GERMPLASM CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Summary - In July of 1992 representatives of most countries in the world will attend in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UNCED - United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The agenda for this conference will certainly include controversial issues which have been discussed for decades by developing and developed countries, without a foreseeable consensus. These are, however, the issues of this decade and can be no longer postponed. They include matters such as environment protection, germplasm conservation and availability, biological safety, intellectual property rights, technological and economical development. At the root of all the discussions are expectations among developed countries that a significant effort is necessary on the part of developing countries that will lead to a common understanding and strategy to approach the first four items. Developing countries view the need to reconcile this effort with goals which ultimately lead to social and economical development. As a scientist and as a member of the Working Party on Biotechnology for the UNCED, I have discussed these matters on several occasions at international meetings. Our observations indicate that the interfaces among these issues are so significant that no isolated solutions will be possible. I will present my view and a very brief update on some of these matters, from the perspective of a scientist working in a developing country (Brazil) of Latin America.