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Bioversity International
No 42 - February 2011
Bioversity International
As has already been mentioned in the previous two Newsletters, the independent externally commissioned review of ECPGR was due to be concluded with the discussion of the Review Report during the ad hoc ECPGR Steering Committee meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia from 14-16 December 2010. This meeting took place and allows us at the Secretariat and the Regional Office for Europe to look back and draw some conclusions. In fact, as it has been the very first ECPGR-wide review and considering that changes
expected at Bioversity International may affect the hosting arrangement, it was felt opportune and justified to devote an editorial-cum-assessment to this review.
The Independent External Review of ECPGR was requested by the ECPGR Steering Committee (SC) at its 11th meeting (2008) and the actual review was completed in July 2010. The Review Panel – consisting of Thomas Gass, (Panel Chair) Switzerland, Marianne Lefort, France and Orlando de Ponti, Netherlands - based its review on a Stakeholder’s consultation, a Synthesis document prepared by the Secretariat, a series of interactions with the Secretariat, Bioversity International staff, selected ECPGR stakeholders, discussions with the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the Secretariat of the International Treaty and through the attendance of an ECPGR Working Group meeting.
The Panel submitted its Review Report to the Steering Committee on 28
The ECPGR Steering Committee met in Bratislava in December 2010 to discuss the programme's future. Photo: P.Hauptvogel, Plant Production Research Centre, Slovakia
July 2010, presenting its analysis, conclusions and 25 recommendations, 7 of which were institutional in nature, 4 related to ECPGR objectives, 2 with modus operandi issues, 2 with partnerships matters, 2 about capacity building, 6 dealt with ECPGR components and 2 with resources. (The full report can be found on the ECPGR website http://www.ecpgr.cgiar.org)
As inputs for the extraordinary ad hoc Steering Committee meeting in Bratislava, the Secretariat prepared an annotated agenda and shared the ‘Bioversity International response to the Report of the External Review of ECPGR as host of the ECPGR Secretariat’. Presentations then followed from Thomas Gass (Panel Chair), on the Panel’s conclusions and recommendations, Emile Frison (Director General, Bioversity International) gave the response to the Review Report and Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR Coordinator) presented a progress report of Phase VIII.
(continued on page 2)
Jan EngelsInterim Director Regional Office for EuropeBioversity [email protected]
Lorenzo Maggioni ECPGR CoordinatorBioversity [email protected]
ECPGR 1-5
EUFGIS 6
Evoltree Consortium 7
Forest Training Guide 8
Nagoya Protocol 10
Forthcoming meetings and announcements 14
Bioversity International is one of the 15 Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Bioversity’s vision is that: “People today and in the future enjoy greater well-being through increased incomes, sustainably improved food security and nutrition, and greater environmental health, made possible by conservation and the deployment of agricultural biodiversity on farms and in forests.”
Bioversity’s Regional Office for Europe provides the Coordination Secretariats for the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) and for the European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN).
From October 2010 Bioversity publishes only online issues of the Newsletter for Europe. This Newsletter is intended to serve as an informal forum for the exchange of news and views, and to create closer ties within the genetic resources community in Europe. Previous issues are available from the Bioversity website: www.bioversityinternational.orgYou can subscribe to the newsletter at: www.bioversityinternational.org/about_us/regions/europe/newsletter_for_europe.html
Articles for publication in the Newsletter: We invite you to send your ideas, feedback and written contributions to Bioversity's Regional Office for Europe by email to [email protected]. Please submit all contributions for NL43 by 30 April 2010.
DISCLAIMER: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported in the Newsletter for Europe, Bioversity cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences of the use of this information.
About this Newsletter
newsletterfor EuropeBioversityI n t e r n a t i o n a l
Inside this issue Towards a new ECPGR
European Cooperative Programme for Plant
The Executive Committee was asked to prepare an ’Options paper’, to be tabled at the XIII SC meeting in 2012, addressing the following items:
• ElaborationoftheECPGRobjectives,basedonthelong-termgoalsandoutcomesagreedinthismeeting(seeBoxonthenextpage)• LegalstatusofECPGR(includingprosandcons)• EstablishingthepositionofExecutiveDirector/ExecutiveSecretaryanddefiningtheTermsofReference(includingprosandcons)• RulesofProcedure(elaboratingafirstdraft)• InternalECPGRoperationalstructure(includingprosandcons)• Hostingarrangements(includingprosandcons)• Anycostimplicationsofthevariousoptions.
Box 1. ECPGR Steering Committee meeting outcomes
(continued from page 1) With the organization of four parallel sessions addressing ECPGR’s objectives, issues related to the institutionalization, hosting arrangements and resource mobilization aspects, it was possible to effectively deal with all key recommendations.
The main decisions made by the Steering Committee included :• Aconsensusagreementonthe
wording of ECPGR’s new goal and outcomes of ECPGR (see Box 1)
• EstablishmentofanExecutiveCommittee, the members of which were elected during the meeting, Gert Kleijer (Chair for first year), Merja Veteläinen, Silvia Strajeru, Alvina Avagyan and Fernando Latorre, each representing five sub-regions of Europe. Interim terms of reference will be developed by the Committee itself
• AssigntotheExecutiveCommitteethe task of developing an ’options paper’ that will address a number of topics (see Box 2 on page 3). This paper will be discussed at the next SC meeting during the second half of 2012, in order to allow sufficient time to prepare for the new Phase of ECPGR that should start in 2014
• ResurrecttheTaskForcetodevelopa plan to deal with the European Commission and produce a brief strategy paper on the relationship of ECPGR with the European Union/Commission and Parliament.
The SC confirmed its role as overseer of EURISCO and requested the Coordinator of the Documentation and Information Network to contact Bioversity International as the host of EURISCO to seek clarification regarding its development and supervision by ECPGR.
From the outcome of this meeting it can be concluded that the SC appreciated the Review, in broad terms agreed with the critical points made and that the implementation process of the recommendations would provide the
necessary opportunities for change and thus improvement.
The Committee unanimously agreed to constructively deal with the recommendations of the Review Panel, especially as the current Phase VIII terminates in 2013, but this would provide sufficient time to adequately plan the changes and implement them in a timely manner. This positive attitude of the SC is, among others, demonstrated by the instant development of the left hand side of the logical framework, i.e. the goal and outcomes of the ECPGR Programme. This will be a very helpful guide for future developments of the programme. Specific indicators to verify the targets that are to be reached will be identified, together with the necessary outputs and activities. Another example of this positive approach was demonstrated by the instant adoption of the recommendation regarding the formation of an Executive Committee. This was dealt with immediately and the ECPGR SC elected the members of the Executive Committee, a strategic decision long overdue and one which will strengthen the day-to-day operation of the Programme. It was also felt that the appointment of an Executive Director would be less urgent (if at all) once the Executive Committee was in place and fully functional.
