REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Agricultural Genetic Resources - from conservation to sustainable use
Date: 2013-11-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European agricultural model, agricultural production, biodiversity, conservation of resources, food safety, genetics, sustainable development













EUR-Lex - 52013DC0838 - EN











|



52013DC0838

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE Agricultural Genetic Resources - from conservation to sustainable use /* COM/2013/0838 final */









REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Agricultural Genetic Resources - from
conservation to sustainable use
1.           Genetic resources – a
pillar of our natural capital and the basis for food security
With
the prospect of an increasing world population, food security has become a
challenge of paramount importance. Attention must be given to how to ensure a
sustainable supply of food under changing environmental and climatic conditions
as well as changing needs. Productivity, adaptability and resilience of
agro-ecosystems depend inter alia on the availability of a rich genetic
pool of farmed breeds and crop varieties. Genetic diversity in agriculture is
associated with a wide range of environmental and economic benefits which are
essential for the sustainable agricultural production, but correspond also to a
wider range of societal interests. These benefits include varied traditional
agricultural landscapes with rich flora and fauna, the production of foodstuffs
with high organoleptic qualities, products which meet the specific needs of the
agri-food industry, being of high relevance for new concepts of economic
developments in agriculture like short supply chains and alternative tourism. It
is also associated with a growing appreciation of local and traditional
practices and their value in terms of cultural heritage. 
Conserving
Genetic Resources in agriculture is a long-term need that goes beyond national
interests. Union Heads of State agreed in 2010 to inter
alia halt biodiversity loss in the Union by 2020[1]
and the Union took commitments under
the Convention on Biodiversity and pledged to working towards these
commitements in the Union Biodiversity Strategy adopted in 2011. 
This
Report highlights the opportunities arising from agricultural biodiversity and
using its potential to address a wide range of environmental and economic
challenges and opportunities referred to in the Europe 2020 strategy. 
With
this Report, the Commission intends to move ahead on the conservation of
European's agricultural genetic diversity building on past experiences. It aims
at recalling the need to conserve and sustainably use genetic resources and at
ensuring that this objective is properly catered for in the ongoing development
of relevant policies and programmes, notably: 
·                        
the Rural Development Policy, via its agri-environmental
measures to target the level of practical farming and via the European
Innovation Partnership to bridge practice needs with research activities and
foster interaction between relevant actors;
·                        
the Research & Innovation Policy with its
Framework Programme Horizon 2020 to build up the knowledge base on genetic
diversity in agriculture.
2.           Challenges and Needs 
Maintaining
access to safe and affordable food of a high quality and securing sustainable agricultural
production are challenges that have to be met in the context of increasing
demand for agricultural products. The conservation and sustainable use of
genetic resources in agriculture contributes to the provision of public goods
and eco-system services, being of key importance for sustainable agricultural
production, which includes pollination, improved pest control, more resilient
agro-ecosystems, and soil stability. Accordingly, agricultural biodiversity
contributes to food security by mitigating the risks associated with intensive
and highly specialised production systems 
Modern
conventional agriculture tends to use mainstream varieties and breeds, and
monocultures and mono-variety crops largely prevail in agricultural landscapes.
Preserving and further developing the diversity of genetic resources in agricultural
breeds and varieties represents a safety-net to adapt to changing conditions
and facilitating innovative solutions. This will also generate economic
opportunities for the agricultural sector, building on quality schemes and
diversity in the supply of food, to the benefit of consumers. 
Economic
viability is one of the main critical factors that influence farmers in choosing
breeds and crops. In order to safeguard genetic resources, it is necessary to
improve the economic benefit farmers can derive from using underutilized
species, varieties and breeds. This includes promoting new products and encouraging
increasing demand by consumers. 
