IPGRI  Offices in APO Region

Serdang Office

Beijing Office

New Delhi Office

Another factor that contributes to the enormous plant diversity in APO is the rich mosaic of people and cultures found in the region, each of whom has been selecting and using genetic resources to suit their particular needs for millennia. Population migration and trade have introduced new species and varieties that were subsequently adapted to local conditions and bred with local varieties. Domestication in this region took place in four main areas. Crops such as eggplant (Solanum melongena), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), black pepper (Piper nigrum) and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) originated from the Indian centre of diversity. Soyabean (Glycine max), onion (Allium cepa), cabbage (Brassica oleracea), peach (Prunus persica) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) developed in the Chinese centre. Oriental rice (Oryza sativa), banana (Musa spp.), citrus (Citrus spp.), mango (Mangifera indica), yam (Dioscorea spp.) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) emerged from Southeast Asia. Coconut (Cocos nucifera) and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) originated from the Pacific Islands. Many underutilized crops that are of localized importance in the region show very great diversity at the species and genetic level. The same is true for tropical fruit species. Additionally, the genetic diversity in both indigenous and introduced species has been enhanced through extensive exchange of material within the region. 

Many of the species which originated in the APO region, such as rice, banana or coconut, moved across the Indian or Pacific oceans to Africa and/or America, where secondary centres of diversity have arisen. Soybeans originated in northern China but 74% of world production now comes from the Americas. Groundnut originated in South America but nowadays India and China grow 66% of the world's production. This interdependence among regions is an important factor in development and exchange of material and a number of countries in the region recognize this.

Almost all types of forestry zones occur in the region, from dry deserts to humid tropical forest. Several independent estimates have shown that the intra- as well as interspecific diversity in these natural ecosystems is very great. Some of the most useful non-timber forestry species, such as bamboo and rattan, exhibit an enormous wealth of genetic diversity. However, the diversity that is present in these forests is not well understood. 

There is severe genetic erosion in both crop and forestry species in the region, but the full extent is not well understood. Population growth, deforestation, erosion, changing land use and climatic factors are major threats to the existing biodiversity of the region. Demand for food is increasing as population numbers rise and competition for water resources is becoming intense. Added to this is the widely different stages of economic development seen in APO countries, from fully industrialized to least developed status. 

Many of the countries in the region are now undergoing rapid economic transformation, along with political changes, toward highly competitive export economies, increased urbanization and a rapid shift in agriculture from subsistence-based to highly market-driven farming. Although such changes have resulted in higher incomes for the populations of these countries, there are concerns about the sustainability of some of these changes. In particular, biodiversity is declining. In face of the rapid changes in the region it is essential to conserve these vanishing plant genetic resources, and to understand better the linkages to agricultural and economic systems that affect diversity and sustainable production. 

The decline in biodiversity, environmental degradation and land use changes are also factors that have helped to increase public awareness in the region and local control over these resources is therefore needed. The increase in the non-governmental organization movement in the region is an example of the increased awareness and the action that is being taken on these issues. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) have had significant implications for the policies of the countries in the region. While the need for legislation on intellectual property rights has been recognized, the countries in the region also value the contribution made by farmers and local communities in maintaining and improving genetic resources. Nevertheless, the resulting uncertainty in defining appropriate legislation, benefits and recognition, has reduced the exchange of germplasm in recent years. APO countries participated vigorously in developing the Global Plan of Action (GPA), as well as the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources to establish terms to recognize Farmers' Rights and access and benefit-sharing under FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources. Traditional resource rights are being considered under a number of agreements, such as WIPO/UNESCO's Draft Declaration on Indigenous Rights. A number of programmes of genetic resources in the region have a good understanding of these issues.

Economic benefits of conservation 
Since most of the plant genetic resources of interest do not enter the market place, it is not easy to determine their value. However, studies indicate that the conservation and use of crop genetic resources can pay significant dividends. For example, rice production in Asia increased 42% during 1968-1981, an increase of about 110 million tons per year, following the introduction of high yielding varieties developed through breeding. At a price of US$250 per ton, the increase in production generated a profit of US$27 500 million per year, which is several thousand times greater than the investment on the conservation of rice genetic resources worldwide. The varieties that made this possible originated with farmers or from bred varieties from more than 20 countries in Asia. It is only through conservation and use of such resources that we can guarantee the continued availability of the genetic material that is essential to ensure future advances in plant breeding.

Thus, conservation and use of plant genetic resources is a major concern of humankind and IPGRI is assisting countries in the region to better assess and manage their own genetic resources through improved methods of conservation and use and benefit from them.