The decision to adopt the route through the preparation of an options paper to be prepared by the Executive Committee, was another wise decision. It will provide the opportunity to look for expertise in the Steering Committee (or outside) in developing a solid proposal (or rather alternative proposals), how to proceed with the implementation of each given recommendation, in particular the more complex ones, and provide a well argued basis for the SC to decide on how best to go forward. Such options should, where relevant and necessary, be underpinned with legal and/or economical data and considerations.
One such example of a more complex
recommendation is the hosting arrangement where a number of factors, viewpoints and management implications exist that need to be systematically addressed and assessed before a final decision is made. The parallel session that dealt with hosting arrangements produced a number of criteria that should be used in the development of options and discussed the pros and cons of the current hosting of the Secretariat by Bioversity International which will provide a good basis for the development of options.
Increased responsibility and accountability of ECPGR at a regional level is expected to be established through the definition of clear targets for the new objectives. The future visibility and representation of ECPGR to the external world is expected to improve through the establishment of the Executive Committee with the re-definition of the role of Executive Secretary.
The SC gave clear confirmation that they regarded AEGIS as a pillar for the implementation of ECPGR objectives and requested the Working Groups to be more achievement oriented, such as in defining the European Collection and the crop quality standards for conservation.
Future strengthening of ECPGR is not expected to derive from increased national contributions. Its success will depend on raising external (regional) funds and/or on the streamlining of its mode of operation (i.e. possible reduction of the number of network/WG meetings and focusing on very specific and targeted actions).
Towards a new ECPGR
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Genetic Resources www.ecpgr.cgiar.org
Progress of the Cucurbits Working Group in the implementation of AEGIS
A long-term goal to which ECPGR contributes and six outcomes that should be attributable to ECPGR within one Phase were agreed by the Steering Committee as follows:
Long-term Goal: National, Sub-regional and Regional Programmes in Europe rationally and effectively conserve ex situ and in situ PGRFA and increase their utilization.
Outcomes:1. AEGIS is operational and accessions in AEGIS are characterized and evaluated2. The functionality of EURISCO meets users’ expectations and quantity and quality of
data in EURISCO is increased, including in situ and on-farm data3. In situ and on-farm conservation and management concepts are agreed4. Commitment and regular resources of national governments is sustained or increased and commitments and
resources of the European Commission, as well as of other potential donors towards ECPGR, are increased5. Relationships with users of germplasm are strengthened6. Organizational structure and secretarial support are adequate to effectively sustain the operations of ECPGR
Box 2. ECPGR long term goal and objectives
Photo: Displays of cucurbits in the Waterlily House, Kew Gardens. Photo: RBG Kew, UK
Lorenzo MaggioniECPGR CoordinatorBioversity [email protected]
The Second Meeting of the Working Group (WG) on Cucurbits was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 8-10 November 2010, hosted by the Institute of Farming, Plant Genetic Resources Department.
Maria Jose’ Díez, Spain, Chair of the Group, outlined the main achievements obtained by the WG, ie, the establishment of the European Central Cucurbits Database (ECCUDB), the development of minimum descriptor lists for melon, cucumber, watermelon and for Cucurbita spp. and the progress made on the implementation of safety duplicates. She also mentioned the four Network goals for this Phase, largely related to AEGIS: (1) Develop mechanisms for determining Most Appropriate Accessions (MAA) (2) Agree on quality standards for maintaining MAAs (3) Adapt the Central Crop Database for the identification of MAAs and (4) Improve the level of safety-duplication.
The assignment to draft guidelines for the regeneration of cucumber, melon, watermelon and Cucurbita was given to K. Niemirowicz-Szczytt, Poland and will be prepared based on the existing guidelines, including aspects related to collecting, seed quality and viability monitoring, distribution and characterization. M. Jose’ Diez will complement the draft with specific attention to the regeneration of watermelon and C. moschata. A final version, agreed by the Group, is expected to be produced by the end of April 2011.
The quality of passport data was
recognized to be essential for the identification of the MAAs and therefore each WG member was recommended to improve the quality of data that are sent to the National Inventory Focal Point (for EURISCO) or to the Central Crop Database Manager. The criteria to use in order to choose MAAs when dealing with potential duplicates were discussed and agreed. The Group carried out an exercise in order to identify MAAs of melon, analyzing, as a test, the collections of Bulgaria, Portugal and Ukraine. Consequently, in order to proceed with the identification of MAAs, the Group agreed that it would be necessary to improve the quality of the database and to meet again on an ad hoc basis. The Group agreed to split the task into five crop groups. Volunteers per each crop group were identified.
M.J. Díez presented the current state of the ECCUDB. The database at present includes passport data of 27.489 accessions of 21 genera and 72 species. 42% of the accessions belong to the genus Cucumis, followed by the genus Cucurbita with 30% of the accessions and the genus Citrullus with 25%. Characterization data of 775 accessions of Cucumis sativus, 107 of Citrullus lanatus and 53 of Cucurbita pepo are also available as well as 223 images of Citrullus lanatus, C. sativus and C. pepo. Information about a core collection of Cucurbita pepo, including characterization data and images, is included. The data come from 39 institutions in 23 countries. Information about taxonomy and web pages of interest related to cucurbits are included in the section ‘On line taxonomy’. The database is currently not searchable for characterization data, but this problem will be resolved in the near future.
The status of safety-duplication of cucurbit accessions was updated and the
importance of this practice was reiterated as a priority for the Group. A successful action of a black box arrangement between Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (IPGR) in Bulgaria and Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN) in the Netherlands had been concluded. First arrangements for safety duplicating of Georgian cucurbits at CGN were also made.
The Group intends to get an overview of NGOs who potentially are dealing with on-farm conservation and a field to record this information has been created in the European Central Cucurbits Database (ECCUDB). Spain, Germany and The Netherlands have already provided their list.
The Group expressed high satisfaction for the work done by the Chair and Vice-Chair and asked them to continue to chair the Group. M. José Díez was thus confirmed as Chair and W. van Dooijeweert as Vice Chair.