Counteracting
the abandonment of traditional, locally adapted breeds and crops, requires for
farmers to recover the know-how linked to selecting and breeding and other traditional
agricultural practices. To encourage farmers to engage in those activities and to
incentivate knowledge exchange, a fair economic return must be ensured, and advice
and support should be directed towards modern, innovative economic
opportunities building on traditional knowledge and practices. 
The
conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources need to be underpinned by
systematic science-based efforts to genotype and phenotype genetic resources also
in view of identifying specific characteristics under specific (natural)
conditions and/or specific uses. Beyond the conservation and sustainable use of
plant and animal varieties, experts underline the importance of giving
attention to microorganisms, still largely unexplored, linked to soil fertility
and resilience, and sustainable pest control. Cooperation and interaction
between the research sector and all interested parties will ensure that
agricultural genetic resources are valorised.
3.           The Global Context
The
Rio+20 declaration on "The future we want" reaffirmed the need to
improve food security, based on sustainable agricultural practices that
preserve natural resources, including genetic diversity, by building on
enhanced agricultural research and stronger international cooperation.
As a party to the
Convention on Biological Diversity, the Union agreed that by 2020 the genetic
diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild
relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable
species, is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing
genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity. 
So
far, the only specialised international instrument in place would be the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture[2] (the Treaty), negotiated by FAO Commission on
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, where the Union is an active
player. The Treaty, a specialised agreement on access and benefit sharing in the context of the Nagoya Protocol, engages parties to conserve
plant agricultural biodiversity both inside (including on farm) and outside
ecosystems and natural habitats and to sustainably use genetic resources. The
Parties agree to engage in measures covering agriculture, research and breeding
and to facilitate access to plant genetic resources. The Treaty recognises the
role and rights of farmers in conserving, using and improving agricultural genetic
resources and sharing the related benefits.
4.           The Union Policy context
To
achieve the Europe 2020 Strategy's headline target to halt biodiversity loss,
the Union has adopted a strategy on biodiversity conservation[3]. This
strategy invites all sectoral policies to integrate biodiversity concerns.
Target 3 specifically addresses agriculture and forests, underlining the
requirement to conserve the Union's agricultural genetic variability, notably
through Rural Development Policy by proposing to encourage the uptake of agri-environment
measures to conserve genetic diversity and by exploring the scope for
developing a strategy for the conservation of agricultural genetic diversity.
The
agri-environment measures, forming part of Rural Development, offer Member
States the opportunity to target the level of practical farming to perform
on-farm conservation of genetic resources. Agri-environment measures include the
possibility to compensate farmers for additional costs and income foregone
resulting from conservation activities aiming to preserve endangered breeds and
crops under threat of genetic erosion. Support for the conservation and
sustainable use of genetic resources forms part also of the Common Agricultural
Policy reform package and the Commission is keen to encourge Member States and
regions to put a strong emphasis on these matters in future programmes.
The
Union developed also legislation on 'conservation and amateur varieties' (Directive
2008/62/EC
and 2009/145/EC) and grass mixtures with wild plants (Directive 2010/60/EU) with
a view to support biodiversity and protect the natural environment. In 2012,
the Common plant variety Catalogues contained 656 conservation or amateur
varieties, 158 of agricultural and 498 of vegetable species.
The
Community programme[4]
on the conservation, characterisation, evaluation and use of genetic resources in
agriculture established conservation activities, both in-situ and ex-situ.
These enhanced the knowledge of plant genetic resources and the dissemination
of results. Other actions targeted the establishment of strategies and
guidelines and the creation of a European database for farm animal species and
breeds. This programme has come to an end in 2012 and continuation of this type
of actions must be further pursued under the Union’s Research & Innovation
Programme which will allow more practice oriented multi-actor formats in the
future.
The
Union Research & Innovation Policy with its ongoing 7th Framework Programme
has provided support to medium to large-scale, multi-actor research projects on
the characterisation and use of genetic resources in agriculture, forestry and
fisheries. 
