Annual Report
2004
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Contents
An
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Re
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20
04
Foreword 1
IPGRI’s new strategy: making the 
most of agricultural biodiversity 2
Getting a grip on nutrition and 
diversity 6
Learning to be more effective 8
Date palm project at the halfway 
mark 10
Support for European forests  
moves into a new phase 13
Banana plantlets help convert  
rags to riches 14
The Global Crop Diversity Trust 16
Low-cost technologies for seed 
conservation 19
A distributed approach  
to banana distribution 22
Building a regional network  
for public awareness 25
Making a start on conservation  
of crop wild relatives 26
Examining the options for  
genetic engineering in Africa 28
Risk Management 30
Selected IPGRI publications 30
Selected scientific publications 31
IPGRI’s projects 32
Establishment agreement 33
Financial report 33
Professional staff 37
Board of Trustees 40
IPGRI office locations
How we work
IPGRI’s modus operandi is 
based firmly on working with 
others, leveraging our funds 
and abilities so that we not only 
achieve results, but also help 
to build capacity in those we 
work with and for. So strong 
and plentiful are these links, 
however, that to list them all in 
every case would make for a 
very long and dry document. In 
the following stories some of our 
partners have been mentioned 
by name while others have not, 
but we would like to take this 
opportunity to thank them all. 
IPGRI depends on partnerships 
and partners to get the job 
done. We also acknowledge 
the support of all our donors, 
especially those that contribute 
unrestricted funds.
<www.futureharvest.org>
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre
supported by the
Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
 Research (CGIAR)
<www.futureharvest.org>
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre
supported by the
Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR)
<www.futureharvest.org>
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre
supported by the
Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
 Research (CGIAR)
<www.futureharvest.org>
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre
supported by the
Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR)
Foreword
IPGRI is now well on the way to implementing our new strategy, in which we have set 
ourselves the task of making a real contribution to helping the world to meet the Millennium 
Development Goals through the use of agricultural biodiversity. The process began in 2003 
and we owe a debt of gratitude to all of those inside and outside the centre who contributed 
their time and efforts. We think the strategy offers a good set of guidelines for the future.
In some respects the new strategy codifies changes in direction that had already been 
taking place for some time. An example is IPGRI’s work on nutrition, which has gathered 
pace as it becomes clearer that dietary diversity, which in turn depends on agricultural 
biodiversity, delivers better health through better nutrition. As a result of our early work in 
this area the Director General was invited to give a keynote address to the 7th Conference 
of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 
The speech was warmly welcomed, as was a side event organized to inform delegates of 
a proposal that had been developed to bring together researchers and other stakeholders 
with an interest in agricultural biodiversity. The Conference welcomed the proposal’s idea of 
a Global Facilitation Unit to coordinate research on agricultural biodiversity. The Conference 
of the Parties also asked IPGRI and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United 
Nations (FAO) to prepare a “cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition 
within the existing programme of work on agricultural biodiversity”. This is well in hand and 
we look forward to working with a wide range of global partners to ensure the optimal use of 
agricultural biodiversity.
Another set of global interactions surrounds the International Treaty on Plant Genetic 
Resources for Food and Agriculture. A crucial aspect of the Treaty’s implementation is the 
Material Transfer Agreements that will accompany transfers of genetic resources. IPGRI, 
on behalf of the Alliance of Future Harvest Centres, is providing technical support to the 
negotiations of these agreements, which are the core of the Treaty’s multilateral system of 
access and benefit sharing. The standard Material Transfer Agreement (sMTA) applies to all 
the Treaty’s Annex 1 crops and will be adopted by all the countries and other organizations 
(such as the Future Harvest Centres) that have made agreements with the Treaty’s governing 
body. This agreement is by no means complete, but substantial progress has been made. 
Final adoption, we hope, will lead to a resurgence in the use of genetic resources to produce 
improved varieties.
Looking to the future, IPGRI is proud to be associated with a new doctoral programme in 
agricultural biodiversity. The course is offered by the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, which is 
based in Pisa, Italy, but the lectures and research take place in a building adjacent to IPGRI 
and IPGRI is cooperating closely with Sant’Anna to provide teaching and research guidance. 
Students will conduct original research in plant genetic resources and functional biodiversity 
in agricultural ecosystems, and five scholarships have been awarded to candidates from 
developing countries. IPGRI’s commitment to developing capacity remains as strong as ever.
This annual report focuses on the impact of IPGRI’s activities on people, but all our activities 
are based on long years of extensive scientific research. Some of that research is reflected in a 
selection of peer-reviewed scientific papers (see p. 32), a new section in IPGRI’s annual report.
Change is never easy, but we are confident that IPGRI is maintaining and enhancing its 
relevance and that we can indeed make a difference to hunger and poverty. It is going to be 
difficult enough to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Without agricultural biodiversity, 
we believe it will be impossible.
Emile Frison  Benchaphun Shinawatra Ekasingh
Director General Board Chair
Fo
rew
or
d
Almost two 
years of effort 
and a huge 
exercise in 
consultation 
have delivered 
a new strategic 
map that 
will guide 
IPGRI’s future 
directions
IPGRI’s new strategy: making the most of agricultural biodiversity
IP
G
RI
’s 
ne
w
str
ate
gy
For more than 30 years the International Plant Genetic 
Resources Institute has been concerned with the use and 
conservation of crop diversity. But the world within which it 
works has changed and continues to change, and that made 
it necessary to look again at strategic priorities. What should 
IPGRI do, and how should it operate? In the search for answers 
the Institute consulted widely with stakeholders and conducted 
several internal workshops and meetings. The outcome was a new 
strategy, formally adopted by the Board of Trustees in September 
2004.
The core change is that IPGRI is putting people, especially poor people in developing 
countries, at the centre of its agenda. This is a logical extension of previous ideas, 
a transition from emergency conservation, through conservation and use, to use for 
development, which will automatically require conservation. IPGRI’s overall goal is to 
make a real contribution to the achievement of four of the Millennium Development Goals: 
eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; reducing child mortality; improving maternal 
health; and ensuring environmental sustainability. This is predicated on the certainty that 
agricultural biodiversity can be much more widely deployed to improve livelihoods, an 
observation that lies at the core of IPGRI’s new vision.
Success will therefore be assessed in part by the 
contribution IPGRI makes to people’s well-being: 
greater food security, better health and nutrition, 
higher incomes, all achieved while protecting 
the environment and natural resources. In the 
process we will also see improved conservation of 
agricultural biodiversity, greater empowerment of 
people, more supportive policies and other benefi ts.
The process
More than 500 stakeholders, well over half 
of those asked, responded to an invitation to 
share their priorities and concerns regarding 
development and their thoughts on how IPGRI 
could address them. There was overwhelming 
agreement, with poverty, food insecurity, poor 
health and environmental degradation all seen 
as obstacles to development. More than 90% 
of respondents felt that agricultural biodiversity 
could help to meet these challenges, and that 
it could make a ‘major’ contribution to food 
security and environmental conservation. Lack 
of funds was the greatest constraint to the 
improved conservation, management and use of genetic resources, stakeholders said. 
Lack of supportive policies and laws and lack of research were jointly the second most 
important constraints. The majority of respondents said that IPGRI can and should help to 
overcome those constraints, building on its strengths as a catalyst, facilitator and mediator.
Stakeholders were also asked to assess various areas of work, and their responses and 
the challenges they identifi ed fed into a series of staff meetings and workshops that honed 
and refi ned them. Out of these emerged a new strategy and a new organizational structure 
to implement it.
People today and in the future 
enjoy greater well-being through 
increased incomes, sustainably 
improved food security 
and nutrition, and greater 
environmental health, made 
possible by conservation and 
the deployment of agricultural 
biodiversity on farms and in 
forests.
Vision
3Annual Report
The strategy
Future activities will be organized under six 
objectives, and while there is inevitable cross-
fertilization among them, requiring close 
coordination, they can also be considered 
individually.
Demonstrating the social, economic and 
environmental benefi ts of agricultural 
biodiversity. A foundation of this area of work 
will be to develop and improve methods for 
bringing farmers and others into the process of 
diagnosing problems and identifying opportunities 
and solutions. This will ensure that IPGRI’s work 
is needed and useful. Broad areas that need to be 
addressed include the contribution of agricultural 
biodiversity to enhanced food security and 
improved nutrition and ways in which agricultural 
biodiversity can deliver environmental benefi ts 
and ecosystem services such as pollination and 
soil fertility. Work will continue to ensure that the 
needs of all actors in the chain that links farmers 
to consumers are met, forging links with non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), the private 
sector and others to do so. IPGRI also recognizes 
that it is not a development agency. It will work with 
partners to ensure that the benefi ts of agricultural 
biodiversity are scaled up and widely applied.
Ensuring that agricultural biodiversity is conserved, characterized and used 
to improve productivity. This area of work covers the ways in which people can make 
use of agricultural biodiversity, especially to develop more productive crops and more 
productive farm and forest systems. It will encompass techniques for monitoring the status 
of biodiversity in production systems and improved methods of on-farm conservation. 
Part of this will include the provision of technical advice to local, national and international 
players and the identifi cation and dissemination of best practices. This is one aspect 
of the information that must be available if people are to make better use of agricultural 
biodiversity. IPGRI will support documentation systems and offer improved access to 
information as a global service. IPGRI also has a well-defi ned role in relation to improving 
the productivity of bananas and plantains, coconuts and cacao and will strengthen and 
expand these efforts.
Generating knowledge about agricultural biodiversity through research, and 
making such knowledge available. Much still needs to be done to document the 
impact of agricultural biodiversity on a range of pressing problems and to ensure that the 
results of such investigations are widely available. This area of work will identify research 
needs and seek to infl uence the global agenda to recognize the value of agricultural 
biodiversity. Specifi c research topics will be sought in concert with partners, making 
full use of participatory and multidisciplinary approaches. The people who make use of 
agricultural biodiversity are themselves a source of valuable information and knowledge, 
and IPGRI will continue to help farmers and others to document, protect and disseminate 
their traditional knowledge about diversity. 
2004
4 2004Annual Report
Developing human and institutional capacity to make effective and 
sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. IPGRI’s partnership approach to 
work ensures that every activity carries with it an element of capacity development for 
its partners. Capacity development is thus an integral part of almost every activity IPGRI 
undertakes. However it will also be an area of work in its own right, focusing in particular 
on opportunities to extend IPGRI’s reach. Activities will include training trainers, working 
with NGOs and others to promote farmer-friendly approaches, supporting the inclusion of 
ideas about agricultural biodiversity in schools and universities and supporting the training 
of individual scientists within IPGRI.
Analyzing policies and fostering an environment that supports the use of 
agricultural biodiversity. It is vital that restrictive policies or perverse economic 
incentives do not hamper efforts to deploy agricultural biodiversity. IPGRI will play a 
leadership role in policy matters as they relate to genetic resources and agricultural 
biodiversity. Against an increasingly complex international legal background, countries 
need the ability to develop suitable policies and assess their impact on the use of genetic 
resources. IPGRI will work with countries to ensure that they can formulate, assess and 
implement policies that support the use and conservation of agricultural biodiversity. In 
the international arena, IPGRI will continue to provide impartial technical advice on genetic 
resources to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the 
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. We will also seek 
to promote policies that are supportive of biodiversity with regional and global bodies, 
such as the World Trade Organization, whose decisions may have an impact on farm and 
forest systems.
Raising awareness of the values of agricultural biodiversity 
and the importance of the conservation of genetic 
resources. An important task for IPGRI, according to the stakeholder 
survey, is to make people—especially decision-makers in the developing 
world—aware of the importance of agricultural biodiversity. 