The report of the meeting is available from the ECPGR Web site http://www.ecpgr.cgiar.org
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European Cooperative Programme for Plant
Sixth Avena Working Group Meeting in conjunction with final AVEQ Project Meeting
Avena - old and new cultivar (from left). Photo: L.Maggioni, Bioversity International
Lorenzo MaggioniECPGR CoordinatorBioversity [email protected]
The 6th Meeting of the ECPGR Avena Working Group (WG) was held in Bucharest, Romania, on 21-22 October 2010, back-to-back with the final meeting of the AGRI GENRES project AVEQ on ‘Avena Genetic Resources for Quality in HumanConsumption’(19-21October).AnoverviewoftheAVEQ project was presented to and from the ECPGR Working Group members (see article on AVEQ from Christoph Germeier on next page). The results confirmed the strong potential of oat for its high nutritional quality. Unfortunately, however, oat production is decreasing in all parts of the world, even though it is an environmentally and agronomical friendly crop.
The AVEQ Project aimed at the characterization of a number of selected accessions (cultivated and wild) from genebanks across Europe. The request of material from genebanks revealed that it was possible to receive only about 60% of the requested accessions. A work package on regeneration and multiplication of accessions selected for evaluation was a good test of the protocols for wild Avena species regeneration. However,thegrouprealizedthatdifferentopinionsexistedon the appropriate number of accessions to be collected on each site and the method of multiplication/regeneration (i.e. keeping each single plant progeny as a separate accession or bulking several plants progenies together). A task force was established, aiming to draft a consensus protocol on the regeneration of wild accessions, whilst maintaining the already existing literature, as well as the results of the AEGIS sub-group on Avena (report of 2008).
Christoph Germeier described the progress of the ECPGR Avena Database during the last two years, with the new possibility to integrate in situ data from the EU project AGRI GENRES 057 (AEGRO), as well as evaluation data from the AVEQ project. The database can be used to define the Most Appropriate Accessions for the European Collection and an ad hoc meeting for this purpose was planned for autumn 2011.
At the same time, it was thought that all the material selected for the AVEQ project could immediately be suggested to become European accessions in the AEGIS system.
The collecting and survey activities of the WG on wild Avena species in Cyprus, Sicily and Andalusia were reported by Andreas Katsiotis, Greece, Chair of the WG and by Gideon Ladizinski, Israel. While A. ventricosa and A. hirtula in Cyprus were found to largely fall inside protected areas, A. murphyi in Andalusia and A. insularis in Sicily were noted to mainly grow outside protected areas. Lack of sufficient awareness of their importance by local authorities was also noted.
A report on the Canadian oat collection was made by Axel Diedrichsen, informing that this large world collection also contained material that was found in areas that are now impractical, and that there is no restriction to exchange of germplasm.Healsohighlightedtheneedtoreachageneralagreement on the taxonomy used in the various genebanks to identify oat accessions.
Ideas for future project proposals were discussed. Work on wild species (e.g.: A. strigosa, A. macrostachya, A, magna and A. insularis) was considered of high interest, considering the presence of resistant traits, suitability for organic cultivation and adaptation to marginal and dry areas. Base-broadening of A. sativa or domestication of the wild species were considered as possible lines of research. Genotyping activities, as complementary to the already carried out phenotyping activities, and an ecophysiological approach were recommended for new projects. The Group decided to explore the possibility to engage in the submission of a project for a COST action in the near future.
Andreas Katsiotis, Greece, was re-elected as Chair of the WG and Elina Kiviharju, Finland, was elected as Vice-Chair. The report of the meeting will be available from the ECPGR Web site www.ecpgr.cgiar.org.
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Genetic Resources www.ecpgr.cgiar.org
AVEQ – A Project on Avena Genetic Resources for Nutritional Quality
AVEQ project partners Photo: C. Germeier, Julius Kuehn Institut, Germany
analytical laboratories into the genetic resources community to evaluate traits of high relevance for human welfare.
Oats are unique among the cereals in nutritional quality. Being used as raw material in the health food market, risks by mycotoxins contamination is a major concern. Frost tolerance could open possibilities for winter growing in southern Europe with expected higher yield potential and economic competitiveness for the oat crop. A working collection with 567 accessions of hexaploid cultivated oats, including 126 current commercial cultivars from 13 European countries, 46 accessions of A. strigosa, 5 accessions of A. abyssinica and 34 wild species accessions have been grown in seven field experiments ranging from Estonia to Italy, from France to Bulgaria and sampled for analysis of protein, fat, minerals, total dietary fibre, total and soluble ß-glucan, vitamin E (tocols) and avenanthramides. In separate field experiments, plots have been artificially inoculated with a mixture of Fusarium strains
and sampled for mycotoxins analysis. Frost tolerance was studied in the field in Bulgaria, Italy and Romania and with a laboratory test in Italy. Large variability was observed in yield and technical quality (seed weight, test weight, husk content) and better technical quality was produced in northern European conditions.
Analytical work is ongoing, but preliminary results were alreadypresented.Highcontents of dietary fibre (>10%) were found in some old cultivars or landraces, in a modern Lithuanian cultivar (Jaugila) and in wild species. About 50% of the hemicelluloses fraction is ß-glucan, a major health promoting agent. Extraordinary high levels of ß-glucan were found in accessions of A. wiestii (6.8%) and A. damascena (6.8 %). In harvests from Bulgaria, higher contents of antioxidants were found compared to the contrasting siteinEstonia.Hightocolcontents were found in A. barbata and A. strigosa. Avenanthramides are a class of antioxidants unique to oats and remarkable health effects
are also anticipated from their similarity to an anti-allergic and anti-proliferative drug. Contents observed in some A.strigosa accessions under Bulgarian growing conditions were higher than ever seen before.
Fusarium disease symptoms were rarely observed in oats even after inoculation. Reliable results are achieved only with mycotoxins analysis. Compared to a reference wheat cultivar, much lower DON contamination, but higher T-2 contamination was observed in oats. Old and modern cultivars could be identified with low contamination in all inoculated experiments.
Nine accessions, including modern cultivars, were found to survive very hard winter conditions in Romania 2009/10. Consistent variability for frost tolerance was found in field and laboratory tests. All project results will be included in the European Avena Database. Web applications to mange geographically distributed C & E experiments online will be a further outcome of the project.
