Collaboration essential on PGR

 By JAMES LARAKI

PLANT genetic resources (PGR) useful for food and agriculture are crucial in feeding the world’s growing population. 

These are the raw material that farmers and plant breeders use to improve the quality and productivity of our crops. 

But no country is self-sufficient – all countries depend on crops and the genetic diversity within these crops from other regions or countries. 

And this makes regional and international collaboration and open exchange of genetic resources mechanisms essential. 

Such mechanisms allow international and regional collaboration to exchange of the crops and their wild relatives.  

In Papua New Guinea, NARI is implementing a number of projects to enhance conservation and use of the genetic resources locally, as well as contributing to regional efforts through partnerships and collaborations with regional net­works.

NARI is a partner to number of regional networks in the Asia-Pacific region that aim to promote collaboration for strengthening PGR for food and conservation. 

Some of these networks are: South Asia Network on Plant Genetic Resources, the East Asia PGR Network, Regional Cooperation for Plant Genetic Resources in Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Plant Genetic Resources Network. 

There are several commodity focused PGR networks like the Banana Asia Pacific Network, the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network, Cereals and Legumes Asia Network, the International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice, and the Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme. 

Working closely with these regional networks is essential as there are many common issues and concerns that need to be addressed collectively. It allows us to contribute to regional issues as well as benefit from the experience of partners.  

The region is fortunate now that the Suwon Agrobiodiversity Framework in place. Our research and development efforts are now set to be pursued through this framework. This framework provides a strategic approach, towards ma­nagement and use through collaboration and partnerships. 

The framework developed and adopted during the international symposium on ‘Sustainable Agricultural Development and Use of Agrobiodiversity in the Asia-Pacific Region’ in 2010, Suwon, South Korea, will be the basis for all partner countries to develop their national programmes for conservation and sustainable use of PGR. 

The framework proposes an integrated approach that seeks to ensure the continued availability of critical genetic resources not only for the improvement of agricultural productivity and resilience of the production systems but to improve the quality of supply chains through effective collaboration of stakeholders working on a broad range of genetic resources for food and agriculture. 

It builds on partnerships and regional experiences involving national and international organisations and for integrating partnerships across the different sectors of genetic resources. 

Moving forward, the framework is expected to:  Encourage all partner countries to adopt the framework in their national efforts; develop regional collaborative projects; donor/funding agencies to use it as the basis of support; strengthen capacity of sub-regional and regional networks members, and support activities that promote the use of under-utilised crops and their wild relatives.

Some of the research projects that have been identified to be implemented in the region include : Enhanced use of germplasm for sustainable crop production in the Pacific region; collection of wild relatives of crops, increase availability and access to the rich biodiversity for conservation and to improve livelihood of farmers; enhance use of under-utilised species for improved livelihoods and di­versified diets; and to understand and manage changes in diversity.

Apart from maintaining the germplasm collection of a number of staple crops, NARI is implementing a number projects and making efforts to expand the crop improvement programme. 

We have an important role to play on this front as PNG is considered to be the centre of many important species of crops. 

Our effort towards collection, characterisation and evaluation, conservation and use of PGR has been insufficient. 

Attempts have been to some extent uncoordinated and inef­fective. Priority in terms of research and development, and allocation of necessary resources has been lacking. 

Lack of national policy on plant genetic resources and biosafety, lack of skilled personnel, non-existence of in-country network are some factors that continue to hinder our progress. 

NARI is already implementing a number of projects relating PGR. The new modern biotechnology facility will advance activities in this area. With such facilities, we need to expand our crop improvement programme.

PGR for food and agriculture have a crucial role and we need to explore the potentials in our PGR. Doing so will help identify our needs and what we can contribute to the needs in the region and the globe.