Accordingly, IPGRI will use all means at its disposal to ensure that the 
activities of its other fi ve areas of work are given wide exposure. In this 
way we hope to awaken everyone, from highly-placed politicians to the 
rural people they serve, to the importance of agricultural biodiversity 
for development and improved well-being.
The six areas of work that serve the overall mission are refl ected in 
IPGRI’s new mission statement.
Once the strategy and activities had been decided on it became clear 
that the structural organization would have to change in response. By 
the end of 2004 the broad outline of a new structure had been agreed.
The structure
Four Programmes will carry out the bulk of project work. They will 
be supported by three Research and Support Units, which will also 
support the existing fi ve Regional Directors in their new role as the 
local voice of IPGRI. Regional Directors will advocate the importance 
of agricultural biodiversity, support local networks, assist resource 
mobilization and provide local expertise and advice on issues related 
to agricultural biodiversity. A key role of the Regional Directors is to 
provide guidance and advice to national decision-makers on genetic 
resources policy issues.
IPGRI undertakes, encourages 
and supports research and 
other activities on the use and 
conservation of agricultural 
biodiversity, especially genetic 
resources, to create more 
productive, resilient and 
sustainable harvests. Our aim 
is to promote the greater well-
being of people, especially poor 
people in developing countries, 
by helping them to achieve 
food security, to improve their 
health and nutrition, to boost 
their incomes, and to conserve 
the natural resources on which 
they depend. IPGRI works with 
a global range of partners to 
maximize impact, to develop 
capacity and to ensure that all 
stakeholders have an effective 
voice.
Mission
52004Annual Report
The Diversity for Livelihoods Programme aims to conduct research 
on, and demonstrate the social, economic and environmental benefi ts of, 
agricultural biodiversity. The Programme also aims to promote the use of 
agricultural biodiversity to improve livelihoods.
The Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Programme aims to ensure 
that agricultural biodiversity is conserved, characterized and used to improve 
productivity, and to ensure that knowledge about agricultural biodiversity is 
readily available to breeders, policy-makers and other stakeholders.
The Programme on Improving Livelihoods in Commodity Based 
Systems coordinates IPGRI’s work on three globally important commodity 
crops: banana, coconut and cacao. The Programme starts with the 
conservation and exchange of genetic resources of these crops and facilitating 
their improvement. It then takes a ‘commodity chain’ approach to researching 
the management and use of biodiversity from farmer’s fi eld to market, 
promoting the greater use of crop diversity for improving livelihoods. Through 
this Programme, IPGRI carries out its responsibilities for the International 
Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) and the 
International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT).
The Global Partnerships Programme coordinates and facilitates IPGRI’s 
participation in regional networks and in international fora to promote 
collaboration in the realm of genetic resources and the greater use of genetic 
resources to improve the lives of the poor.
The three Research and Support Units (RSUs) coordinate all of IPGRI’s work in essential 
cross-cutting areas, namely policy, capacity development and public awareness. In addition 
to their coordination role, the RSUs provide technical backstopping, conduct research and 
carry out activities related to policy, capacity development and public awareness.
The Policy and Law Unit makes contributions to genetic resources policy development at 
global, regional, national and CGIAR System-wide levels. The Project is also the administrative 
home for the CGIAR Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP) and provides 
the secretariat for the Genetic Resources Policy Committee (GRPC) of the CGIAR.
The Capacity Development Unit aims to strengthen the human capacity of developing 
countries to enable them to better manage and maintain their agricultural biodiversity.
The Public Awareness Unit focuses on increasing the awareness of the potential of 
agricultural biodiversity to improve human well-being and of the work that is being done by 
IPGRI and the CGIAR to harness this potential for the benefi t of people.
The new strategy includes novel elements and approaches, but it is not a radical 
reformulation. It is, however, a bold change in emphasis and focus. The new structure will 
likewise require fl exibility and commitment. But on behalf of the poor for whom it works, 
the organization as a whole is dedicated to the lofty ambition of making a real contribution 
to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
A package of documentation 
about the strategy
 is available on request from
 j.cherfas@cgiar.org
A core element of IPGRI’s new strategy is to use 
agricultural biodiversity to deliver improved health. This is founded 
upon an appreciation of the links between dietary diversity and 
better nutrition, which in turn delivers better health. Qualitative 
evidence, a few small-scale studies and extrapolation from 
existing data have convinced IPGRI and its partners of the value 
of this approach. However, two key audiences—policy-makers 
and the rural and urban poor who could most benefi t from dietary 
diversity—have yet to be fully persuaded. A new multidisciplinary 
project, funded by Canada’s International Development Research 
Centre (IDRC), aims to do so by undertaking solid research 
and working to make people more aware of the value of dietary 
diversity.
Four countries are involved—Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda—with activities most 
advanced in Kenya. In each, the problems are roughly the same. Food insecurity and what 
has been called the nutrition transition are accompanied by a simplifi ed diet; people have 
abandoned their traditional, diverse and nutritionally rich diet and eat simple, energy-rich 
foods. The result is a double burden of under-nutrition and non-communicable diseases 
such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The project, with a multitude of collaborators, 
is seeking ways to use diversity to tackle the double burden.
A crucial fi rst step is to discover just 
how diverse diets are and the factors 
that infl uence the choices people make. 
In Kenya, a team will survey more than 
800 families in and around Nairobi 
using a variety of techniques to explore 
what people eat and why they make 
the choices they do. In preparation, 
IPGRI and the National Museums 
of Kenya collaborated to trawl the 
markets of Nairobi for diversity. They 
found more than 800 traditional plant 
species and varieties on sale, and digital 
photographs of all of them have been 
compiled into a book that will help the 
household surveys to be more accurate 
and more complete. An interesting 
trend, one outcome of an earlier IPGRI 
project on African leafy vegetables, 
is that supermarkets are expanding 
their fresh produce sections to include 
a greater diversity of traditional 
vegetables. Indeed supermarkets 
beyond the original target chain, having 
witnessed its success, have started to 
stock traditional vegetables, leading to 
a concern that supply may not be able 
to meet demand. Other projects are 
addressing the problem with training 
and extension work, but there is a real 
possibility that consumers, newly alerted 
Getting a grip on nutrition and diversity
A new project 
is under way 
to explore the 
links between 
agricultural 
and dietary 
diversity and 
better nutrition 
in sub-Saharan 
Africa
N
ut
ritio
n 
an
d
div
er
sit
y
Mr Stephen 
Kimondo 
has built a 
thriving farm 
enterprise based 
on traditional leafy 
vegetables.
72004Annual Report
to the benefi ts of traditional vegetables, will 
be turned off if they cannot fi nd them in the 
shops.
Increased demand refl ects the impact of the 
project’s most advanced activities so far, 
four promotional events. African Traditional 
Food Week, held in Nairobi from 26 June to 
3 July in 2004, gave Kenyans an opportunity 
to re-examine their diet choices in relation to 
their health. There were street displays, an 
exhibit of traditional foods with competitions 
for recipes, seminars and lectures and a symposium specifi cally to alert farmers to 
the benefi ts of traditional vegetables for better health and improved income. The week 
devoted one afternoon to a round table for professionals and policy-makers, graced by the 
presence of two members of parliament, who provided the project with valuable advice 
for engaging with other policy-makers. Local radio and television stations and newspapers 
gave the events considerable coverage, touching as they did on fundamental human 
concerns like health, and that took the message to an even greater audience than attended 
in person. The team reports receiving a fl ood of enquiries after the event, including 
requests for seed and for the specifi c nutrient content of certain vegetables.
Other events included Kenyatta University Culture Week and the 
Nairobi International Show. Both offered an opportunity to give 
visiting members of the public information about food, diversity and 
nutrition. The interest shown by farmers at the Nairobi International 
Show suggests that supplies of traditional vegetables may be about 
to expand. Another important meeting for the project was Kenyatta 
Hospital’s Nutrition Week, held in October 2004, which provided an 
opportunity to work specifi cally with health-care professionals and 
policy-makers, with whom it will be vital to forge strong alliances.
Kenya will focus on the household survey and marketing studies 
during 2005. The other three countries are ramping up their activities, 
having gained much valuable advice from the Kenyan experience. 
They too will be surveying consumption patterns and working to 
promote traditional vegetables, with methodologies that will allow 
comparisons to be made among the countries and across the region. 
The data coming in over the life of the project will, it is hoped, help 
to convince all concerned that increased dietary diversity is a cure to 
biological and economic ills alike.
Further information 
p.eyzaguirre@cgiar.org
Kenyan Minister 
Lenah Kilimo 
drops the flag to 
start the Walk for 
Health, just one 
of many activities 
to promote a 
more traditional, 
nutritious diet.
S
te
vi
e 
M
an
n
/I
P
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at
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au
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/I
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to
 b
e 
m
or
e 
ef
fec
tive
It is a truism that those who do not understand history are 
condemned to repeat it, one that applies to the work of the Alliance 
of Future Harvest Centres as much as anything. If the successes, 
and failures, of past work do not inform and help to amend 
planned projects, then an important source of assistance is being 
ignored. The same applies to the CGIAR (Consultative Group on 
International Agricultural Research) System as a whole; if it is to 
change and be relevant against tomorrow’s political background as 
well as today’s, it must make good use of past experience.
IPGRI had already started to investigate techniques for institutional learning and change 
(ILAC) in its own operations and became aware that several other centres and System-
wide efforts were also interested in pursuing these approaches. The result was a 
grassroots ILAC Initiative, funded originally by the Rockefeller Foundation and the German 
development agency, GTZ. The Initiative is hosted at IPGRI and coordinated by IPGRI 
staff. Over the past two years it set out to explore ways for the CGIAR and its partners 
to improve their impact on the livelihoods of poor people, by fostering learning from 
successful and unsuccessful efforts and by using the results to improve ongoing and 
future efforts.
The ILAC Initiative adopted four complementary strategies to further its work. It tried 
to develop a supportive environment among the donor community and among CGIAR 
governing bodies. It fostered a culture of innovation, learning and change within CGIAR 
centres and programmes. To do that required managers and researchers to develop the 
knowledge, attitudes and skills to make use of ILAC. And fi nally, the Initiative encouraged 
management to be supportive of ILAC.
Some donors are themselves going through 
a process of institutional learning and change 
and are eager to share their experiences with 
the CGIAR centres and to learn from 
the CGIAR’s efforts. And 
many donors have 
expressed strong 
interest in stimulating 
systemic change within 
the CGIAR. The Initiative 
is working closely with 
these donors and others 
to encourage support for 
ILAC. Similar interactions 
with various bodies of 
the CGIAR, such as the 
Centre Directors Committee 
and the Standing Panel on 
Impact Assessment and 
the Standing Panel on 
Monitoring and Evaluation 
of the CGIAR’s Science 
Council, have provided 
opportunities to put 
together further support for 
the concepts.
Learning to be more effective
An IPGRI-
led effort is 
helping CGIAR 
centres and 
their partners 
to be more 
useful and 
more focused 
in their work

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92004Annual Report
Building skills and changing attitudes 
have been addressed through a series of 
workshops and publications. Meetings 
to train people and to help them develop 
projects for supporting ILAC within 
their own centres were well attended 
and successful. Publications include an 
introduction to the concepts of ILAC, 
written by the ILAC team, and a series of 
ILAC briefs introducing specifi c ideas. All of 
these and other sources of information are 
being made available through a dedicated 
ILAC Web site.