The project AGRIGENRES 061 ‘Avena Genetic Resources forQualityinHumanConsumption’ is funded within the framework of EC council regulation 870/2004 and co-funded by three private sponsors (Peter Koelln KGaA, Germany, Emco spol. s r.o., Czech Republic, Gemeinschaft zur Förderung der privaten deutschen Pflanzenzüchtung e.V., Germany).
A project meeting of the fifteen partners was held in November 2010 in Bucharest, Romania, together with the 6th regular meeting of the ECPGR Avena Working Group. The project, which will complete during 2011, aims to bring the expertise of highly specialised
Christoph GermeierJulius Kuehn [email protected]
6Bioversity Newsletter for Europe - issue No. 42
European Forest Genetic Resources ProgrammeEuropean Forest Genetic Resources Programme www.euforgen.orgwww.euforgen.org
EUFGIS Portal updateEUFGIS Portal update
Elizabeth GoldbergProgramme Director, CDUBioversity [email protected]
Gerald MooreLegal Specialist Bioversity [email protected]
Developments in international and national law and policy over the past 15 years have significantly changed the working environment for those who make decisions about plant genetic resources. For example, activities such as collecting samples now require an understanding of
access legislation, while plant genetic resources research cannot be undertaken without considering relevant intellectual property rights.
One of the most important of these developments is the adoption of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and
its Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA), the focus of a new online learning module. The module aims to explain the Treaty in the context of other international agreements and how to use its SMTA to exchange crop diversity. The module was developed in response to a request from developing countries and the Governing Body of the International Treaty for help and capacity building relating to the Treaty’s implementation.
While designed for a two-day workshop, the materials can also be used separately to support classroom teaching or awareness raising seminars and are available in English, French and Spanish. They include practical exercises, background lecture notes, presentations, references
to the full-text of relevant laws and policies and a bibliography for further reading. In addition there is a set of instructions, templates, tips, and step-by-step guidelines which trainers can use to deliver a successful workshop or course. The module can be accessed online at the link below. A CD-ROM version is also available on request. For a copy, contact Andie Dimitriadou ([email protected]).
The module was produced by Bioversity and sponsored by the CGIAR System-Wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) and the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme.http://www.bioversityinternational.org/training/training_materials/international_treaty/treaty_module.html
New online learning toolInternational Treaty on PGR for Food and AgricultureInternational Treaty on PGR for Food and Agriculture
Jarkko KoskelaEUFORGEN CoordinatorBioversity [email protected]
The International Treaty on Plant GeneticResources for Food and Agriculture:
Learning ModuleG. Moore and E. Goldberg (Editors)
English • Español • Français
Copyright © 2010 by Bioversity International
ISBN 978-92-9043-836-6
Except as expressly stated otherwise, the copyright and all other rights related to this work are held by Bioversity. Individuals may freely copy and print materials for educational or other non-commercial purposes without prior permission from the copyright holder. Acknowledgement of the source of the materials is required.
Objective: The aim of this learning module is to develop knowledge and skills for implementation of the International Traty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and onthe use of the Treaty's Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA).
Contents: The module contains background lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, practical group exercises to reinforce an understanding of the impact and workings of the Treaty in the types of situations that professionals in plant genetic resources can expect to face, references to the full-text of relevant laws and policies and a bibliography for further reading. The module is desgined for a 2-day workshop, but the materials can also be used separately for a shorter workshop or to support classroom teaching.
Moore, G. and E. Goldberg (eds). 2010.International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Learning Module. Produced by the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), Bioversity International and the CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme. Bioversity International, Rome, Italy.
Since the launch of the EUFGIS Portal in September 2010, the National Focal Points have continued uploading data on dynamic gene conservation units of forest trees across Europe. In February 2011, the portal contained data on 2358 units, which are managed for the gene conservation of 105 tree species in 31 countries. The units now harbour a total of 3137 tree populations.
In collaboration with the National Focal Points and the EUFORGEN National Coordinators, the EUFORGEN Secretariat has been screening the data for possible errors and inconsistencies. This screening process has been carried out while countries
have provided their data on forest genetic resources for the State of Europe’s Forests report which will be released at the sixth Ministerial Conference of the Forest Europe process in Oslo on 14-16 June 2011. During this year, the countries are also expected to compile their national reports for the State
of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources report which will be released by FAO in 2013. The EUFGIS Portal is a useful tool for the global reporting process as well.
Further information is available on the EUFGIS Portal (http://portal.eufgis.org) and the project website (www.eufgis.org).
Gene conservation units of Quercus petraea from the EUFGIS portal. Source: EUFGIS Portal. Map: EUFORGEN.
EUFGIS is financially supported by the European Commission, under Council Regulation (EC) No 870/2004.
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Roadmap on forest ecosystem genomics research plannedRoadmap on forest ecosystem genomics research plannedRoadmap on forest ecosystem genomics research planned
The EVOLTREE Network of Excellence is evolving into a new consortium to continue the work initiated by the EU-funded project which ended in September 2010. A large number of the EVOLTREE partners (formerly a total of 25 research groups in 15 European countries) have expressed interest in participating in the new consortium, which is also welcoming new members.
The EVOLTREE Consortium is expected to operate under the European Forest Institute (EFI), and the legal agreement is being drafted by INRA (France) and EFI. INRA (Bordeaux) will continue to coordinate EVOLTREE with the support of the EFI Atlantic European Regional Office, which is also located in Bordeaux.
EVOLTREE will continue to maintain
and upgrade the common molecular and genomic research infrastructure (e-Lab, the DNA repository center, the network of intensive study sites and EVOLTREE Portal) which was established during the EU-funded project. This platform provides a solid basis for future research on the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems, using genomic approaches.
In addition to workshops and training events, the EVOLTREE members will meet annually. The 2011 yearly meeting will take place in conjunction with the EFI Annual Conference and Scientific Seminar which will be organized in Uppsala (Sweden) on 28-30 September 2011. Further information is available from the EVOLTREE Portal (www.evoltree.eu).
Recent developments in EVOLTREERecent developments in EVOLTREE
Several European and North American research institutes are now developing a long-term research roadmap in the area of forest ecosystem genomics as part of the FORESTTRAC project (2010-2011, Coordination and Support Action), which is funded by the European Commission (EC). The roadmap will identify strategic research areas for the EC to invest financial resources in the future.
