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Why plant genetic resources matter
Plants are vital for the development of human society. They are the key to food security, providing us with cereals and other foods in addition to feeding the livestock that produce milk, meat and eggs and provide farm power. The wise use of plant genetic resources can help eradicate poverty, both by lowering the price of food and other commodities and by raising and diversifying the incomes of producers and processors. They also protect and enhance the environment, for example by preventing erosion and desertification and by absorbing atmospheric carbon.
The multiple uses of plants depend on a crucial characteristic of plant life, its diversity. Diversity exists at three main levels: the combinations of species that make up different ecosystems, the number of different species, and the different combinations of genes in species. All three levels help sustain agricultural systems, as well as ensure their productivity. Genetic diversity, in particular, provides species with the ability to adapt to changing stresses, such as pests and diseases or drought.
Today, the diversity of the Earth's plant life is under threat as never before. In agriculture, the widespread adoption of a few improved varieties has narrowed the genetic base of important food crops and led to the disappearance of hundreds of landraces. In the forests, up to 8% of all plant species are expected to disappear over the next 25 years as deforestation continues.
Conserving and using plant genetic diversity is vital to meeting the world's future development needs. The earth's population is predicted to double, perhaps even triple, before it stabilizes late in the 21st century. This will place enormous pressure on the environment, and will require a huge increase in the production of food and non-food commodities.
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genetic diversity matters.
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