The ILAC Initiative has now come to the end of its preparatory phase and, as befi ts its 
subject, has been able to stand back and use the techniques it has explored to shape the 
next phase. For example, it has become clear that the move from principles to action in 
the centres requires considerably more face-to-face interaction than had been anticipated. 
This has implications for the time and budgets of ILAC team members, centre staff and 
partners, which have to be refl ected in proposals. A shift in traditional management 
perspectives is also needed. The current 
emphasis is on accountability and compliance, 
while to truly benefi t from ILAC, management 
needs to embrace and value learning and 
change. That calls for a greater role for human-
resources management and for monitoring and 
evaluation processes that home in on learning.
A proposal for a second phase is being 
developed. One of its key components will be 
an ILAC Innovation Fund, which will allow Future 
Harvest Centres and System-wide programmes 
to experiment with ILAC. This is an essential 
element in making the concepts of ILAC part 
and parcel of the way the entire CGIAR System 
does business. When it succeeds, the System’s 
accumulated history will enable it to improve 
the effectiveness of agricultural research 
programmes in contributing to sustainable 
poverty reduction.
Further information 
j.watts@cgiar.org 
and see the ILAC Web site at 
www.cgiar-ilac.org.
Original funding came from the 
Rockefeller Foundation and the 
GTZ provided further support. In 
addition, the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs of The Netherlands has 
pledged support to begin in 
2005.
In addition to the staff at IPGRI, 
the ILAC Initiative has formal 
links with six collaborating 
institutions: Centro Internacional 
de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), 
the International Maize and 
Wheat Improvement Center 
(CIMMYT), the International 
Crops Research Institute for the 
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the 
Institute for Development Studies 
(IDS), the University of Sussex, 
England, IPGRI’s International 
Network for Banana and Plantain 
(INIBAP) and the United Nations 
University (UNU), Maastricht, The 
Netherlands.
ILAC donors and 
partners
D
ate
 p
alm
pr
oje
ct
In three North African countries—Algeria, Morocco and 
Tunisia—an ambitious project is transforming the lives of oasis 
dwellers who depend on date palms. The three countries, 
however, assess their success differently. Algeria and Tunisia 
have made most progress in increasing their capacity to 
multiply and distribute date palm varieties, to expand the range 
of diversity being grown by farmers. They feel they have made 
least progress in raising public awareness of the importance 
of date palm diversity and sharing best practices. Morocco, 
by contrast, has done most on public awareness and least on 
multiplying and distributing date palm diversity.
Date palms stand at the centre of complex ecological, economic and social networks. 
This is what necessitated the project’s combined approach of rigorous science and a 
participatory methodology that fully involves the farmers and their communities. And 
while this combination has made some of the project’s activities expensive and diffi cult 
to manage, it has also resulted in far greater commitment among the participants. The 
ostensibly simple matter of multiplying and making varieties available, for example, has 
been complicated, and enhanced, by the desire to take farmers’ needs into consideration. 
On the scientifi c side, there was a need to establish and equip laboratories and train 
technicians to make effective use of them. This has been done in all three countries. 
Farmers then participated in the selection of which varieties to bring into the laboratories. 
As a result, more than 70 farmer-selected varieties, many of them rare or extremely rare, 
are now stored in vitro as laboratory microplants. There were fewer than 10 before the 
project began. So the project has enhanced ex situ conservation. It has also, thanks to 
farmer participation, identifi ed about 200 new varieties at the project sites.
The microplants will 
also make it possible 
to distribute healthy 
planting material of 
rare and sought-
after varieties. In the 
meantime, farmers 
have been clamouring 
for particular varieties 
that will not be 
available in that 
form for some while. 
To meet this need 
the project created 
partnerships with 
non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs) 
and community–
based organizations 
(CBOs) to distribute 
offshoots of the 
desired varieties. In 
Tunisia, for example, 
farmers have 
received more than 
4000 offshoots of 
An independent 
assessment has 
concluded that 
IPGRI’s Date Palm 
Project is on 
target to meet all 
its objectives and 
is already having 
considerable 
impact
Date palm project at the halfway mark
The project has worked with local supermarkets 
to promote date diversity.
N
. N
as
r/
IP
G
R
I
112004Annual Report
more than 20 varieties and 
the number of varieties being 
grown is on the increase. 
Almost more important than 
the offshoots themselves, 
however, is the capacity 
development that went 
into distributing them. The 
project helped 11 NGOs and CBOs to obtain a total of more than US$500 000 from the 
Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) Small Grants Programme. This support enables the 
farmers to get the varieties they need and multiplies the impact of the project’s direct work.
In some respects the demand for more varieties refl ects the project’s successful efforts 
to meet its second objective, of reversing the genetic erosion caused by markets. The 
project and its partners have revived traditional products made from dates and date palms 
and explored new markets and products. An interesting role for the project has been to 
act as a pump-primer by creating a small market for certain products. The project buys 
specifi c varieties to exhibit at diversity fairs, which helps to spread the word and expand 
the market. Moreover the project also bought other products, such as baskets made from 
date palm fronds in which to show the date varieties and make them available for tasting. 
Promoting artisanal activities like basket-making has particularly strengthened the position 
of women in the oasis communities. Men control the major cash crops. Women make 
use of date palm byproducts and lesser varieties. Both have further benefi ted from the 
introduction of early and late date palm varieties, which have extended the season during 
which dates can bring in an income.
Much remains to be done to reverse the impact of market concentration on genetic diversity. 
The project has commissioned crucial studies of regional and European markets for dates 
and is in preliminary discussions with partners from the private sector to place new products 
in new markets. In Algeria, for example, pastries based on dates, products made from date 
palm fronds and chopped date leaves for cattle feed are all helping to boost incomes.
In Tunisia and the other countries merchants and 
consumers nationally are showing interest in traditional 
varieties, which suggests not only that the goal of 
reducing genetic erosion is being achieved, but also 
that fears about not doing enough to promote public 
awareness may be misplaced. Already some innovative 
approaches have been implemented. From the outset, 
the project has been working with women and NGOs 
to gather recipes and traditional information about 
the ways in which different varieties can be used in 
the kitchen. A book of traditional recipes based on 
dates will be published in 2005. In partnership with the 
Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina, an NGO in 
Tozeur, Tunisia, the project planted more than 1200 male 
date palms along 10 kilometres of road. In Algeria, the 
municipality of Ghardaia is adopting a similar approach, 
planting endangered date palm varieties in the town 
squares to boost conservation. This kind of effort has 
multiple impacts; it improves the urban environment and 
preserves genetic diversity at the same time as providing 
a focal point for public awareness activities.
Date palms produced from material stored in vitro 
are loaded ready for distribution.
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Authorities in Degache in western Tunisia 
distribute the first test-tube plants grown from 
in vitro storage. 
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In Algeria, similar objectives have been achieved by organizing 
date fairs, where the public, including policy-makers and 
farmers, can experience the diversity of dates and date products 
and begin to appreciate the importance of making use of more 
date varieties. In all three countries farmers and policy-makers 
are now more aware of agricultural diversity and have indicated 
that, thanks to training and workshops aimed at raising their 
awareness, they now understand that working with more 
varieties is in their interest, a clear refl ection of the impact of the 
project’s public awareness activities.
This selection from the project’s many achievements gives some 
indication of the impact it is having. The remainder of the project 
will continue to build on the work, harnessing the power of the 
participatory approach and forging new partnerships to continue 
to promote date palm diversity.
Further information
n.nasr@cgiar.org
Participatory management of date palm genetic resources in the oases of the 
Maghreb is funded by the United Nations Development Programme/Global 
Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) in line with GEF’s Operational Programme for 
Arid and Semi-Arid Ecosystems and the cross-cutting issue of land degradation. 
It is implemented by IPGRI through local partners and governments in three 
countries—Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. The project combines a scientifi c design 
with a participatory approach to implementation. It aims to recognize and validate 
the expertise found within agricultural communities and to link a diverse collection 
of activities designed to enhance conservation of date palm biodiversity, all within a 
framework of sustainable development of oasis ecosystems.
The project has three immediate objectives:
Increase national capacity to multiply more date palm varieties for use by
farmers than is currently possible
Combat genetic erosion of in situ date palm varieties caused by market
incentives
Raise awareness of project activities and foster the exchange and replication
of successful project activities and best practices
•
•
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On a study tour from Tunisia 
to Algeria, project coordinator 
Noureddine Nasr presents their 
hosts in Ghardaia with a test-
tube plant.
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Demand for handicrafts has given 
women more prominence in the 
communities.
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The Steering Committee of the European Forest 
Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) endorsed 
a third phase for the programme at its meeting to 
review Phase II, which ran from 2000 to 2004. The 
meeting, held in Židlochovice, Czech Republic, in May 
2004, was attended by national coordinators from 30 of 
the 32 country members of EUFORGEN.
EUFORGEN Phase III will run from 2005 to 2009. It will continue to implement the decisions 
of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) and is 
being restructured to refl ect new MCPFE priorities while continuing work based on earlier 
decisions. The 4th Ministerial Conference, which took place in Austria in 2003, adopted 
a resolution to conserve and enhance forest biological diversity in Europe. EUFORGEN’s 
Steering Committee therefore agreed that a primary objective for Phase III of the 
programme should be to “promote practical implementation of gene conservation and 
appropriate use of genetic resources as an integral part of sustainable forest management”.
During Phase II EUFORGEN operated through fi ve species-based networks. In Phase III 
the species networks have been reduced to three; one for conifers, one for broadleaves 
that form stands and one for broadleaves that are scattered. An entirely new thematic 
network is being created to serve forest management. It will bring together forest 
managers, scientists and policy–makers, and one of its tasks will be to develop protocols 
to evaluate the consequences for genetic resources of different management regimes and 
to identify genetically appropriate management practices. In addition a working group on 
information is being established to support all the EUFORGEN networks in their efforts to 
collate and distribute reliable information about forest genetic resources in Europe.
EUFORGEN has produced several concrete outputs, including technical guidelines for 
genetic conservation and use of forest trees, long-term conservation strategies for forest 
genetic resources and public awareness materials. It has also provided a useful platform 
for partners to develop large cooperative 
projects in Europe and generally helped to 
strengthen national efforts. The new Phase 
III will build on and amplify these efforts.
Further information
j.koskela@cgiar.org
Support for European forests moves into a new phase
Eu
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Changes in 
structure and 
objectives 
will help the 
European 
Forest Genetic 
Resources 
Programme 
adapt to 
meet new 
challenges and 
responsibilities
EUFORGEN
Beech forests 
are a feature 
of the European 
landscape.
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Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, 
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, 
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, 
Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, 
Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, 
Macedonia FYR, Malta, The 
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, 
Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, 
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, 
Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.
IPGRI’s Regional Offi ce for Europe 
hosts the EUFORGEN Secretariat 
and coordinates the Programme 
in technical collaboration with the 
Forestry Department of the Food 
and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations (FAO). The EUFORGEN 
programme is entirely funded by 
member countries.