A series of technical and scientific workshops were held in 2010 to discuss research themes and topics deserving further attention and to identify the most urgent, unanswered scientific questions in this area. The themes included genomics of conifers, long-distance gene flow and adaptation, landscape genomics, epigenetic responses to climatic change, and evolutionary genetic change in response to climatic changes. The series of workshops will be completed during 2011, covering additional topics such
as integration of genetic resources by fostering the databases interoperability and the role of foundation species in ecological processes.
Experts on forest genomics in Europe and North America have been invited to contribute to a desk study by providing information, via an online database, on current and recently concluded research projects and programmes on forest genomics in Europe and North America, as well as on existing research infrastructures, knowledge and capacity in this research area. The results will be synthesized in
a report which will be made available on the FORESTTRAC website (www.foresttrack.eu).
FORESTTRAC (Forest Ecosystem Genomics Research Supporting Transatlantic Cooperation) plans to collect additional data on genetic resources in Europe, especially on the major provenance trials established for forest trees.
The results of the desk study and conclusions of the technical and scientific
workshops will be the foundation for developing the research roadmap, to be released on the FORESTTRAC Portal in summer or early autumn of 2011, providing a broader base for consultation with the scientific community engaged in this research area.
Finally, dissemination events to communicate the overall results of the project and to present the research roadmap are scheduled for the autumn of 2011, targeting funding bodies, industrial groups, research organizations and international policy frameworks.
Barbara VincetiScientistBioversity [email protected]
The EVOLTREE common DNA repository centre, at Seibersdorf , Vienna, Austria. Photo: Austrian Institute of Technology.
Barbara VincetiScientistBioversity [email protected]
The FORESTTRAC project partners. Photo: INRA Transfert, France
8Bioversity Newsletter for Europe - issue No. 42
The Austria-funded project ”Developing training capacity and human resources for the management of forest biodiversity” came to a close at the end of 2010, leaving behind an important heritage for the forest genetic resources community. The project was coordinated by Bioversity International and it was implemented in collaboration with the Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazardsand Landscape (BFW) in Vienna.
During the project, Bioversity organised five two-week training workshops in Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Russia and Uzbekistan, attended by a total of 129 young scientists from 59 countries. In addition to the training workshops, individual two-year research fellowships were awarded to young scientists from Costa Rica, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Serbia and Uganda. As part of their research projects, the fellows carried out laboratory work at BFW.
In collaboration with the University of Oxford, Bioversity has developed a Training Guide which includes case studies presented during the training workshops and some results from the
Michele BozzanoProgramme SpecialistBioversity [email protected]
through discussions and presentations, to obtain answers to the problems presented. Teacher’s notes allow the teachers to present the context of the case studies through videos and attractive presentations. This also makes the conservation and use of forest genetic resources training relevant, interesting and accessible to non-specialists. Additional modules on plantation forestry, tree domestication, forest restoration and genetic modification are under development and their release will be announced in future issues of this Newsletter.
Bioversity is grateful to the Austrian Development Cooperation for providing financial support to this project. For more information, please visit:
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/training/training_materials/forest_genetic_resources.html
Forest Genetic Resources Training GuideLaunching March 2011Launching March 2011Launching March 2011
work of the research fellows. The Training Guide is targeted at lecturers and students in the disciplines of forestry, agriculture and environmental studies, as well as trainers and trainees in the area of forest and natural resource management. It covers issues of both global and local relevance with regard to conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources.
The first version of the Training Guide is
composed
problem based teaching modules - Species Conservation Strategies, Trees Outside of Forests, Seed Supply Chains, Forest Management, How Local is Local? -the scale of adaptation - with several case studies. The users of the Training Guide need to apply and integrate genetic, ecological and socioeconomic information,
The Forest Genetic Resources Guide will be available on the
Bioversity International website - www.bioversityinternational.org/
training/training_materials/forest_genetic_resources.html -
from 1 March 2011
During the project,
scientists from 59 countries. In addition to the training
composed of five
with funding from
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of NUS through information services and support to capacity building. We explore options on how CFF can evolve into a more participatory organization, where partners have greater ownership in CFF’s activities and defining action priorities.
A first significant step in this direction is the announcement by the Malaysian Government to finance and support in 2011 the establishment of a Crops for the Future Research Center (CFF-RC) in Malaysia in association with our co-host UNMC. CFF-RC will be exclusively dedicated to crop research and capacity building regarding NUS.
Together with Bioversity and UNMC, CFF is convening in Kuala Lumpur the Second International Symposium on Underutilised Plant Species from 27th June to 1st of July 2011 (http://www.cffsymposium2011.org/). This Symposium provides an excellent opportunity for NUS stakeholders to present their work. European organizations would be welcome to present particular European experiences, for instance, the marketing of natural products, domestication of wild-type species, regulatory issues, etc. Despite its focus on South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, CFF seeks to catalyze partnerships with European institutions, particularly in the area of research support and capacity building.
Crops for the Future (CFF)
In 2009, Crops for the Future (CFF), a new Global Partnership Organization dedicated to promoting greater use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) was established through the merger of the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (previously based at Bioversity headquarters) and the International Institute for Underutilized Crops (ICUC) (previously based in Sri Lanka). In 2010, after hiring its Global Coordinator,MichaelHermann,andopening its office in Malaysia, CFF finally became fully operational.
In the meantime, CFF has been recognized as a platform to foster enhanced collaboration amongst R&D stakeholders of NUS by the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR). DFID (UK), has continued to provide core-funding to CFF. CFF also engages in collective action for pro-poor specialty crops and products with theGlobalHorticultureInitiative(www.globalhort.org) and the Non-Timber Forest Product network (http://ntfp.inbar.int/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). HostedbyBioversityInternational’s
office in Serdang, Malaysia, and supported by its co-host, the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC), CFF will continue the global activities of its predecessor organizations. These include four major objectives aimed at more diverse diets and agricultural production systems in poor countries:
1) Advocacy of a favorable policy environment for NUS in terms of improved access to germplasm; removal of market access barriers and improved seed systems;
2) Increasing the awareness of the nutritional, livelihood and ecosystem benefits of greater use of NUS;
3) Strengthening capacities of NUS stakeholders, in particular national programmes and producer communities, to develop and promote NUS; and
4) Improving access to information on NUS.
CFF is currently convening two major international projects, addressing NUS value chains in Vietnam and India (http://www.codi-asia.net) and improved nutrition from enhanced NUS use and seed systems (http://www.globalhort.org/media/uploads/File/reference_docs/RfS%20flyer.pdf).
