December 2014: In preparation for its fifteenth session, to be held from 19-23 January 2015, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Rome, Italy, the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) has published a study that proposes higher-order composite indices for the targets on plant genetic resources of the second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Prepared by Francesco Caracciolo, Carlo Cafiero and Stefano Diulgheroff upon a request by the CGRFA at its fourteenth session, the document proposes three higher-order composite indices. It outlines the steps required for constructing and using those indices, highlighting their assumptions and limitations, and exploring their applicability at national, regional and global levels. It finally provides guidance with regard to the further refinement and optimization of the methodology. [Publication: Higher-Order Composite Indices for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Targets]