30 January 2014: A report, titled ‘Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,’ which was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), is designed to guide users in implementing the most appropriate technologies and procedures for the collection, conservation and documentation of crop diversity. The publication aims to improve the conservation of food crops, many of which are crucial to food and nutrition security.

The publication contains the non-binding standards for genebanks adopted in 2013 by the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). The standards address a wide range of issues including: techniques for collecting samples; consistent labeling; protection from fungi, bacteria, pests and physical stress factors; viability and genetic integrity testing; as well as development of strategies for the rapid multiplication of samples for distribution, all of which are of critical importance to genebanks around the world that store seeds and other materials used to reproduce plants. As the world’s genebanks differ greatly in the size of their collections and the human and financial resources at their disposal, the standards aim to help genebank managers strike a balance between scientific objectives, resources available, and the objective conditions under which they work, to ultimately support research that could stem the loss of biodiversity and boost sustainability in agriculture. [FAO Press Release][Publication: Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture][IISD RS Coverage of CGRFA 14]