CFF also seeks to strengthen national and regional efforts to enhance the use
Michael HermannGlobal Coordinator, Crops for the Futurewww.cropsforthefuture.org, [email protected]
"It’s cooler under here !" Michael Hermann with elephant’s foot yam. Photo: M. Hermann, Bioversity International
Focus on other regions
10Bioversity Newsletter for Europe - issue No. 42
The Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing
The future in their hands? Young participants at CBD 2010. Photo: IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin, Canada
Michael HalewoodHead, Policy Research & Support UnitBioversity [email protected]
The Nagoya Protocol1 on access and benefit sharing was adopted at a United Nations meeting2 in the early morning hours of October 30, 2010, bringing to a close 6 years of difficult international negotiations.
The rational behind the development of the Nagoya Protocol was that it should build upon, strengthen, clarify, and make more operational, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s standards concerning access and benefit sharing.
The Protocol goes further than the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by including (qualified) commitments by parties to take measures to ensure that genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge held by indigenous and local communities are accessed, subject to the prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms with those communities.
The Protocol also goes further than the CBD by obliging all parties to take measures to enforce compliance of access and benefit sharing laws with other parties. To this end, the Protocol obliges these parties to establish monitoring mechanisms called ‘checkpoints’ to collect information about uses of genetic resources and to share such information with competent authorities in both the user country and in the country providing access to the material in question, and with a central Access and Benefit-sharingClearingHouseMechanismcreated by the Protocol. Each contracting party is required to take ‘appropriate, effective and proportionate’ measures to provide that genetic resources utilized within its jurisdiction have been accessed in accordance with access and benefit sharing laws of countries from which those resources have been obtained. Likewise, they are required to take ‘appropriate, effective and proportionate measures’ to address situations of non-compliance.
Throughout the negotiations, people engaged in activities related to the conservation and use of genetic resources for food and agriculture were particularly concerned about whether the Protocol would affect access and benefit sharing arrangements under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture (ITPGRFA). They were also concerned about how the Protocol might affect future efforts to develop specially crafted international access and benefit sharing arrangements for other genetic resources for food and agriculture (that are not covered by the ITPGRFA). Ultimately, in the opinion of the author, these issues were resolved in satisfactory ways. The Protocol will not interrupt or otherwise negatively affect the ITPGRFA’s multilateral system of access and benefit sharing, or agreements between the ITPGRFA’s Governing Body and international institutions which establish access and benefit sharing conditions under which those institutions (eg the CGIAR centres) may make plant genetic resources for food and agriculture available. Furthermore, the Protocol’s article on ‘relationship with other agreements’ recognizes the need for legal space for the possible future development of specialized international access and benefit sharing agreements, including, presumably, arrangements for genetic resources for food and agriculture not covered under the ITPGRFA.
In the very last hours of the negotiation process, the Chair of the meeting introduced a new article entitled the ‘Global Multilateral Benefit Sharing Fund’. This article is a little difficult to understand, and does not appear to create any new, immediately effective obligations or rights. However,itmayhelptocreatemomentumfor exploring multilateral access and benefit sharing norms for sector specific
genetic resources and uses, including genetic resources for food and agriculture, particularly when it is read together with the article on ‘relationship to other agreements’ referred to above. In this context, it is relevant to note that during its 13th Regular Session, in July, 2011, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture will continue to investigate access and benefit sharing as a ‘cross-cutting’ issue in its Multi-year Programme of Work. It is still not possible at this point to predict how the work of this specialist body concerning access and benefit sharing will link to the future consideration of specialized access and benefit sharing agreements under the Protocol. It is certainly highly desirable that the two bodies work extremely closely together on this issue to avoid duplication and confusion, and to ensure maximum exploitation of available expert capacity.
In the meantime, until such specialized access and benefit sharing arrangements are developed, it is important to appreciate that, in general, the Protocol’s most immediate impact will be to further strengthen the bilaterally oriented access and benefit sharing regulations that most countries put in place to implement the CBD.
The Protocol will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by the 50 parties. In the period beforethat day, an Open-endedAdHocIntergovernmentalCommittee for the Nagoya Protocol will meet twice: in June 2011 and April 2012.
1. The full name is the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on BiologicalDiversity.Thetextisavailableat:<http://www.cbd.int/decision/cop/?id=12267>;2. The Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, October 18-29, 2010, Nagoya, Japan.
11issue No. 42 - Bioversity Newsletter for Europe
Red eggplant of Rotonda (Solanum aethiopicum)
Melanzana rossa di Rotonda – a variety of Solanum aethiopicum in Italy. Photo: Monica Piscitelli. Source: www.lucianopignataro.it
Stefano PadulosiSenior ScientistBioversity [email protected]
On November 13, 2010 an interesting event was held in the village of Rotonda, located in the mountainous Basilicata region of southern Italy. The event was organized by the Agency ‘ALSIA’ (an agency of Basilicata working on development and innovation in agriculture) aimed at sharing the results of the second year of implementation of an agrobiodiversity assessment project involving ALSIA, the University of Basilicata and the Italian National Research Council (CNR). The 3 year project (financed by the Basilicata Region), started in 2009, aims at surveying the agrobiodiversity richness in Rotonda and other villages located within the Pollino National Park. The park, established in 1992, takes its name from the Pollino Massif (highest peak 2,267 m), is situated within the provinces of Cosenza, Matera and Potenza and is the largest natural park in Italy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollino_National_Park).
During the event, an amazing collection of crop diversity, surveyed and sampled by the project, was exhibited to the local community members who came in large numbers to appraise the crops on display and listen to the presentations on the outcomes of the project. This exhibit focused on vegetable diversity and the
Project had been extremely successful in its explorations across hundreds of farms and home gardens, yielding a remarkable array of diversity of fruits, vegetables and spices. A similar exercise was carried out the previous year on fruits sampled from perennial crops and kept frozen for this very display. Some 119 sites were surveyed by experts and 519 biotypes of fruit trees were collected from 41 species, together with 196 varieties from vegetables and spices belonging to 52 species.
