The role of botanic gardens in the conservation of crop wild relatives.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides the results of an initial investigation into the conservation of wild relatives of food crops by botanical gardens. For this survey, only those crops included in Annex 1 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture were considered. The Treaty, which came into force in June 2004, aims to ensure that plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, which are vital for human survival, are conserved and sustainably used and that benefits from their use are equitably and fairly distributed. The Treaty represents a multilateral system of facilitated access and benefit sharing for the crops and forages most important for food security. To carry out the survey, two main databases were consulted: BGCI's PlantSearch database, which includes approximately 130 000 taxa from over 600 botanical gardens worldwide, and the System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources database maintained by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.