A new challange for the Colombian floricultural industry. Despite Colombia's great biodiversity, its floricultural industry concentrates on non-native plant species such as chrysanthemums, roses and carnations. This situation is due to a lack of scientific and technical knowledge about domestication of native species. Consequently, the University of Antioquia has started a research programme on local heliconia species with an expected international market.
Biotechnology is used as a tool to overcome domestication and marketing problems.
In 1984, the Colombian government launched a new inventory of Columbia's plant biodiversity, the second Colombian Botanical Expedition . The Expedition involved several disciplines, among them phytochemistry. Because of the lack of specialized and well-trained taxonomists in Colombia, taxonomical specialists of the Missouri and New York Botanical Gardens joined in the project. The result of the inventory was a data base of 11,500 species including some fungi groups, mosses, ferns and related species, gymnosperms, and angiosperm plants. The inventory proved to be a useful mechanism for developing subsequent research projects in several departments of the University of Antioquia, including the Departments of Chemistry, Anthropology and Law.