Among the long list of vegetables on display this year, one of the most intriguing was ‘the red eggplant of Rotonda’ (‘Melanzana Rossa di Rotonda’), a variety of Solanum aethiopicum, whose cultivation in Rotonda was first reported in 1992 by Prof.KarlHammeroftheLeibnizInstituteof Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) of Gatersleben, Germany during one of the numerous germplasm explorations he has carried out in close collaboration with the CNR Germplasm Institute of Bari, Italy. This represents the only case of Solanum aethiopicum cultivation in Italy, a country where the American species S. melongena is quite popular and cultivated in different varieties. It is speculated that the red egg plant of Rotonda was introduced to Italy from Ethiopia by the Italian soldiers returning from the colonies in Eastern Africa during the early 1900s. ThefindingsbyProf.HammerandCNR
colleagues attracted promotional interest from local agencies and institutions which have contributed to rescue its diversity from the brink of extinction. Today, this
crop is also a Slow Food Presidium and, in 2007, it was awarded the DOP label (protected denomination of origin). Thanks to these initiatives and the ‘enogastronomic (food and wine) tourism’ in Italy which has been created around it, the melanzana rossa is no longer threatened and it is now commercialized in several cities across Italy.
The melanzana rossa is much appreciated for its exotic, slightly pungent, taste which makes it an excellent ingredient for oil or vinegar pickles (sott’olio or sott’aceto). Another very interesting feature is its ability to not darken after the fruit has been cut, a great advantage in food preparations! From an agronomic point of view, the species is a very ‘rustic’ crop, resistant to drought and various diseases. Such traits are of great interest to breeders who have been using them in eggplant crop improvement programmes for some time already. The leaves of melanzana rossa are also edible and widely used in sub-Sahara Africa. Interestingly, its leaves have a different shape compared with those of the American eggplant, thus representing a good diagnostic character for distinguishing the two plants.
The exhibition in Rotonda was also visited by hundreds of students from the several primary and secondary schools in the Pollino area. These students were intrigued by the great diversity found in their own territory, and were completely unaware of some of the species. In addition, to raise awareness on such precious community heritage, the event also recognized the work of local farmers who received symbolic awards from the organizers for their invaluable role as custodians of agrobiodiversity and associated traditions. More information on this project can be found in the following publication: ALSIA. 2010 “Gli antichi frutti del Pollino”, issue no. 10. Supplemento monografico al numero 36 di Agrofoglio; or contacting ALSIA staff at [email protected]. More on the melanzana rossa can be read in the Italian article by Laghetti et al. 1995 “Ritrovamento di una coltivazione di melanzana africana”. Infor. Agr. LI (39):52.
The best option, however, is to visit Rotonda yourself and taste the melanzana rossa and the other unique flavors of biodiversity harbored within the spectacular scenery of the Pollino National Park!
Do you have a similar story which could be of interest to our readers? If so, we would like to hear from you!
12Bioversity Newsletter for Europe - issue No. 42
Chris Kik, Rob van Treuren (CGN, the Netherlands), Dave Pink, Dave Astley (Warwick HRI, United Kingdom), Pascal Coquin, Valerie Cadot (GEVES, France), Andreas Boerner, Ulrike Lohwasser, Stefanie Thumm (IPK, Germany), Ales Lebeda, Eva Kristkova (Palacky University, Czech Republic), Svein Solberg, Kristina Antonius (NordGen, Sweden), Brigitte Maisonneuve (INRA, France), Franziska Lerch (Arche Noah, Austria), Phil Sumption (Garden Organic, United Kingdom), Filippo D’Antuono (University of Bologna, Italy), Vladimir Meglic (KIS, Slovenia),Bela Bartha (ProSpecieRara, Switzerland)
A consortium of twelve partners from ten European countries recently finished a four year project, ‘Leafy Vegetables, stimulating use’, coordinated by The Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN), Netherlands, in the framework of the European GENRES programme.
The project focused on the improvement of the ex situ management of the European genetic resources of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, chicory, lamb’s lettuce and rocket. At the start of the project no adequate crop databases were available for spinach, chicory and minor leafy vegetables and the international lettuce database needed updating. Consequently, the European genebank community did not have a good overview of their stored leafy vegetable germplasm and gaps in collections could not be identified, resulting in the absence of a clear collecting strategy for leafy vegetables. Furthermore, there was limited access to trait data in databases which made it difficult for the user to select appropriate accessions. Safety duplication was also lacking for part of the European collections. Last but not least, the visibility of leafy vegetables to the general public was low, limiting their use.
To address these issues, the consortium developed a unique leafy vegetable crop portal on the web (http://documents.plant.wur.nl/cgn/pgr/LVintro/) in which most, if not all, leafy vegetables present in genebanks worldwide were included
will almost certainly lead to a better management on the European level of leafy vegetables collections and will contribute to more sustainable use of these collections. More information on the project can be found at http://documents.plant.wur.nl/cgn/pgr/leafyveg, or contact :ChrisKik,HeadCuratorCrops,Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), Wageningen University and Research [email protected]
Action 001 AGRI GEN RES 870/2004 (Leafy Vegetables germplasm, stimulating use) received financial support from the European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, under Council Regulation (EC) No 870/2004.
and all the information could be retrieved using the same format. The limited access to trait information in leafy vegetable crop databases was addressed by the implementation of a download utility in the crop portal. This facility allows the easy downloading of passport data, C&E data and utilization data. The portal also allows detailed gap analyses and on the basis of such analyses, recommendations were formulated on which leafy vegetable species to collect and where. The lack of safety duplication of several leafy vegetables collections of the partners is a threat to the long term sustainability of these collections. Actions were therefore taken to increase the level of safety duplication and all base collections of the partners are currently safety duplicated. Regeneration, characterization and evaluation are crucial aspects of proper genebank management and most of the time on this project was devoted to these activities. In total 1386 accessions were regenerated, 1950 characterized and 770 were evaluated. These numbers significantly exceeded the targets set at the start of the project. Via a number of workshops with NGOs, which were open to the general public, the wealth of tastes, colours and forms of leafy vegetables were shown in order to stimulate their use.
In summary, the actions carried out in the GENRES leafy vegetables project
Leafy vegetables GENRES project successfully completed!
Partners and observers at the final meeting of the GENRES Leafy Veg in Montfavet, France in November 2010. Photo: C. Kik, Centre for Genetic Resources, The Netherlands
13issue No. 42 - Bioversity Newsletter for Europe
Crop Wild Relatives – holding the key to climate change adaptationCrop Wild Relatives – holding the key to climate change adaptation
A new audio slideshow, highlighting the importance of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) for climate change adaptation, has been produced by the CWR Team of the Understanding and Managing Bioversity
Programme, Bioversity International.Very few people realise the importance
of these species for food and agriculture, especially in terms of global food security, but the genetic secrets they contain can also help our crops adapt to climate change, which is expected to have a dramatic effect on agriculture. In the future, we shall need crops that withstand either extremely wet or dry conditions, not to mention those with resistance to new combinations of pests and diseases that will also move about the world in search of more suitable ecological niches. The characteristics found in CWR can therefore play a significant part in overcoming these difficulties.
