The potential for improving wild genetic resources was well explained in the presidential address to the British Ecological Society in 1976, Mankind is like a lapidary with a sack of uncut diamonds. In another analogy the wild genetic resource has been likened to a gold mine, alluding to the potential monetary value of the resource. Clearly, effective use of genetic resources depends greatly upon the innovation and commitment demonstrated by the user. It has been the proven potential to improve many Australian trees that has resulted in the Australian Tree Seed Centre becoming more of a genetic improvement centre conducting major work on the selection and improvement of genetic material from native populations for both Australian and overseas benefit. This discussion has been driven by a logical desire for the guardians of a genetic resource to derive benefit from their commercial use, particularly in the pharmaceutical field.
Many communities derive direct benefit through reciprocal access to the genetic resources of others.
In Australia, this is particularly so where most of what is eaten and worn by modern Australians is derived from the genetic resources of other countries. Exchange of genetic resources has been included in the Convention on Biological Diversity which recognises the sovereign rights of countries over their genetic resources and their authority to determine access conditions, including the sharing of any benefits gained. The International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources is a non-binding agreement and promotes the exchange of resources for scientific purposes between countries. These international agreements will shape national attitudes towards the exchange of forest genetic resources. We hope they will encourage the ongoing assessment of the germplasm of forest trees and encourage the genetic improvement of important species - the bag full of uncut diamonds will remain of lesser value unless the skills and inventiveness of the polisher are allowed to flourish.