The in-trust germplasm collections hosted by the 11 genebanks of the CGIAR Centres contain more than 700,000 samples of plant genetic resources of crops, forages and agroforestry species. Within the terms of their agreements with the International Treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), the Centres are responsible for ensuring that the collections are properly conserved in the public domain, and accessible to users in accordance with the Treaty's Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-sharing. Phase 1 focussed on providing a springboard for sustainability and finished in 2006 (see Past Initiatives below)

GPG - Phase 2: Consolidation, research and leadership (2007-2009)

The Project’s second phase builds on the collaborative effort that made Phase 1 so successful. The proposal “Collective Action for the Rehabilitation of Global Public Goods in the CGIAR Genetic Resources System: Phase 2” was submitted to the World Bank which, in September 2006, approved funding of US$10.46 million. Phase 2 is being implemented over a 3 year period starting in January 2007. The overall scope of Phase 2 will be broader than Phase 1, with projected outputs covering a number of strategic areas. Thus, the Project will include strategic planning for training national programme partners, and for enhancing the CGIAR’s capacity for genetic resources research. With a view to optimizing the CGIAR Centres’ contributions to work on the breadth of agrobiodiversity, scoping studies will be carried out on genetic and genomic collections, microbial, fungal, insect and nematode collections, and underutilized plant species. Finally, the Project will analyse the elements and functions of an integrated global system for crop genetic resources conservation and use. It will promote such a system, with the CGIAR genebanks at the core and the CGIAR providing leadership, vision and skills to realise that vision.(more)

The SGRP is a key forum for the discussion and development of policy in the genetic resources field. Submissions are made to various policy fora and work is done on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the implementation of Article 6 of the Treaty and Standard Material Transfer Agreements.

The challenge of understanding and optimizing the use of the various components of agrobiodiversity has been an implicit concern for SGRP from the outset. The very fact that the CGIAR works not only on crop plant diversity but also on fish, livestock and forest genetic resources has provided the CGIAR Centres with an awareness of the complex interactions between different sectors and ...