View the clip on the Crop Wild Relatives Global Portal: http://www.cropwildrelatives.org/cwr.html
In addition, a new publication “Crop Wild Relatives: A Manual of in situ Conservation”, co-authored by Danny Hunter, Scientist, working in the CWRTeam at Bioversity International, and
Vernon Heywood, Emeritus Professorof the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, including a preface
by Professor M S Swaminathan, can be ordered from : http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=102470
Allium pskemense – one crop wild relative species with potential importance for global food security. Photo: Des Botanischen Gartens, Darmstadt, Germany
According to the recently released Second Report on the State of the World’s PGRFA, the number of genebanks worldwide has reached 1750 . These genebanks store millions of germplasm samples that need to be properly managed. The people who take care of these samples, genebank managers, technicians and conservationists, now have a new resource to help them with this important task: the Crop Genebank Knowledge Base (CGKB) at http://cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org/
The CGKB is the first online resource for genebank managers and conservationists that provides easy access to crop specific knowledge and best practices for germplasm management and a vast collection of publications and training manuals in one place.
Nine crops – banana, barley, cassava, chickpea, forage grasses and legumes, maize, rice, wheat – are already featured in detail through all the steps of their conservation in a genebank. In addition, specific regeneration guidelines are provided for 22 crops. These crop-specific best
practices have been compiled by genebank experts of the CGIAR centres and national genebanks worldwide and peer-reviewed by crop experts.
In addition to best practices on crops, the Knowledge Base features general conservation procedures for genebanks and a wealth of information on germplasm management strategies .
Users, including educators, trainers and students, should find the learning resources section useful as it provides access to a one-stop library with an extensive selection of publications, guidebooks, training manuals, photos, videos, a glossary, and other learning resources.
The web site includes multimedia tools such as flipbooks, video clips and images. The CGKB has a Flickr photostream and a You Tube channel. Collaboration tools, such as a Wiki and a blog, encourage participation and communication among users. An online form is also provided for curators and conservationists to upload contributions to crop specific best practices.
The CGKB is one of the more outstanding outputs of the second phase of the Collective Action for the Rehabilitation of Global Public Goods in the CGIAR Genetic Resources System (GPG2) project. The GPG2 project, funded by the World Bank, was coordinated by the System-wide
Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
The CGKB team is regularly updating the website. It greatly welcomes new contributors and collaborators to help enrich and expand the Knowledge Base. Best practices for other crops, new management procedures and protocols such as cryopreservation, or help with translation of the Knowledge Base to other languages, are just a few examples of how the genebank community can participate.
The CGKB - providing easy access to crop specific knowledge and best practices for germplasm management. Photo: N.Palmer, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Colombia
A knowledge base for genebank managers - and othersA knowledge base for genebank managers - and others
Teresa BorelliConsultant, UMB ProgrammeBioversity [email protected]
Imke ThormannResearch Assistant, Ex situ Conservation and Use ProjectBioversity [email protected]
BioversityI n t e r n a t i o n a l
REGIONAL OFFICE for EUROPEBioversity InternationalVia dei Tre Denari 472/a00057 MaccareseRome, Italy
Jan EngelsInterim Regional Director &AEGIS CoordinatorTel: [email protected]
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Michele BozzanoProgramme SpecialistTel: [email protected]
Sónia DiasProgramme SpecialistTel: [email protected]
Ewa HermanowiczProgramme AssistantTel: [email protected]
Lidwina KoopProgramme AssistantTel: [email protected]
Jarkko KoskelaEUFORGEN CoordinatorTel: [email protected]
Elinor Lipman Scientific AssistantTel: [email protected]
Lorenzo Maggioni ECPGR CoordinatorTel: [email protected]
Barbara VincetiScientistTel: [email protected]
Editing Vanessa [email protected]
Layout [email protected]
This Newsletter is produced by the staff of the Regional Office for Europe
Forthcoming meetings and events
2011International Year of Forests 2011http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011
28 February - 4 March 2011
WIPO IGC Third Intersessional Working Group on Genetic Resources Geneva, Switzerland
http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/
5-7 April 2011European Plant Genetic Resources Conference 2011 - 20th meeting of the EUCARPIA Section Genetic Resources, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 5-7 April 2011http://www.epgrc2011.nl
15-19 April 2011CBD Regional Workshop for Europe on Updating
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)Isle of Vilm, Germany http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/workshops2/europe.shtml
28-29 April 2011International Genomics Conference 2011, Boston, USA, 28-29 April 2011http://www.selectbiosciences.com
Due to unforseen circumstances, it was not possible to publish the online Christmas &NewYeareditionoftheNewsletter.However,theEuropeteamhaveworkedhardtobring you this early spring edition, which we hope you find enjoyable and interesting.
We would be pleased to receive your feedback ! Please be assured that the Newsletter for Europe will continue to be regularly produced and articles are already being gathered for issue no. 43, due to be published online early summer 2011. We invite you to participate by sending your ideas and written contributions by e-mail to [email protected] by 30 April 2011.
Information for readers
On 11th December 2010, Renato Cicchetti sadly passed away in Monteleone di Spoleto, Italy aged83.HislifelongworkasafarmerintheApenninemountainsrepresentsthestoryofemmerwheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum), a species which was in danger of disappearing less than 20 years ago in central Italy and particularly in Monteleone di Spoleto.
Renato jealously guarded the seed inherited from his father (who, in turn, had received it from his grandfather), carried on the cultivation of the variety, extended his knowledge to the younger generation, devised new processing techniques and involved his whole family in the development of a production chain.
Renato's work, tenacity and passion ensured the survival of a local variety with its traditions and culture, in spite of the difficulties of producing in a marginal area and of market instabilities. Thanks also to his commitment, this product earned an EU mark, “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO), the first PDO for emmer in all Europe.
Those of us interested in landraces drew knowledge from Renato’s inexhaustible fountain, studying his emmer, listening to his tales of the past and coming to understand the indissoluble bond between this genetic resource, its territory and the history of its people.
Thank you, Renato.
Mario Falcinelli, Valeria Negri, Renzo Torricelli and Oriana Porfiri Biology Department, University of Perugia, Italy
Obituary - Renato Cicchetti - On-farm conservationist