EUFORGEN Phase II 
participating countries
Promote practical implementation of 
gene conservation and appropriate 
use of genetic resources as an 
integral part of sustainable forest 
management
Facilitate further development 
of methods to conserve genetic 
diversity of European forests
Collate and disseminate reliable 
information on forest genetic 
resources in Europe
•
•
•
EUFORGEN Phase III 
objectives
Banana plantlets helpconvert rags to riches
Former street 
children in the 
Philippines have 
transformed a 
barren patch 
of land into a 
lush banana 
garden, gaining 
skills and an 
income and 
bringing hope 
to a devastated 
banana-growing 
area
In February 2003 staff at the Regional Offi ce for Asia and the 
Pacifi c of the International Network for the Improvement of Banana 
and Plantain (INIBAP) received an intriguing request: could they 
help a French non-governmental organization that takes care 
of Filipino street children? The Virlanie Foundation looks after 
about 300 street children, mostly at 11 homes in Manila. However, 
the foundation has a twelfth home in Balayan, a two-hour drive 
southwest of Manila, where 15 young adults are learning the 
basics of farming. After visiting the farm and meeting the people, 
INIBAP decided to supply healthy plantlets of three newly 
introduced banana hybrids and two local favourites. But plantlets 
alone are not much use. Virlanie’s programme leader, Jhon 
Caminsi, and agronomist Eddie Ynion, along with four of the boys, 
were invited to one of INIBAP’s hands-on training workshops. With 
the support of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and 
Natural Resources Research and Development and the Institute 
of Plant Breeding they learned how to manage and care for the 
plantlets and how to look after their proposed banana plantation.
Two years later, after carefully putting into practice their new knowledge, the boys have not 
only been rewarded with healthy plants bearing large bunches but have also become the 
envy of the neighbourhood. Local farmers had no faith in the project. Although the area 
Ba
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Eddie Ynion, 
agronomist with the 
project, shows off a 
fine hand of Virlanie’s 
bananas.
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had once been renowned for its bananas, in the late 1990s it was devastated by banana 
bunchy top virus (BBTV) and had never recovered. BBTV is carried within the plant and 
spreads from plant to plant and when infected suckers are used to establish new plants. 
But BBTV is one of the easiest diseases to remove when plants are grown in tissue culture 
and the disease-free plantlets gave the project a fl ying start. Reinfection does occur and 
the boys do occasionally see plants with symptoms of BBTV on the Virlanie farm, but they 
get rid of them immediately, as they were taught, and that helps to keep the disease under 
control. Now their neighbours, having seen what healthy stock and good management can 
do, have asked whether they can buy plantlets and the training to make full use of them.
The bananas are a good deal for Virlanie. The homes in Manila buy them from the farm in 
Balayan for about 25% less than they would have to pay in the market, and the children in 
the city appreciate this secure source of healthy and nourishing food. The Filipinos prefer 
Lakatan, one of the local cultivars, while foreign volunteers at Virlanie prefer FHIA-23, an 
introduced hybrid more like the bananas they are used to. Another new hybrid, FHIA-18, is 
a cooking banana and the boys are now being trained by Cavite State University to make 
value-added banana chips from this variety.
The project is proving a success in two ways. There are the local farmers clamouring to 
use the same techniques to get back into banana production. And the Virlanie farm has 
now asked to trial three more new hybrids. The boys are reaping the rewards of their efforts 
with the additional satisfaction of having proved their sceptical neighbours wrong.
Further information 
i.vandenbergh@cgiar.org
See also http://virlanie.org/
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Before and after; pictures taken a year apart show the dramatic improvement 
in Virlanie’s land.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust 
is a joint initiative of IPGRI, acting on 
behalf of the Future Harvest Centres, 
and the Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations 
(FAO). It supports an endowment 
that will fund in perpetuity the urgent and chronic fi nancial 
shortages that face the world’s most important collections of 
crop diversity. The Trust also supports priority upgrading and 
capacity-building activities. In 2004 the Trust broke the US$50 
million fundraising mark, adopted its fi rst business plan, launched 
an ambitious process to support the development of regional and 
crop conservation strategies and made its fi rst grants.
In February, the Directors General of FAO and IPGRI conveyed to governments the Trust’s 
constitution and the agreement to establish the organization, which enables it to operate 
under international law. These two crucial instruments would enter into force once they had 
been signed by seven states, including at least four developing countries and representing 
at least fi ve of the seven regions into which FAO divides the world. The agreement was 
opened for signature on 1 April 2004, and on that day was signed by the governments of 
Egypt and Cape Verde. On 21 October 2004 Sweden became the seventh state to sign the 
agreement, and the Trust came into being.
By the end of the 
year, 16 countries had 
signed the agreement 
and donors from 
the governments 
of developed and 
developing countries, 
foundations, private 
companies, farmers’ 
organizations and 
individuals had 
pledged more than 
US$56 000 000 in 
funds. Based on a 
proposal put to it by 
an informal meeting 
of the Trust’s donors, 
the Interim Panel 
of Eminent Experts 
(IPEE)—the Trust’s 
pro tem executive 
board—invited all 
donors who had 
given the Trust at 
least US$25 000 to 
join a Donor Council 
intended to guide 
the operations of the 
Trust, particularly with 
regard to fi nancial 
The Global Crop Diversity Trust
G
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C
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The past 
year saw the 
Trust legally 
established as 
an international 
organization 
and well on 
the way to 
meeting its 
goal of helping 
to secure the 
long-term 
future of crop 
diversity
The Trust is helping genebanks to develop a rational 
strategy for conserving their barley samples over the 
long term. That may include oddities like this variety 
collected in Nepal, which has two distinct seed colours 
on a single spike.
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matters. The composition 
of the Donor Council will be 
reviewed at the end of 2005.
The IPEE met three times 
during the year, making a 
host of signifi cant decisions. 
Among these was the decision 
that the Secretariat should 
continue to operate from 
Rome, jointly hosted by FAO 
and IPGRI, for up to fi ve years. 
This offers much-needed 
stability during the Trust’s 
critical start up years. Other 
important decisions included 
the establishment of a Finance 
and Investment Committee to 
oversee all fi nancial matters 
(including the investment 
of the endowment funds), 
the adoption of an interim 
statement of investment 
objectives and policies and 
fi nancial regulations, and the 
development and adoption 
of the Trust’s fi rst fi ve-year 
business plan.
On the programme side, the 
IPEE adopted a set of fi rst 
principles to be met for a 
collection holder to be eligible 
for funding from the Trust (see 
box). The principles are further 
elaborated by specifi c criteria, 
which in turn must be met for 
collections to be eligible for 
long-term funding. The criteria 
were also adopted by the IPEE. 
The principles and criteria are 
part of the Trust’s efforts to ensure that funding decisions are as transparent and reasoned 
as possible. To assist this process further the Trust embarked on the development of a 
series of regional and crop conservation strategies. As well as fostering collaboration and 
greater rationalization in conservation, the strategies will identify the most important and 
neediest crop diversity collections that are eligible for funding and that should be given 
priority.
Eight regional and 10 crop conservation strategies were under development by the end of 
2004. It is expected that all of the regional strategies will be completed by the end of 2005 
and 36 crop strategies (covering the crops and forages included in the multilateral system 
of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) will be 
completed in 2006.
The Trust, in working towards the development 
and maintenance of effi cient and effective ex 
situ conservation systems, will apply four basic 
principles that must be met in order for a crop 
diversity collection to be eligible for fi nancial 
support:
The plant genetic resources are of crops 
included in Annex 1 or referred to in Article 
15.1 (b) of the International Treaty on Plant 
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
The plant genetic resources are accessible 
under the internationally agreed terms of 
access and benefi t sharing provided for in the 
multilateral system as set out in the International 
Treaty
Each holder of plant genetic resources for 
food and agriculture commits to its long-term 
conservation and availability
Each recipient of funds from the Trust shall 
undertake to work in partnership with the aim 
of developing an effi cient and effective global 
conservation system
•
•
•
•
Interim eligibility principles
18 2004Annual Report
The process of elaborating the regional and crop conservation strategies is revealing the 
urgent needs of some of the world’s most important collections. The Trust can fund key 
upgrading and capacity-building for priority collections, to ensure that these collections 
function effectively before it commits to supporting them over the long term. As a result 
of the development of the crop and regional strategies the Trust has decided to make fi ve 
such grants so far.
Regeneration of legume and forage crops at the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant 
Industry (US$210 000 over three years)
Regeneration of the African and Indian Ocean International Coconut Collection 
(US$236 940 over fi ve years)
Securing apple fi eld collections in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan (US$118 860 over three 
years)
Increasing and improving seed-drying capacity in southern Africa (US$56 000 over one 
year)
Pilot project for Malaysia and the International Rice Research Institute to develop an 
accession-level information resource for rice (US$23 000 over one year)
The Trust operates as one element of the funding strategy of the International Treaty. 
In November 2004 the Trust presented a progress report to the second meeting of the 
FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which was acting as 
the Interim Committee of the International Treaty. The Interim Committee unanimously 
welcomed the progress that the Trust had made in such a short time. Earlier in the year, 
the effort to establish the Trust had been welcomed by the 7th Meeting of the Conference 
of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The recognition of the Trust’s 
relevance and importance in these two vital international bodies will, it is hoped, help to 
win the new organization many more friends and supporters in the coming years.
For further information 
r.raymond@cgiar.org
•
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•
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•
Staff of 
the Trust’s 
Secretariat 
during a planning 
meeting at IPGRI 
HQ.
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Seeds genebanks in developing countries often have 
a hard time fulfi lling their mandate to conserve plant genetic 
resources for future use. Lack of funds, equipment malfunction 
and unreliable power all conspire to make it very diffi cult for 
genebank curators to manage their collections. Low-input 
methods for seed storage do exist but have not been well 
documented or scientifi cally assessed for their impact on seed 
longevity. IPGRI, with the support of the Quebec Ministry of 
International Relations and the System-wide Genetic Resources 
Programme (SGRP) of the Consultative Group on International 
Agricultural Research (CGIAR), recently used a literature review, 
questionnaires and fi eld surveys to pull together information on 
low-cost seed-storage techniques and to see how these might be 
relevant to long-term conservation.
One of the problems is that few people have studied low-cost storage because it takes 
place within the farmer’s house or at a community level and so is hidden from view. Also, 
most seed is planted the following season rather than stored long-term. As a result there 
are very few peer-reviewed publications on the topic. However, a survey of those that do 
exist, and of the more extensive ‘grey’ literature, shows that in general farmers do not 
distinguish food from seed at harvest time and they usually store them together. When they 
are stored separately, farmers use whatever is available to store seed; containers of clay in 
various forms, straw, palm leaves, gourds, wood, leather, glass, plastic and metal were all 
recorded. Sometimes seeds are not threshed but are stored on the cob (maize), in panicles 
(rice and sorghum) or in their pods (beans and peanuts).
The biggest danger to stored seeds is insect pests and farmers use a range of techniques 
to mitigate the threat. Some mix local plants, their identity often a closely guarded family 
secret, with the seeds to protect them. Wood ash and sand are also mixed with the grain. 
Low-cost technologies for seed conservation
All rural 
farmers need 
to store seeds 
at least from 
harvest to the 
next planting 
season. A 
survey of their 
techniques 
identifi es 
promising 
avenues for 
genebanks to 
explore for 
longer-term 
storage
Lo
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A research worker from National Museums of Kenya 
examines a seed storage basket made of twigs wrapped with 
grass and smeared with cow dung. Farmers in Marimanti 
village in eastern Kenya do not really distinguish grain 
stores from seed stores.
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Bean seed 
mixtures are often 
stored separately
 for planting.
This fi lls the spaces between the seeds, making it more diffi cult for insects to move 
through the seeds. Other inert materials, such as mineral dust, may help to protect the 
seeds by scratching the insect’s body so that it dies of desiccation. Many families store 
their seeds in lofts above cooking fi res; smoke accumulates and drives away insect pests. 
A less common technique is to store seeds in sealed containers from which the oxygen 
has been removed, usually by placing a small lamp with a burning wick inside the container 
before it is sealed. The fl ame consumes the oxygen, without which the insects die.
