Genetic resources for food and agriculture
What are genetic resources?
Genetic resources are genetic material of current or potential use. In technical terms "genetic material" means any material of plant, microbial or animal origin, including reproductive and vegetative propagating material, containing functional units of heredity;
In everyday terms genetic resources range from, for example, fully mature plants, animals and microbes to seeds, cuttings, conserved embryos, eggs, and semen.
Diverse genetic resources are important for maintaining an efficient and sustainable farming industry, as they allow the development of varieties and breeds to cope with new demands. Genetic selection also has important consequences for animal health and welfare, and has an important role to play in reducing environmental pollution from livestock.
Defra is responsible for policy on genetic resources for food and agriculture for England and Wales. The conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources contribute directly to Defra's objectives concerning a sustainable, competitive food supply chain, sustainable, diverse and adaptable farming and sustainable management of natural resources. Indigenous livestock breeds have a particular role to play in managing the rural environment and assisting in maintaining wild biological diversity
The conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture is a widely supported international objective as a contribution to efforts to achieve global poverty elimination and world food security. Defra, in collaboration with the Department for International Development, has a continuing UK role to play in this area particularly in view of the rich diversity of plant varieties and animal breeds that the UK possesses that are of international interest.
The following documents are available:
Defra review of policy on genetic resources
for food and agriculture 
(108 KB)
(117 KB)Defra is currently undertaking a Review of the implementation of the access to genetic resources and benefit sharing arrangements under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The questionnaire, on the basis of which the Review will be produced, will help us gain a clearer understanding of the current situation in the UK on the acquisition and supply of relevant biological material (e.g. plant, animal, fungi and microbial "raw" material). The following documents are available:
Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
This document is available as:
- an html file on the FAO website at www.fao.org/WAICENT/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPS/GpaEN/gpatoc.htm
- an Adobe Acrobat pdf file
(1.1 MB - please note this is a large file)
Animal Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture (AnGR)
Farm Animal Genetic Resources in the UK are overseen by the UK National Co-ordinator for Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR). In the Sustainable & Agricultural Livestock Products Directorate (SALPD), the National Co-ordinator (NC) is part of the global network of official National Co-ordinators for AnGR. As part of the international FAO strategy for AnGR in 2001, the then Minister of Agriculture was invited by FAO to submit a UK country report on FAnGR as part of the First Report on the State of the World's Farm Animal Genetic Resources. This report was completed in November 2002 and submitted to the FAO in Rome. The next step in the co-ordination of the conservation and management of AnGR in the UK will be the creation of a national steering committee whose principal remit will be to develop a co-ordinated action plan.
The UK's contribution to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's First
Report on the State of the World's Farm Animal Genetic Resources:
UK country report on farm animal genetic
resources 2002
(521 KB)
The UK focal point on access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits (ABS) derived from their use.
Other useful links
Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources
and Benefit-sharing
(85 KB) - on this site
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (FAO)
The FAO Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS)
The Convention on Biological Diversity
Contacts
For further information on genetic resources policy:
| Plants, microbes and ABS issues | martyn.ibbotson@defra.gsi.gov.uk |
| Farm animal genetic resources | mike.roper@defra.gsi.gov.uk or nicole.karantonis@defra.gsi.gov.uk |
Page last modified:
7 February 2005
Page published: 18 March 2003