The
proposal for the Union Research & Innovation Policy Horizon 2020 for the
budget period 2014-2020 emphasises sustainable food security and gives renewed
attention to practice-oriented activities, including actions on investigating
and investing in agricultural genetic resources-related research. The proposal
also includes actions to foster genetic resources diversity by promoting its
potential end-products, i.e. high quality, diversified products. Such actions
involve research on providing healthy and safe foods, developing a sustainable
and competitive agri-food sector and promoting informed consumer choices.
5.           State of Play
Though
the continued loss of agricultural biodiversity at farm level remains a matter
of serious concern, the measures undertaken on the conservation and sustainable
use of genetic resources have shown that there is a clear perspective for
building on and expanding the conservation approach. However, fostering the
sustainable use of genetic resources, has received insufficient attention so
far. 
Rural
development programmes contributed to genetic resources conservation at farm
level and encouraged farmers to preserve local breeds and crops by rewarding
farmers and other beneficiaries (non-governmental organisations and other
relevant stakeholders) who engage in conserving agricultural genetic resources or
undertake dissemination and advisory actions. Genetic resources-related actions
were programmed in 21 Member States, with 59,000 contracts and some
EUR 143 million paid out in the period 2007-2011. 
The
Community programme4 on the conservation of genetic resources in
agriculture provided co-funding for 17 conservation actions, both in-situ
and ex-situ, concerning various farm animals, plants, and forest trees.
Those actions were implemented by some 180 partners in 25 Member States and 12 non-EU-countries with a budget of EUR 8.9 million[5]. The programme resulted in the
collection and characterisation of several thousands of new accessions and the
establishment of conservation infrastructures, databases, core collections,
gene-banks, and accession catalogues. Furthermore, actions included the
formulation of guidelines and the exchange of genetic material between
programme participants and end-users (farmers, breeders, gardeners). As
underlined by the evaluation report, the programme was helpful in improving the
scientific knowledge of the nature, management and potential of various
agricultural genetic resources, and advanced the understanding of local
practices and needs. It also helped to build effective cross-border
cooperation, to stimulate contacts and active networking, and to attract
attention of stakeholders concerning the importance of conservation activities.
However, a gap remained in the form of limited involvement of end-users with
direct consequences on the "use" of genetic resources and insufficient
cooperation and exchange of information and knowledge among the relevant
actors. 
Research
policy covers the entire spectrum of genetic resources-related activities:
characterisation (genomics, phenotyping, molecular biology), improved breeding
approaches, and ex-situ conservation. under the 7th framework
programme, research on plant and animal genetic resources received funding of some
EUR 44 million during the period of 2009-2012. The 2013 work
programme provides for dedicated appropriations of EUR 19 million for
plant genetic resources, EUR 15 million for animal genetic resources,
and EUR 6 million for fish genetic resources. However, more attention
must be given to foster interaction between researchers and end-users, in
particular farmers and breeders, in order to valorise research outcomes in
terms of innovation and their practical use. 
Effective
conservation and enhancement of agro biodiversity and variability needs a legal
framework in the Union that takes into account genetic resources-related issues
to facilitate conservation activities and sustainable use of genetic resources.
To this extent, the Commission has recently proposed a major revision of the
legislation on plant reproductive material that would bring about a substantial
enhancement of the conservation of genetic resources as it facilitates
considerably the access to the markets of traditional varities and provides for
openings to less uniform varieties. 
Whilst
the active involvement of farmers has been achieved by rural development
measures, the thrust of the other above-mentioned actions is targeted towards
the research community. As concluded in the evaluation report on the Community
Programme, much more needs to be done to reach end-users in view of stimulating
and expanding the sustainable use of genetic resources in agriculture. The vast
scientific knowledge gathered has to find its way into breeding and farming
practice, where it needs to be adapted to practice needs and joined with
traditional knowledge existing at farm level. In order to encourage the co-creation
and sharing of knowledge among all actors involved, active networking and
facilitation of communication needs to fill the gap between the science-based work,
including the characterisation and evaluation of genetic resources and the development
of more diverse varieties to expand the sustainable use of genetic resources.