Cold and dry seeds store better
It is important to dry seeds thoroughly for effective storage. While solar-powered dryers 
have been developed for food, these have not been tested in the context of germplasm 
conservation. Measuring moisture content is another problem. Drying ovens and moisture 
meters are expensive. A low-cost alternative is to use salt that has been sun-dried for a 
couple of days. The salt is mixed with the seeds in a clean, dry glass jar and shaken for 
a minute. If the salt sticks to the glass then the seeds probably contain more than 15% 
moisture and should be dried further. If the salt does not stick then the seeds are dry 
enough to be put into storage.
Refrigeration is diffi cult where power is expensive and erratic and equipment liable to 
malfunction. There are low-cost alternatives, such as passive cooling by evaporation, heat 
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exchange or insulation, which all deserve further exploration by genebanks. An interesting 
avenue to explore might be the use of solar medical refrigerators, currently employed in 
remote hospitals and to store vaccines for rural areas.
Organizations are aware of the diffi culties and are looking at alternative solutions. In response 
to a questionnaire, people in Benin, Malawi and Sudan said they were experimenting with 
different methods for drying seeds. Seychelles is exploring low-cost approaches to seed 
extraction and drying. Mali is using modifi ed-atmosphere packaging—high nitrogen to 
prevent insect damage and to reduce the seeds’ metabolism. And Ghana plans to study 
buried storage in cool places such as forests and to use toasted rice to dry seeds.
Farmer techniques for seed storage
The study visited and interviewed farmers in fi ve countries of East (Ethiopia and Kenya) 
and West (Benin, Ghana and Mali) Africa. Most were not enthusiastic about long-term 
storage. They keep a stock for the next planting season, sometimes with a reserve for the 
season after in case of crop failure. But once it is clear that there will not be an outright 
crop failure they eat or sell the reserve.
Near the towns most farmers used methods taught to them by extension workers, such 
as drying seeds in the sun, mixing them with insecticides and storing them in synthetic 
containers at specifi c locations within the house. In rural areas traditional techniques 
dominate, with specifi c procedures for different crops in different places. Rural farmers 
are also much more likely to store seeds for relatively long periods. In Benin, for example, 
farmers say they still get good germination from millet and cowpea seeds after four years 
stored with crushed pepper and tamarind leaves in clay pots. They take the seeds out 
every few months to dry them again, which probably helps. Farmers in Mali and Ghana use 
similar traditional methods and also claim that seeds last at least four years. In Ethiopia, 
granaries made of mud are reputed to store seeds of teff for up to 15 years. It would be 
interesting to test the germination of these seeds under controlled conditions.
Some farmers in Ethiopia, Ghana and Somalia use anaerobic conditions to keep their 
seeds longer than one season. They dig a hole in the ground, usually in the shade of a 
tree to keep the seeds cool, and line the hole with cow dung, which seals it. The seeds, 
previously dried and stored in an airtight container, are placed in the lined pit which is then 
covered with soil.
The study has collected a wide range of information in what is the fi rst step towards 
alleviating some of the problems that beset the conservation of genetic resources 
in resource-poor countries. Although they may not substitute for conventional, high-
technology conservation, with some exploration and improvement these techniques could 
offer at least medium-term storage, reasonable enough under the circumstances. Some 
techniques, such as smoke treatments and anaerobic storage, deserve scientifi c scrutiny, 
and further work, in partnership with those who develop technologies such as solar dryers 
and refrigerators, could be very valuable.
Further information
e.dulloo@cgiar.org, 
n.k.rao@cgiar.org
Pests and diseases are the biggest constraint to banana 
production in Asia and the Pacifi c, as identifi ed by the 15 
members of BAPNET, the Banana Asia-Pacifi c Network. As 
a result, BAPNET asked the International Network for the 
Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) to mobilize the 
resources needed to overcome these threats, which resulted in 
the development and dissemination of new high-yielding and 
resistant varieties and strategies of integrated pest management 
to deal with the most important pests and diseases of banana. A 
key component of such strategies is to start with clean, disease-
free planting material. But this raises a further constraint: the 
production and maintenance of such material can be a costly and 
technical exercise, so how are impoverished rural farmers, who 
depend on bananas for a great part of their livelihoods, to get 
access to both the planting materials and the expertise to make 
use of them?
One answer has been to establish National Repository, Multiplication and Distribution 
Centres (NRMDCs), a programme that has been a fl agship enterprise for INIBAP’s offi ce 
in Asia and the Pacifi c. The NRMDCs, the INIBAP Transit Centre (ITC) of the International 
Musa Germplasm Collection in Belgium and breeding programmes around the world 
exchange local varieties and improved hybrids. The role of the NRMDCs is to maintain 
accessions and distribute clean samples to local farmers, scientists and other interested 
parties who, in turn, give feedback on how those varieties perform. The NRMDCs have 
four interlocking tasks. They offer improved access to new hybrids and superior varieties 
through INIBAP and the ITC. They multiply material locally so that national programmes 
can expand their evaluation of different varieties. They also multiply material locally 
to distribute to farmers. And they maintain a conservation repository of disease-free 
foundation stocks as the basis for their multiplication work.
A total of 23 accessions of new hybrids and local varieties were selected for stocking 
the NRMDCs. This began in 2001 and ended in 2004 with 17 NRMDCs stocked and 
operational (see table). All are functioning well as repositories, and all except the 
Secretariat of the Pacifi c Community are evaluating the material. SPC has no land available 
itself, and relies on its own members for fi eld tests of the varieties.
Distribution varies 
widely from country 
to country, because 
some members do 
not have the capacity 
to supply large 
quantities of disease-
free plantlets. 
The Philippines 
has pioneered 
partnerships with 
the private sector 
to make plantlets 
available at very low 
cost. Links were 
established with 10 
organizations from 
A distributed approach to banana distribution
Responding 
to what 
partners need 
and working 
through 
networks 
has enabled 
IPGRI to assist 
banana farmers 
across Asia 
and the Pacifi c
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Clean plantlets ready for dispatch.
232004Annual Report
the public and private sectors, who deliver plantlets and the necessary training to farmer 
groups throughout Luzon. By late 2004 more than 77 500 plantlets of local and introduced 
varieties had been distributed. About 120 farmers received training at a series of six 
workshops. Results vary from site to site, but overall the introduced hybrids are showing 
higher productivity but are not as acceptable in the market. Processing into value-added 
foods may be a way to derive more benefi t from the hybrids.
In August 2004 one of the partnerships, with Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, 
launched an ambitious programme called ‘Bananas in Every Home’. The project gave 
suckers of improved varieties to 10 households in each of two communities. The idea is 
that the householders plant these bananas in their own backyards and when their plants 
develop suckers they pass these on to their neighbours, so that in the end all households 
enjoy the benefi ts of more productive plants.
The Philippine experience points the way for many of the NRMDCs to improve their 
service to farmers. There are other opportunities too. Improved communication between 
the countries would help to disseminate improved varieties and information about them. 
Farmers generally are impressed by the results they get from disease-free plantlets, 
although the high cost of plantlets compared to suckers remains an obstacle. Consumer 
acceptance is another. Shoppers are unfamiliar with the new varieties and tend to prefer 
what they are used to. As a result many farmers have decided to wait and see how market 
demand develops before adopting the new varieties. It has been suggested that the 
NRMDCs could be the focus for promotional campaigns to boost demand for the more 
productive varieties.
YEAR OF 
DISTRIBUTION
BAPNET MEMBER
2001 Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI, Philippines)
South China Agricultural University (SCAU)
Viet Nam Agricultural Science Institute (VASI)
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
Horticultural Research and Development Institute (HORDI, Sri Lanka)
National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB, India)
Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB, Philippines)
Indonesian Centre for Horticultural Research and Development 
(ICHORD)
2002 Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC, Fiji)
2003 Horticultural Research Institute (HRI, Thailand)
Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS, China)
National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI, Papua New Guinea)
2004 Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI)
Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)
Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)
Myanmar Agricultural Service (MAS)
The table shows 
the institutions 
that received 
material from 
INIBAP’s Transit 
Centre and the 
year in which they 
received it.
24 2004Annual Report
The centres are becoming 
self-sustaining and are 
establishing partnerships 
with other institutions 
to help support their 
work. The success of the 
NRMDCs has resulted in 
a follow-up programme to 
evaluate and promote banana germplasm, which is establishing additional experiments on 
farms and at the research stations. Trials were planted in Viet Nam and Taiwan in 2004 and 
other countries will be joining in coming years. In addition, the NRMDCs will continue to 
receive new sets of improved varieties for testing as these become available from partners 
and so will have a continuing role in promoting the effective use of banana diversity. A 
further benefi t is that as farmers come to see the benefi ts of using clean planting material, 
and come to the NRMDC and its partners for supplies, the centres are in a position to offer 
the additional training that farmers need to launch improved production systems.
Further information 
a.molina@cgiar.org
Gus Molina, project 
coordinator, meets 
Antonio Mojica, a farmer 
from Cavite in the 
Philippines. Mojica is one 
of the people who have 
grown improved hybrids, 
which yield far more 
heavily than local types.
Dr Emily Fabregar 
(left) is Research 
Director of 
Lapanday Foods 
Corporation, one 
of the project’s 
private partners 
in the Philippines. 
She and Mirza 
Mendoza, Tissue 
Culture Manager, 
examine plantlets 
produced for 
the NRMDC that 
are ready to 
be shipped off 
to nurseries in 
Luzon.
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Many of the audiences IPGRI and other agricultural 
organizations want to reach simply do not understand the issues 
surrounding agricultural biodiversity. At a recent workshop, 
for example, participants were confused about the differences 
between plant genetic resources (PGR) and genetically 
engineered organisms. They did not know who was responsible 
for agricultural development or PGR conservation in their country 
and globally. And as for nature conservation in general, many 
thought it concerned only pollution and global warming. And 
these participants were journalists. If journalists are less than fully 
informed, how are they to fulfi l their role as key partners in IPGRI’s 
efforts to raise public awareness?
That was the main reason why IPGRI’s regional offi ce for Central and West Asia and North 
Africa (CWANA) brought more than 30 people from six countries to the workshop in the 
fi rst place: to establish a Public Awareness Network for Agricultural Biodiversity (PANAB).
The workshop took place at Ghardaia Oasis in Algeria during October 2003. Representatives 
from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia gathered to share their experiences 
and to formulate national and regional strategies to make people aware of the importance 
of agricultural biodiversity. One outcome, made possible by having so many journalists 
with such wide experience and regional coverage present in one place at one time, was 
the development of a full proposal for PANAB. Donors are now being sought to fund the 
proposal, which tackles from a regional perspective one of the most important tasks that 
stakeholders identifi ed for IPGRI to undertake in its new strategy: to raise awareness of the 
contribution that agricultural biodiversity can make to reducing hunger and poverty.
Participants defi ned their task as to inform 
people about the issues that surround 
agricultural biodiversity and plant genetic 
resources. This is especially important for 
research-based centres such as IPGRI, 
which in the past have been accused of 
leaving their results on the shelf. Producing 
and distributing reports on a regular basis is 
one important method for making audiences 
aware of research results and how they can 
be used. Participants also highlighted the 
need to go further and engage with policy-
makers and the media to ensure that they 
fully understand the issues and impacts of 
agricultural biodiversity.
Regional meetings where participants 
can continue to gather and share their 
experiences and plans and which can bring 
researchers and the mass media together will 
be important components of PANAB. So too 
will be the development of new approaches 
to engage with a wide range of audiences.
