and equitable sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture has become operational, FAO announced today.
Over the past seven months, the system has accelerated the exchange of genetic material, with more than 90 000 transfers of plant genetic material within the system.
The Multilateral System is part of the legally-binding International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that entered into force in 2004 and has been ratified by 115 countries. Through the International Treaty, countries have agreed to make their genetic diversity and related information about the crops stored in their gene banks available to...(complete article here).
Four crops, rice, wheat, maize (corn) and potatoes account for almost 60% of the world's food. Around 150 crops feed the entire world population. A devastating event to any one of those critical crops could have profound impact on our food supply. We must protect the genetic diversity of plant species to not only have a reservoir of potential for overcoming such a disaster, but to provide the opportunity of breeding even more productive varieties to feed the growing world population.
International plant gene pool becomes operational
Multilateral system boosts the exchange of plant genetic material
29 October 2007, Rome – A new multilateral system for the fair and equitable sharing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture has become operational, FAO announced today.
Over the past seven months, the system has accelerated the exchange of genetic material, with more than 90 000 transfers of plant genetic material within the system.
The Multilateral System is part of the legally-binding International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that entered into force in 2004 and has been ratified by 115 countries. Through the International Treaty, countries have agreed to make their genetic diversity and related information about the crops stored in their gene banks available to...(complete article here).
Four crops, rice, wheat, maize (corn) and potatoes account for almost 60% of the world's food. Around 150 crops feed the entire world population. A devastating event to any one of those critical crops could have profound impact on our food supply. We must protect the genetic diversity of plant species to not only have a reservoir of potential for overcoming such a disaster, but to provide the opportunity of breeding even more productive varieties to feed the growing world population.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Plant Genetic Diversity
Genetic variety is critical to the future of not only food supplies, but also to medicine and other plant derived products. It may also become critical to energy.
Preserving Genetic Variety of Valuable Specialty Crops
By Laura McGinnis
October 10, 2007
What’s a “specialty crop”? It can be any of hundreds of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery plants and other crops that add variety to the diet and beauty to the garden.
To protect all U.S. crops—and provide material for developing new and better ones—the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) maintains genetic material, or germplasm, at more than 20 genebanks around the country. Many NPGS locations conserve germplasm of specialty crops.
In the Plant Genetic Resources Unit at Geneva, N.Y., ARS scientists identified previously...(complete article here).
Preserving Genetic Variety of Valuable Specialty Crops
By Laura McGinnis
October 10, 2007
What’s a “specialty crop”? It can be any of hundreds of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery plants and other crops that add variety to the diet and beauty to the garden.
To protect all U.S. crops—and provide material for developing new and better ones—the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) maintains genetic material, or germplasm, at more than 20 genebanks around the country. Many NPGS locations conserve germplasm of specialty crops.
In the Plant Genetic Resources Unit at Geneva, N.Y., ARS scientists identified previously...(complete article here).
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