6.           Priority Areas of Action
The
conservation of agricultural biodiversity and the sustainable use of genetic
resources in agriculture require actions expanding beyond the established
framework. Particular emphasis must be given to an integrated and holistic approach
that ensures a better coordination of genetic resources conservation efforts
through sustainable use and an effective interplay among the relevant actors.
The
sustainable use of genetic resources must be developed alongside
improving the economic viability of the agricultural systems involved in genetic
resources conservation. Breeding activities are required that focus at farm
level on underutilised species, traditional and local breeds and crops. This
requires the setting-up of UNION-wide networks to valorise such material so as
to promote the role of agriculture in the development of rural areas,
maintenance of traditions and traditional farming practices, and the provision
of environmental public goods. Action is needed to enable farmers to recover
traditional knowledge and to provide them with the necessary skills and
know-how needed to work with local breeds and crops, while taking account of
changing climatic conditions. In order to provide an economically viable basis
for genetic resources conservation and use, the involvement of specialized
small-scale food processing industry, locally oriented restaurants and
alternative forms of tourism can play an active role in valorising agricultural
genetic resources and contribute to revitalize local economies.
Research
should continue to engage to further harness scientific and technological
developments to advance in genomic and phenotypic characterisation,
preferably oriented to detect and evaluate relevant traits associated with, i.a.
productivity, robustness, health, welfare, resource utilisation and product
quality. Evaluation results on genetic resources, varieties and breeds should
be made available to farmers by competent authorities and/or extension services.
Research activities should correspond to practice needs, be prioritised and
coordinated to take into account existing gaps and overlaps, and provide
solutions to end-users. Scientifically sound analysis must be expanded to cover
also crop relatives as they can provide useful information on the robustness of
individual species. Studies on landscape genetics would help to obtain information
on gene flow, selection and dynamic adaptation of breeds and crops to local and
potentially changing climate conditions. Soil biodiversity, other microbial and
invertebrates genetic resources (e.g. for pest management, agri-food
industry, pollination,…) need further investigation and so do the analysis of
interactions between microbiota and other species (e.g., in ruminants). 
Researchers
and national competent authorities have developed a wide range of collections
and related databases on genetic resources, breeds and plant varieties. While
this information is generally accessible, more needs to be done towards better
coordination and harmonisation to ensure the inter-operability of these
collections, data bases, and information systems. 
Active
networking and steady exchange
of information and knowledge between science, breeding and farming practices play
a key role in creating synergies and achieving economies of scale, while
avoiding overlaps and making outcomes more accessible to end-users. Such
networks lead to better coordination and offer opportunities for innovation,
while building on shared needs. 
7.           Key actors
The
active involvement of all relevant stakeholders and national competent
authorities is key to the successful conservation and sustainable use of genetic
resources in agriculture. Farmers, researchers, breeders and agri-food and
other processing industries, and consumers have vested interests as they can
potentially benefit from opportunities offered by genetic resources. And they play
decisive roles in the value chain.
As
a contribution to ex-situ conservation and accompanying in-situ
conservation and use, scientists and competent authorities undertake
activities to characterise and evaluate animal, plant, and microbial/invertebrate
genetic material, and to select beneficial traits. They also engage in
improving methodologies and tools in order to enhance the effectiveness of genetic
resources characterisation and testing and to optimise breeding techniques.
Furthermore, they play an essential role in synthesising and disseminating
results and ensuring that genetic material and related information are
accessible for practical uses, including for industry, breeders and farmers. 
Farmers
engage in on-farm conservation
and sustainable use. In some cases, farmers' motivations to engage may go
beyond the principles and logic of immediate economic gains resulting from food
production or higher and more sustainable yield. However, mainstreaming the
sustainable use of genetic resources would require an economically viable
basis. This viability can be derived from improved capacity to adapt to biotic
and abiotic stress, diseases and pests, or from increased production efficiency
and management; it would also arise from the quality and uniqueness they offer,
in particular in the context of local markets and corresponding cultural values
and traditions. 