Further information
r.khalil@cgiar.org
See also 
http://www.maghrebdatepalm.org/panab.html
Building a regional network for public awareness A meeting at an 
oasis provided 
an opportunity 
for media 
professionals 
and scientists 
to create 
a network 
for public 
awareness
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On a visit to a date palm oasis, 
CWANA public awareness specialist 
Rami Khalil shared his vision that 
PANAB would “grow up, be fruitful 
and accessible to everyone, like an 
oasis date palm”. Isehak Weled Hajo, 
a farmer member of IPGRI’s Maghreb 
Date Palm Project team, offered 
a symbol, a young palm of a local 
variety—Ighess Isehak—that he had 
improved by selection. Participants 
planted the tree to mark the 
conception of PANAB.
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A large project to support the conservation of crop wild 
relatives (see Annual Report 2003, p. 6) got under way during 
2004. ‘In situ conservation of crop wild relatives through enhanced 
information management and fi eld application’ aims to develop 
rational, cost-effective approaches to conserving the diversity of 
the wild relatives that are so crucial to the future of plant breeding. 
In fi ve countries, and with fi ve partners (see box), IPGRI is helping 
to safeguard the future of crop wild relatives.
There are four components to the project. An international information system aims to 
provide a portal through which people around the world can use the Internet to search for 
information about the identity, conservation status, distribution and potential uses of crop 
wild relatives. National information systems underpin the international system, and national 
partners are analyzing their existing information and constructing the building blocks of 
the international system. They will also test the effectiveness of the international system 
to support conservation decisions in each country. The third component is capacity 
development, enhancing the ability of the partner countries to come up with effective 
strategies for conservation and monitoring of crop wild relatives. Finally, the project aims 
to increase public awareness of the importance of crop wild relatives for agricultural 
biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.
Two meetings brought project partners together to begin building the international 
information system. As with all such systems, it is absolutely crucial that data are 
associated with the correct plant population. Lax naming bedevils all such attempts, 
and the meetings agreed on rules to ensure the quality of the plant names attached to 
the data. They also agreed a minimum set of information categories to be included in the 
international and national systems and started work on a descriptor list that will enable the 
physical characteristics of the plants to be accurately depicted. Country representatives 
who attended these meetings have taken their conclusions home and started to establish 
their national systems.
One of the crucial issues for the project is whether each country has the capacity to put 
in place policies and laws that will help to protect crop wild relatives. A fi rst step is to 
assess the current state of play. Consultants from the Food and Agriculture Organization 
of the United Nations (FAO) visited Madagascar and found no effective legal framework 
Making a start on conservation of crop wild relatives
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Progress has 
been made in 
a global effort 
to manage the 
sustainable 
use and 
conservation 
of the wild 
relatives of 
domesticated 
plant species
Wild peanuts—
this one is in 
Bolivia—have 
already made 
substantial 
contributions 
of disease 
resistance 
to cultivated 
varieties.
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272004Annual Report
that covers biodiversity as such, 
and little consideration of plant 
genetic resources or benefi t 
sharing. A workshop to address 
these concerns with Malagasy 
policy-makers is planned for early 
2005, and similar assessments and 
workshops will take place in the 
other four countries covered by the 
project.
One of the constraints on all 
efforts to use and conserve plant 
genetic resources is a general 
lack of commitment and support, 
and that often results from a lack 
of awareness of the importance 
of plant genetic resources 
for improved livelihoods and 
sustainable agriculture. The crop 
wild relatives project is committed 
to enhancing awareness in order to 
build support, and will undertake a 
variety of national and international 
efforts to promote agricultural 
biodiversity and the importance 
of wild relatives. An essential fi rst 
step is to assess the current level 
of awareness among various target 
audiences, which anecdotally is believed to be very low in all the countries. IPGRI has 
developed a model survey, which the country partners are modifying to suit their individual 
needs. The idea is to repeat the survey towards the end of the project to gauge changes in 
public awareness.
The wild relatives of crops will continue 
to be important as farmers and plant 
breeders seek the qualities they need 
to deal with changes in conditions. 
Wild relatives have already provided 
resistance to several pests and 
diseases and the ability to withstand 
stresses such as drought. The global 
project will help to ensure that they can 
continue to do so.
Further information
a.lane@cgiar.org
In situ conservation of crop wild relatives 
through enhanced information management 
and fi eld application is a UNEP/GEF-
supported project that addresses national 
and global needs to improve global food 
security through effective conservation 
and use of crop wild relatives. It brings 
together national partners in fi ve countries: 
Armenia, Bolivia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka 
and Uzbekistan. Each country has many 
important and threatened taxa of crop wild 
relatives. Five other international conservation 
agencies are partners in the project—the 
Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations (FAO), Botanic Gardens 
Conservation International (BGCI), the United 
Nations Environment Programme’s World 
Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-
WCMC), the World Conservation Union (IUCN) 
and the German Centre for Documentation 
and Information in Agriculture (ZADI).
Wild black pepper 
in Madagascar.
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Genetic engineering (GE) and the genetically modifi ed 
organisms (GMOs) it results in have been hailed as both Africa’s 
saviour and its downfall. Opinions are often sharply polarized, 
with most debates and discussions organized by one of the two 
poles and devoted to defending its own position and attacking 
the other’s. As the organizers of the regional consultation noted, 
“what one hears on the subject therefore depends on which 
meeting one attends”. In an effort to identify common ground 
for research and capacity building, IPGRI and the Canadian 
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) brought 82 
participants from 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to Nairobi, 
Kenya, in September 2004. The participants were encouraged to 
see themselves not as opponents but as people trying to deal with 
common problems from different perspectives. The emphasis 
was on exploring similarities not differences and on drawing out 
positive messages from even the most strongly held differences.
The consultation was 
divided into two sections. It 
began with a conference, in 
which speakers selected to 
represent different points of 
view on GMOs introduced 
a variety of topics designed 
not only to set the scene 
but also to bring all 
participants up to speed. 
Then came parallel working 
groups that considered 
three different hypotheses 
for genetic engineering 
and GMOs (see box). The 
working groups synthesized 
key issues, concerns and 
challenges and identifi ed 
research and capacity 
needs that would help to 
resolve the controversies 
and lead to development.
The fi rst group, told to 
be positive about genetic 
engineering, pointed out 
the potential of GMOs 
to increase agricultural 
production and profi ts, 
to reduce the use of 
pesticides, to improve the 
nutritional content of foods, 
to produce vaccines and 
perhaps even to break 
the diseases of poverty 
such as HIV/AIDS, malaria 
A regional 
consultation 
to promote 
understanding 
rather 
than seek 
consensus 
asked whether, 
and how, 
genetically 
modifi ed 
organisms 
could be useful 
in agricultural 
development 
south of the 
Sahara
Examining the options for genetic engineering in Africa
Working Group I: GE and GMOs are positive 
technologies, and can contribute effectively towards 
development in Africa, given the reality of constraints 
within the region.
The working group was asked to consider the 
potential benefi ts and challenges of GE and GMOs 
for sustainable development in eastern and southern 
Africa.
Working Group II: GE and GMOs are risky options; 
they are not necessarily the most cost-effective, 
relevant or safe pathway for future development given 
the reality of constraints we are faced with in this 
region.
The working group was asked to analyze perceived 
risks and uncertainties in the use of GMOs, and to 
consider alternative pathways for development.
Working Group III: Neither GE and GMOs nor any 
other technological innovation addressing problems 
at community level will work unless the necessary 
sociocultural and policy environment is created and 
taken into consideration.
The working group was asked to consider 
sociocultural, economic and policy environment 
issues and processes that would need to be 
considered along with the debate on suitability (or 
not) of GE and GMOs.
Hypotheses for working groups
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and tuberculosis. But the group also acknowledged 
the pressure to identify what farmers really need as 
they themselves see it and to guide research to fulfi l 
those needs, and to develop criteria and indicators to 
ensure that any specifi c deployment of GMOs could 
be assessed for its appropriateness, environmental 
sustainability, safety and contribution to overall food 
security.
The second, more sceptical, working group pointed 
out that there were suitable alternative pathways 
that made GMOs unnecessary, the more so in view 
of possible risks. This group worried that GE and 
GMOs could narrow farmers’ options and that they do 
nothing to address farmers’ fundamental problems, 
such as lack of access to credit and the hazards of 
climate change. Food sovereignty and the right to save, 
use and exchange seeds were additional concerns. 
There are, however, research options that, the group 
concluded, were currently under-funded because of the 
emphasis on genetic engineering, especially by private 
industry. Conventional plant breeding, biological control 
and integrated pest management, organic farming, 
conventional mixed cropping and other tools were in 
danger of being overlooked in the rush to apply one 
tool—genetic engineering—to solve all problems.
The third working group, while ostensibly neutral on GE 
and GMOs, was tasked to look at the social, cultural, 
economic and legal environment within which GMOs 
might be put to use. Not surprisingly, biosafety and 
intellectual property rights dominated its deliberations. 
On both topics, countries vary widely in their capacity to deal with the issues raised; this 
is clearly an area in which more needs to be done, by outside agencies and by promoting 
the sharing of best practices among the countries in the region. More public consultation 
would also be valuable. The working group also identifi ed a series of other challenging 
constraints, among them poor infrastructure, the depletion of the workforce by HIV/AIDS, 
bad governance, land tenure systems and ethical and religious considerations. While not 
specifi c to the question of genetic engineering, these too will have to be tackled if GMOs 
are going to be useful in development.
Overall, the participants were pleased with the workshop outcomes and were able to 
unanimously endorse the overall synthesis and conclusions. It became clear that genetic 
engineering is neither wholly good nor wholly bad, and that a case-by-case approach, 
with due regard to alternative pathways and political issues, is likely to be the most fruitful 
option.
Further information
k.atta-krah@cgiar.org
The full report Regional Consultation on 
Genetic Engineering/GMOs for Development in 
Eastern and Southern Africa by K. Atta-Krah, 
F. Gasengayire, J. Ndung’u-Skilton and N. 
Nsubuga, edited by E. Obel-Lawson is available 
from IPGRI’s Web site http://www.ipgri.cgiar.
org/publications/pubsurvey.asp?ID_PUB=1043
Synthesis Report
Regional Consultation on Genetic
Engineering/GMOs for Development
in Eastern and Southern Africa
K. Atta-Krah, F. Gasengayire, J. Ndung’u-Skilton and N. Nsubuga
Edited by E. Obel-Lawson
<www.futureharvest.org>
IPGRI is
a Future Harvest Centre
supported by the
Consultative Group on
International Agricultural
 Research (CGIAR)
Selected IPGRI publications
• Diversity for Well-being: Making the most of agricultural biodiversity
• IPGRI Annual Report 2003
• Using the diversity of banana and plantain to improve lives. 
INIBAP Annual Report 2003 (in English, French and Spanish)
• Annual Report 2003 of the CGIAR System-wide Genetic 
Resources Programme (for SGRP)
• Geneflow 2004
• Why genetic diversity matters (in English and Italian)
• Meeting the Millennium Development Goals with agricultural 
biodiversity (with GFU and MSSRF )
• FAO–IPGRI Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter Nos 136–140 
(with FAO)
• INFOMUSA Vol. 13, Nos 1 & 2 (in English, French and Spanish)
• MusaDoc 2004 (CD-ROM)
• Plant Genetic Resources Abstracts. Volume 13 (with CABI)
• Challenges in managing forest genetic resources for livelihoods—
examples from Argentina and Brazil (with GTZ and BMZ)
• Poverty reduction in coconut growing communities. Volume II. 
