This anchor volume to the series Managing Global Genetic Resources examines the structure that underlies efforts to preserve genetic material, including the worldwide network of genetic collections; the role of biotechnology; and a host of issues that surround management and use. Among the topics explored are in situ versus ex situ conservation, management of very large collections of genetic material, problems of quarantine, the controversy over ownership or copyright of genetic material, and more.

Our food and livelihood security depend on the sustained management of the diverse biological resources that make up the Earth's plant genetic resources. This book is about the creation, management and use of the global crop commons, based upon the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Our lives and well being intimately depend on the exploitation of the plant genetic resources available to our breeding programs. Therefore, more extensive exploration and effective exploitation of plant genetic resources are essential prerequisites for the release of improved cultivars. Accordingly, the remarkable progress in genomics approaches and more recently in sequencing and bioinformatics offers unprecedented opportunities for mining germplasm collections, mapping and cloning loci of interest, identifying novel alleles and deploying them for breeding purposes. This book collects 48 highly interdisciplinary articles describing how genomics improves our capacity to characterize and harness natural and artificially induced variation in order to boost crop productivity and provide consumers with high-quality food. This book will be an invaluable reference for all those interested in managing, mining and harnessing the genetic richness of plant genetic resources.

In the United States, the critical task of preserving our plant genetic resources is the responsibility of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). NPGS undergoes a thorough analysis in this book, which offers wide-ranging recommendations for equipping the agency to better meet U.S. needsâ€"and lead international conservation efforts. The book outlines the importance and status of plant genetic conservation and evaluates NPGS's multifaceted operations. Two options for revamping NPGS within the U.S. Department of Agriculture are included.

Presents the first comprehensive study of Indigenous perspectives on genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and access and benefit sharing in Canada. This book is also available as Open Access.

This book contains edited and revised papers from a conference on 'Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century' held in Malaysia in June 2000, organised by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). It includes keynote papers and some 40 additional ones, covering ten themes.The major scientific challenges to developing a global vision for the next century are identified and key research objectives are also discussed.