Breeders, including farmer breeders, rely on genetic
resources to develop healthy animal breeds/phenotypes and plants varieties with
increased agronomic value (e.g. productivity, higher resistance to disease),
while offering safe products with high organoleptic and nutritional qualities,
and/or different characteristics. To become economically competitive, local and
underutilised breeds and crops have to respond to needs and require dedicated
breeding activities to improve their productivity or to select outstanding
characteristics and valuable agronomic traits. Breeders need to satisfy both
farmers' needs and consumers' expectations while supplying agri-food industry
with products adapted to the production chain. 
Consumers' choices determine decisions across the whole
supply chain, and hence influence general agri-food production patterns,
notably at the level of primary production. Commercial (and educational)
strategies can drive this process: over the past decade more and more consumers
changed their attitude and put emphasis on quality, diversity, sustainability,
fair trade concerns, animal welfare, pleasure and conviviality linked to food.
Supporting and promoting products derived from traditional and diversified breeds
and varieties will help to expand these markets and encourage farmers to engage
in an economically viable use of neglected species or under risk of genetic
erosion. Those activities cannot be developed in a top-down manner but require
interaction and cooperation among all actors, including farmers, processors,
retailers, and consumers.
In
view of ensuring enabling conditions, decision makers and administrations
have to carry their share and to ensure coordination at all levels, including
with relevant international standard setting organisations and international
networks, and to make efficient use of existing structures in place.
Furthermore they need to engage in developing the institutional and legal
framework in a manner that is consistent with the conservation and sustainable
use of genetic resources in agriculture while enhancing their economic
viability. 
The Rural Development Policy established under
the Common Agricultural Policy provides for conservation of relevant breeds and
plant genetic resources, for targeted actions to characterise and evaluate
these resources and also for quality schemes for agri-products and foodstuffs.
It is necessary to promote activities aimed at supporting the transfer of
research on conservation, characterisation and evaluation of genetic resources to
farmers and breeders. Furthermore, knowledge sharing among all relevant actors,
including end-users needs to be fostered.
8.           From research to conservation and active sustainable use 
The
best prospect to recover, maintain, and unleash the potential of agricultural
biodiversity will be provided by an integrated and holistic strategy. 
Meanwhile,
it is of utmost importance that the ongoing development of the Rural
Development programmes and the European Innovation Partnership as well as
Horizon 2020 combine conservation activities with end-user-oriented approaches,
based on unlocking the economic potential of genetic resources into the value
chain. This must be supported by interaction and co-operation among all actors involved
in genetic resources conservation as well as by scientific activities and dissemination
of results to farmers and end-users. This approach should achieve in particular
the following: 
Sustainable use of genetic
resources:
·              
Using the possiblilities
offered by Rural Development Policy, member states should sensitize farmers and
potentially interested actors to commit to increasing in-situ/on farm conservation activities; 
·              
All actors in the food chain
should invest to unlock the potential of agricultural genetic richness along
the whole production chain and capitalize on existing EU instruments and
processes to make conservation and sustainable use cost-effective and
profitable businesses, in
particular by encouraging consumers‘ demand for products derived from traditional and local varieties; 
·              
Scientists and Operational Groups
under the European Innovation Partnership “Agricultural productivity and
sustainability” should cooperate to increase the economic relevance and highlight
the economic opportunities of genetic resources. This can be achieved, i.a.,
by promoting the intrinsic value of genetic resources-derived products, developing
products for quality schemes, or through dedicated breeding activities.