Mobilizing for action (with COGENT )
• An ecogeographic study—African vigna. Systematic and 
Ecogeographic Studies on Crop Genepools 11 (with IITA, GFU, 
University of Birmingham and CIAT )
• International law of relevance to plant genetic resources: a practical 
review for scientists and other professionals working with plant 
genetic resources. Issues in Genetic Resources No. 10 (with SGRP)
• The evolving role of genebanks in the fast-developing field of 
molecular genetics. Issues in Genetic Resources No. 11 (with 
SGRP, USAID, FECYT, INIA and FAO)
• Descriptors for Pepino (Solanum muricatum) (with COMAV ), 
Sesame (Sesamum spp.) (with NBPGR), genetic markers 
technologies
• Technical guidelines for the management of field and in vitro 
germplasm collections. Handbooks for Genebanks No. 7 (with 
SGRP)
• Forest genetic resources conservation and management. 
Volumes 1 and 3 
• Módulos de aprendizaje sobre marcadores moleculares 
– Volúmenes 1 y 2 (CD-ROM) (with Cornell University)
• Medicinal plants research in Asia. Volume I (with RDA, Korea)
• Conservation and use of native tropical fruit species 
biodiversity in Asia (with ADB)
• Forest genetic resources conservation and management.
Proceedings of APFORGEN Inception Workshop. Kepong, Kuala 
Lumpur, Malaysia, 15–18 July 2003 (with APAFRI and FAO)
• Conifers Network—Report of the 2nd and 3rd meetings (with 
EUFORGEN)
• Manejo de la diversidad de los cultivos en los agroecosistemas 
tradicionales (with IDRC and SDC)
• Regional consultation on genetic engineering/GMOs for 
development in eastern and southern Africa—Synthesis report 
(with IDRC)
• Producción y comercialización de banano orgánico en la 
Región del Alto Beni: Manual práctico para productores. 
• Advancing banana and plantain R&D in Asia and the Pacific.
Volume 12. Proceedings of the 2nd BAPNET Steering 
Committee meeting. Jakarta, Indonesia, 6–9 October 2003
• Réseau de recherches sur Musa en Afrique centrale et de 
l’ouest (MUSACO): 6ème réunion du Comité de pilotage : 
Rapport de synthèse. Conakry, Guinée, 14-16 avril 2004
These and other IPGRI publications are available in portable 
document format (PDF) from the IPGRI Web site (http://www.ipgri.
cgiar.org/publications/indexpub.htm).
Riskmanagement
IPGRI’s Board of Trustees approved and adopted the following 
statement at its meeting in Peru in September 2004
IPGRI’s Board of Trustees has responsibility for ensuring an 
appropriate risk management system is in place to identify and 
manage significant risks to the achievement of the Institute’s 
objectives, and to ensure alignment with CGIAR principles and 
guidelines that have been adopted by all CGIAR Centres and 
Institutes.
Risk mitigation strategies have been ongoing at the Institute and 
include the implementation of systems of internal control which, 
by their nature, are designed to manage rather than eliminate the 
risk. The Institute also endeavours to manage risk by ensuring that 
the appropriate infrastructure, controls, systems and people are in 
place throughout the organization. The design and effectiveness of 
the risk management system and internal controls has been subject 
to ongoing review by the CGIAR‘s internal audit unit, which is 
independent of business units and reports on the results of its audits 
directly to the Director General and the Board through the Board’s 
Finance and Audit Task Group.
The Board has adopted a risk management policy that has been 
communicated to all staff together with a detailed management 
guideline. The policy includes a framework by which the Institute’s 
management identifies, evaluates and prioritizes risks and 
opportunities across the organization; develops risk mitigation 
strategies that balance benefits with costs; monitors the 
implementation of these strategies; and periodically reports to the 
Board on results.
In 2004, the Institute appointed a risk management team to 
coordinate the implementation of the policy. The team has begun 
carrying out risk assessments and analysis informed by the 
Institute’s finance and administration staff, internal auditors, Institute-
commissioned external reviewers and the external auditors. In 2005, 
the Institute intends to implement mitigation measures for key risks 
identified and to continuously monitor the changes impacting on the 
initial risk analysis. The Board is satisfied that IPGRI has begun to 
implement its risk management policy effectively during 2004.
Dr Benchaphun Shinawatra Ekasingh
Board Chair
Dr Anthony K. Gregson
Chair – Finance and Audit Task Group
• Agrawal A., Swennen R. and Panis B. 2004. A comparison of 
four methods for cryopreservation of meristems in banana 
(Musa spp.). CryoLetters 25:101–110.
• Atta-Krah K., Kindt R., Ndung’u-Skilton J. and Amaral W. 
2004. Managing biological and genetic diversity in tropical 
agroforestry. Agroforestry Systems 61:183–194.
• Avendano-Arrazate C.H., Ramirez-Vallejo P., Castillo-Gonzalez 
F., Chavez-Servia J.L. and Rincon-Enriquez G. 2004. Isozymic 
diversity in black dry bean native populations. Revista 
Fitotecnia Mexicana 27:31–40.
• Dussert S., Engelmann F., Louarn J. and Noirot M. 2004. 
Inheritance of seed desiccation sensitivity in a coffee 
interspecific cross: evidence for polygenic determinism. 
Journal of Experimental Botany 55 (402):1541–1547.
• Eledu C.A., Karamura E.B. and Tushemereirwe W. 2004. 
Agroecological distribution of banana systems in the Great 
Lakes region. African Crop Science Journal 12 (1):33–42.
• Engelmann F. 2004. Plant cryopreservation: progress and 
prospects. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology — Plant 
40 (5):427–433.
• Fowler C. 2004. Regime change. Plant genetic resources in 
international law. Outlook on Agriculture 33 (1):7–14.
• Fowler C. 2004. Accessing genetic resources. International law 
establishes multilateral system. Genetic Resources and Crop 
Evolution 51 (6):609–620.
• Fowler C.  2004. The status of public and proprietary 
germplasm and information. ICFAI Journal of Intellectual 
Property Rights 3 (2):55–68.
• Fowler C., Hawtin G., Ortiz R., Iwanaga M. and Engels J. 2004. 
The question of derivatives. Promoting use and ensuring 
availability of plant genetic resources. Journal of World 
Intellectual Property 7 (5):641–663.
• Fowler C. and Hodgkin T. 2004. Plant genetic resources for 
food and agriculture. Assessing global availability. Annual 
Review of Environment and Resources 29:143–179.
• Gallez A., Runyoro G., Mbehoma C.B., Van den Houwe I.  
and Swennen R. 2004. Rapid mass propagation and 
diffusion of new banana varieties among small-scale  
farmers in northwestern Tanzania. African Crop Science 
Journal 12 (1):7–17.
• Jacobsen K., Fogain R., Mouassom H. and De Waele D. 2004. 
Musa-based cropping systems of the Cameroon Highlands: a 
case study of the West and Northwest provinces of Cameroon, 
with emphasis on nematodes. Fruits 59 (5):1–8.
• Johns T. and Sthapit B.R. 2004. Biocultural diversity in 
sustainability of developing country food systems. Food and 
Nutrition Bulletin 25 (2):143–155.
• Karamura D.A. and Mgenzi B. 2004. On farm conservation of 
Musa diversity in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. African 
Crop Science Journal 12 (1):75–83.
• Karamura D.A., Mgenzi B., Karamura E.B. and Sharrock S. 
2004. Exploiting indigenous knowledge for the management 
and maintenance of Musa biodiversity on farm. African Crop 
Science Journal 12 (1):67–74.
• Kim H.H., Cho E.G., Baek H.J., Kim C.Y., Keller E.R.J. and 
Engelmann F. 2004. Cryopreservation of garlic shoot tips by 
vitrification: effects of dehydration, rewarming, unloading and 
regrowth conditions. CryoLetters 25:59–70.
• Moens T., Araya M., Swennen R. and De Waele D. 2004. 
Enhanced biodegradation of nematicides after repetitive 
applications and its effect on root and yield parameters in 
commercial banana plantations. Biology and Fertility of Soils 
34 (6):407–414.
• Morimoto Y., Maundu P. and Gikungu M. 2004. Pollinators 
of the bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) observed in Kenya. 
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 24 (1):79–86.
• Rao K. 2004. Plant genetic resources. Advancing conservation 
and use through biotechnology. African Journal of 
Biotechnology 3 (2):136–145.
• Sebuwufu G., Rubaihayo P.R. and Blomme G. 2004. Variability 
in the root system of East African banana genotypes. African 
Crop Science Journal 12 (1):85–93.
• Sharrock S. and Frison E.A. 2004. Prospects and challenges 
of biodiversity in smallholder systems. African Crop Science 
Journal 12 (1):51–57.
• Sinsin B., Eyog-Matig O., Assogbadjo A.E., Gaoue O.G. 
and Sinadouwirou T. 2004. Dendrometric characteristics as 
indicators of pressure of Afzelia africana Sm. dynamic changes 
in trees found in different climatic zones of Benin. Biodiversity 
and Conservation 13 (8):1555–1570.
• Smale M., Bellon M., Jarvis D.I. and Sthapit B. 2004. Economic 
concepts for designing policies to conserve crop genetic resources 
on-farm. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 51:121–135.
• Subedi A., Chaudhary P., Baniya B.K., Rana R.B., Tiwari R.K., 
Rijal D.K., Sthapit B.R. and Jarvis D.I. 2004. Who maintains crop 
genetic diversity and how: implications for on-farm conservation 
and utilization. Culture and Agriculture 25 (2):41–50.
• Van Droogenbroeck B., Kyndt T., Maertens I., Romeijn-Peeters 
E., Scheldeman X., Romero-Motochi J.P., Van Damme P., 
Goetghebeur P. and Gheysen G. 2004. Phylogenetic analysis 
of the higland papayas (Vasconcellea) and allied genera 
(Caricaceae) using PCR-RFLP. Theoretical and Applied 
Genetics 108 (8):1473–1486.
Selected scientific publications
IPGRI’sprojects
All IPGRI activities are carried out within one of 15 projects managed 
by the Programmes and the Research and Support Units 
Diversity for Livelihoods Programme
Project E01 Agricultural Biodiversity and 
Ecosystems is concerned with developing practices 
that use agricultural biodiversity to maintain and improve 
productivity, resilience and resistance in production systems; 
developing procedures and practices that use diversity 
in production systems to support ecosystem services for 
livelihoods; and securing the diversity of the wild–cultivated 
interface to support livelihoods.   
Project E02 Community Management of Agricultural 
Biodiversity is concerned with helping farmers and 
communities to manage and mobilize agricultural biodiversity 
by determining the social processes that contribute to the 
maintenance of diversity and identifying ways to strengthen 
these processes. 
Project E03 Agricultural Biodiversity, Human Health 
and Welfare aims to increase knowledge and awareness 
about the strategic roles that biodiversity plays in human health 
and welfare, and to increase the use of biodiversity in food and 
nutritional security, income generation, control of pests and 
diseases, and in culture, aesthetics and recreation.  
Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Programme
Project E04 Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity 
aims to enhance the effectiveness of conservation and 
management of agricultural biodiversity, both at genepool and 
ecosystem levels; and to assess and monitor genetic diversity 
and genetic erosion.  
Project E05 Use of Genetic Resources to Improve 
Livelihoods aims to increase the use of conserved 
germplasm through the development of tools and 
methodologies to identify useful traits within conserved 
germplasm for the benefit of farmers and breeders.