Scientific and technological
development
·              
Scientists should harness
scientific and technological developments to advance a more comprehensive
characterisation, evaluation and documentation of agriculturally and
industrially relevant traits. New scientific and technological insights should
allow all types of actors to engage in genetic resources-related activities at
all relevant levels by providing them with the necessary skills and know-how;
·              
Scientist and other actors
should build an enabling framework allowing multi-actor approaches and active
knowledge exchange on genetic resources issues among all actors;
·              
Scientists and other
relevant actors can contribute to the sustainable use of genetic resources by
supporting the adaptation of existing practices to the entry into force of the
Nagoya Protocol and the respective legislation and regulatory requirements.
Co-ordination, harmonisation and
networking
·              
All actors should engage to
better coordinate genetic resources conservation activities in order to achieve
economies of scale, avoid overlaps,
create synergies, and make efficient
use of existing structures to render outcomes
relevant for and accessible to end-users. The European Innovation Partnership network offers a good
tool for such co-ordination;
·              
The European
Innovation Partnership network should ensure an
active and continuous flow of information between the different actors, notably
scientists and genetic resources end-users in order to effectively interlink
cutting-edge and applied research with practical end-user-oriented activities
and make the results available to the farmers.
Institutional and legal
framework
·              
The Commission will promote
a wider policy that includes the protection of neglected and local genetic
resources accompanied by an effective use of funding available under the Common
Agricultural Policy as well as the Union Research & Innovation Framework;
·              
The Commission will ensure that conservation and use of genetic resources
in agriculture is backed by a consistent legal framework at Union level; 
·              
The Commission will ensure that the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural genetic resources is well
flanked at the level of international commitments.
Concerted
Union actions are needed to honour the Union's international commitments, in
particular as regards the Treaty, as well as the obligations deriving from the
Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation with particular emphasis on
the recognition of the rights of local and indigenous communities. To engage in
the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, the Union and its Member States must
ensure that all users in the Union comply with applicable legislation or
regulatory requirements in term of access to and utilisation of genetic
resources and associated traditional knowledge, and have legal certainty that
benefits arising from their utilisation are fairly and equitably shared upon
mutually agreed terms. The revised legislation on plant reproductive material
will have a role to play in providing enabling conditions for the production
and the marketing of plant reproductive material, including landraces and
traditional varieties. 
As
an important building block for Union policies supporting in situ and
on-farm conservation, agro-environmental measures included in the Common
Agricultural Policy would continue to provide support to farmers who rear and
use traditional, endangered local breeds and/or preserve local plant genetic
resources under threat of genetic erosion. Rural Development can also provide
support to beneficiaries who perform actions targeted towards the
characterisation and collection of genetic resources. Rural development measures
helping the transition from genetic resources conservation towards an
effective, sustainable use and further development include knowledge transfer,
cooperation, and advisory services. In the upcoming programming for the budget
period 2014-2020, Member States should give more emphasis to measures that have
the potential to foster the conservation and sustainable use of traditional
breeds and varieties, notably in combination with marketing strategies
promoting the economic viability of local and diversified quality products and
short supply chains. Those actions would be complemented by the
"greening" requirements for direct payments under the 1st
pillar, in particular the requirement to ensure a certain level of crop
diversity and to preserve permanent grassland, including highly bio-diverse
grasslands being used for extensive animal production systems. 
The
conservation and sustainable use of agricultural genetic resources and their
integration into the value chain should get a reinforced knowledge base
complementing the co-creation of knowledge by breeders and farmers through a
comprehensive work programme established under the Union's Research & Innovation
Framework Horizon 2020. This work programme must cover a wide range of genetic
resources-linked activities, including cutting-edge research as well as types
of actions such as formerly included in the Community programme established
under Regulation (EC) 870/2004. It must cover innovative uses of agricultural genetic
resources, capacity building (e.g. bio-repositories for ex-situ
conservation, knowledge pools, and guidelines), the development of
practice-oriented methods of characterisation, evaluation, the selection of
traits for improved breeding, and demonstration projects that foster
sustainable use of genetic resources. Addressing these matters through Horizon
2020 rather than through an alone-standing programme, will offers scope for
administrative simplification. It will require trans-national participation
and, in combination with the function of the European Innovation Partnership to
facilitate Union-wide exchange among all relevant actors, ensure EU-added
value, including effective coordination and interaction among the different
activities. 
Within
the work programme for Societal Challenge 2 of Horizon 2020, particular
emphasis should be given to multi-actor approaches, where researchers and
end-users from various sectors can interact with agricultural advisory services
and innovation brokers, so as to foster knowledge exchange and the
dissemination of new scientific insights while having the opportunity of
performing on-farm experimentation and the validation of laboratory testing. 
The
need for enhancing the exchange among all relevant actors is one of the key
lessons drawn from past experience. As an effective framework facilitating the
interaction between research and practices, the European Innovation Partnership
"Agricultural productivity and sustainability" offers important
opportunities to integrate genetic resources-related activities. The European
Innovation Partnership is being built to mobilise actors, to raise awareness,
to ensure a better flow of information, and to facilitate knowledge sharing and
cooperation. 
The
mechanisms of the European Innovation Partnership would be particularly well
placed to integrate the activities targeting the recovery and maintenance as
well as the sustainable use and further development of agricultural genetic
diversity. Practically, the European Innovation Partnership would provide
relevant information to stakeholders about the opportunities offered by Union legislation
and policies and possible cooperation partners. By establishing project
databases, organising seminars and establishing a dedicated genetic resources focus
group, the European Innovation Partnership would foster knowledge sharing and
interaction among stakeholders. Thus, it would enhance the complementarity
between research supporting genetic resources conservation and practical actions
targeted towards farming practices. Better integration of conservation
activities and use of endangered crops and breeds in breeding and in the
production chain could benefit from mutual learning among all actors involved
and bottom-up initiative, notably in view of adapting genetic resources activities
to the local context and needs. 
In
order to mobilise expertise and improve co-ordination at Union level, the
activities of the European Innovation Partnership would be supported by a
strong involvement of the Committee on Genetic Resources that has been
established by Regulation (EC) 870/2004 and that will stay in place.
9.           Conclusions 
In
accordance with the commitment taken under the Union Biodiversity Strategy, by
facilitating and integrating the transition from research and conservation
towards sustainable use in the farm, the Union is engaging into a strategic
process to reverse agricultural biodiversity loss. 
By
establishing a sound framework in line with the above key orientations, the Union promotes a consequent change of policy orientation encouraging relevant stakeholders
to engage in the conservation of genetic resources and to move beyond
conservation to their active, sustainable use. This change is reflected in the
coherent and complementary approach established by different (new) Union policy
instruments and tools toward a more powerful and effective protection of
agricultural biodiversity.
Towards
2020, genetic resources can rely on greater financial resources and a wider
range of funding opportunities as provided under Rural Development and Horizon
2020 as well as under other Union policies. The reinforced efforts, going
beyond conservation, will benefit, i.a., agricultural production, research and
innovation results, climate change, environment, employment. These beneficial
effects will be at the advantage of society at large, while having particular
benefits in rural areas with strong links to traditional practices and related
cultural and territorial values. 
The
conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in agriculture forms part
of a wider effort to promote innovative practices and to contribute to smart,
sustainable growth in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy. Making genetic
resources conservation a success within Rural Development Policy as well as the
Research & Innovation Policy requires actions taken at all levels, EU,
Member States and regions as well as a strong commitment taken by relevant
stakeholders to get actively involved. Putting in place a comprehensive and
holistic approach on agricultural genetic resources would provide a
considerable contribution to enhance sustainability and economic viability
across different agricultural systems as well as the whole food chain.
[1]               European Council Conclusions
[2]               http://www.planttreaty.org/
[3]               COM(2011)244
[4]               Council Regulation (EC) 870/2004
[5]               For a detailed description of the programme and its
evaluation see the Staff working document annexed to this Report.