Project E06 Conservation and Sustainable Use of 
Forest Biodiversity focuses on developing knowledge, 
methods and tools for the conservation and sustainable use 
of forest biodiversity for use by national institutions; and on 
strengthening institutional and policy frameworks for forest 
biodiversity. 
Project E07 Management, Access and Use of Genetic 
Resources Information aims to improve the management 
of, access to, and use of genetic resources information 
through standardizing information gathering and management, 
facilitating exchange of and access to information (including 
that generated by the CGIAR), and capacity building.
Improving Livelihoods in Commodity Based Systems 
Programme
Project E08 Conservation and Sustainable Use of 
Coconut and Other Commodities aims to promote the 
optimal conservation of the genetic diversity of coconut, cacao 
and other commodities, and to promote greater use of this 
diversity to improve the well-being of smallholder farmers. 
Project  E09 Conserving, Understanding and 
Improving Musa Biodiversity aims to develop technologies 
for the effective conservation of the genetic diversity of 
banana and plantain (Musa), and for its characterization and 
sustainable use in both conventional and transformation-based 
crop improvement.   
Project E10 Use of Musa Biodiversity to Improve 
Livelihoods targets important stakeholders in national Musa 
sectors to improve their access to information, methods and 
other resources, which will enable rural communities to use 
biodiversity in Musa-based systems for improved well-being.  
Global Partnerships Programme
Project E11 Regional Collaborations for Sustainable 
Management of Agricultural and Forest Biodiversity 
aims to strengthen and facilitate regional collaboration on plant 
genetic resources for better management of these resources. 
Project E12 Mobilizing International Partnerships to 
Use and Conserve Agricultural Biodiversity aims to 
increase the effectiveness of international partnerships, plans 
and initiatives for the conservation and use of agricultural 
(including forest and aquatic) biodiversity.  Through the project, 
IPGRI carries out its responsibilities as the convening centre for 
the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) and 
as host of the GFAR Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized 
Species. 
Policy and Law Unit
Project E13 Enabling Policy Environments for the 
Use and Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity 
makes contributions to genetic resources policy development 
at global, regional, national and CGIAR System-wide levels.  
The Project is also the administrative home for the CGIAR 
Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP) 
and provides the secretariat for the Genetic Resources Policy 
Committee (GRPC) of the CGIAR. 
Capacity Development Unit
Project E14 Strengthening Human Capacity to 
Manage Agricultural Biodiversity aims to strengthen the 
human capacity of developing countries to enable them to 
better manage and maintain their agricultural biodiversity.  
Public Awareness Unit
Project E15 Raising Awareness to Create Support 
for Agricultural Biodiversity focuses on increasing the 
awareness of the potential of agricultural biodiversity to 
improve human well-being, and of the work that is being done 
by IPGRI and the CGIAR to harness this potential for the 
benefit of people.
Financial  report
For the year ended 31 December 2004, 
in US dollars (000s)
Unrestricted
Australia 196
Belgium 312
Canada 1517
China 130
Denmark 327
France 217
Germany 253
India 75
Italy 3675
Japan 482
Korea, Republic of  50
Malaysia 30
Netherlands 1805
Norway 515
Philippines 14
South Africa 50
Sweden 540
Switzerland 746
Thailand 10
United Kingdom 1619
USA 500
World Bank 2300
Subtotal    15 363
Restricted
ACIAR 344
ADB 350
AusAID 6
Austria 97
Belgium 796
Brazil 1
CAPRi 6
CATIE 16
CDC 204
CENICAFE 132
CFC 1497
CGIAR Gender and   
  Diversity Program 25
CIAT 31
CIDA 38
CIRAD 31
COL 12
CORAF/WECARD 7
CTA 134
DANIDA 17
DFID 3
DFSC 10
European Commission 1880
European Countries 771
FAO 69
FFTC 10
Finland 79
FONTAGRO 232
France 11
Gatsby Foundation 367
GFAR 108
GTZ/BMZ 865
GRDC 20
IAO 10
ICIPE 1
IDRC 516
IFAD 410
IFAR 40
IFPRI 35
ISF 22
Italy 125
IWMI 36
Japan 277
JIRCAS 5
Korea, Republic of 177
KUL 8
Luxembourg 119
McGill University 30
McKnight Foundation 3
Mexico 2
Morocco 56
Establishmentagreement
The international status of IPGRI is conferred under an 
Establishment Agreement which, by December 2004, had been 
signed by the Governments of:
Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, 
Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, 
Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guinea, 
Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, 
Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, 
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sudan, 
Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda and Ukraine.
Multi-donors to  
  Conference on PGR in  
  West & Central Africa 39
Multi-donors to Genetic   
  Resources Policy  
  Initiative 1259
Multi-donors to Global  
  Crop Diversity Trust  
  Campaign 1560
Multi-donors to Marketing 
  Strategies and Capacity 
  Strengthening to Realize 
  the Economic Potential of 
  Underutilized Plant Species 17
National Museums of Kenya 30
Netherlands 429
Norway 220
NZAID 11
OAS/CICAD 562
Peru 50
Philippines 115
Pioneer 11
Quebec 12
Rockefeller Foundation 202
SDC 630
SIDA 117
TBRI 2
Uganda 188
UNDP-GEF 669
UNEP-GEF 1495
USAID 143
USDA 16
VVOB 476
World Bank 566
Subtotal 18 860
Challenge Programs
Austria 62
CIAT 38
Challenge Program —  
  Generation 900
Subtotal 1000
Total — Restricted  
Grants 19 860
Total Grants 35 223
Restricted projects
ACIAR
Technical support for regional plant genetic resources  
  development in the Pacific 170
Development of advanced technologies for germplasm  
  conservation of tropical fruit species 167
Coconut germplasm health management manual 7
Subtotal 344
ADB
Developing sustainable coconut-based income- 
  generating technologies in poor rural communities 350
Austria
Developing training capacity and human resources  
  management 97
AusAID
Australian youth ambassador for development (AYAD), 
  documentation officer in East Asia 6
Belgium
Collaborative Musa research—KUL 172
INIBAP Musa conservation research 347
INIBAP Transit Centre—KUL 120
Musa coordination in Africa 134
Studies on breeding systems (Phaseolus lunatus) Phase II 13
Study of diversity (Colletotrichum and Stylosanthes) Phase II 10
Subtotal 796
Brazil
The Lusophone initiative 1
CAPRi
Strengthening community institutions to support the  
  conservation and use of plant genetic resources  
  in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan 6
CATIE
Development of resistant plantain 15
Training in black Sigatoka management 1
Subtotal 16
CDC
Central advisory service—CAS 204
CENICAFE
Study on genetic diversity of Passiflora and Caricaceae 132
CFC
Cocoa germplasm utilization and conservation 23
Coconut germplasm utilization and conservation 303
Farmer participatory evaluation and dissemination  
  of improved Musa germplasm 319
Cocoa productivity and quality improvement:  
  a participatory approach 831
Promotion of banana exports from Sudan and  
  Ethiopia to the Middle East and Europe 18
Diversifying market opportunities for Musa (global workshop) 3
Subtotal 1497
CGIAR Gender and Diversity Program
Gender and diversity project 25
CIAT
Workshop: reaching endusers with the development  
  and diffusion of biofortified crops 31
CIDA
Dietary diversity: a challenge linking human health with  
  plant genetic resources 38
CIRAD 
Musa publications 31
COL
Distance learning intern—Using open and distance learning 
  for PGR human resource capacity development: 
  Innovative use of internet-based collaboration tools 
  and methods in an institutional context (human  
  resource development/collaborative content) 6
Distance learning intern—Documenting and learning 
  from innovation in the Genetic Resources Policy  
  Initiative project 6
Subtotal 12
CORAF/WECARD
Promoting fonio production in West and Central Africa  
  through germplasm management and improvement  
  of post harvest technology 7
CTA
Symposium in Malaysia 27
Training workshops in Africa (Cameroon) 30
Training workshops in Africa (Uganda) 1
Diversifying uses of banana in Africa (workshop) 76
Subtotal 134
DANIDA
Effective conservation and use of intermediate and  
  recalcitrant tropical forest tree seed—Phase II 17
DFID
Farmer participatory testing of banana IPM options  
  in eastern Africa 3
DFSC
Publication of country reports on the status of forest  
  genetic resources in 18 African countries 10
European Commission
BIOdiversity and Economics for CONservation (BioECON) 2
Establishing cryopreservation methods (CRYMCEPT) 2
EuroCat 7
European crop wild relative diversity assessment  
  and conservation forum 22
Gene-Mine 2
Strengthening national plant genetic resources 
  programmes and networks in sub-Saharan Africa 352
Strengthening national plant genetic resources 
  programmes and networks in Central and West 
  Asia and North Africa 393
Laws and policies affecting the conservation, use  
  and exchange of genetic resources for food and  
  agriculture—ACP 181
Laws and policies affecting the conservation, use and 
  exchange of genetic resources for food and agriculture—LA 52
Laws and policies affecting the conservation, use  
  and exchange of genetic resources for food and  
  agriculture—MEDA 216
Support to regional Musa research—ACP 285
Support to regional Musa research—Asia 284
Support to regional Musa research—Latin America 82
Subtotal 1880
European Countries
ECP/GR—Phase VI 14
ECP/GR—Phase VII 429
EUFORGEN—Phase II 328
Subtotal 771
FAO
Conservation and management of forest genetic  
  resources—a practical guide 6
Publication of the Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter 28
Fundraising counselling activities and donor meeting— 
  Global Crop Diversity Trust 24
Conservation as content for digital bridging: a case study 2
Conservation and use of crop genetic diversity to control 
  pests and diseases in support of sustainable agriculture 9
Subtotal 69
FFTC
Support to germplasm multiplication training workshops 10
Finland
Associate expert—Malaysia 79
FONTAGRO
Soil quality and health of bananas in Latin America  
  and the Caribbean 69
Development of biological pest control products 163
Subtotal 232
France
Animal genetic resources study 11
Gatsby Foundation
Improving the management of banana and plantain  
  genetic resources for Africa 367
Financial  report
Continued
352004Annual Report
GFAR
Associate scientist—Montpellier (France) 108
GRDC
Vavilov–Frankel fellowships 20
GTZ/BMZ
Access and benefit sharing: exploring options  
  to implement the International Treaty on Plant  
  Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 37
Baseline survey on neglected and underutilized crops  
  in East and Central Africa 21
Coordinator, Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species 130
Forest genetic resources in Brazil and Argentina 95
In situ conservation (Morocco component) Phase II 236
Patterns of genetic diversity and genetic erosion  
  of traditional crops in Peru 23
Promotion of neglected and indigenous vegetable crops  
  for nutritional health in eastern and southern Africa 11
Developing regional training capacity in law and policy of  
  relevance to the management of plant genetic resources 14
An international information system for the genetic  
  resources of crop wild relatives 191
Institutional Learning and Change in the CGIAR:  
  preparatory—Phase I 107
Subtotal 865
IAO
Agrobiodiversity for development in North Africa: role   
  of plant genetic resources in people’s livelihoods 10
ICIPE
Conservation of biodiversity of Gramineae and Arthropods 1
IDRC
Strengthening the scientific basis of in situ conservation  
  of agricultural biodiversity on-farm—Nepal 20
Symposium on managing biodiversity 14
Utilization of banana (Musa sp.) based biodiversity  
  to improve livelihoods in East Africa 112
Adaptive management of seed systems and gene flow  
  (Mexico, Cuba and Peru) 105
Regional consultative workshop on genetic engineering/ 
  GMOs for development in East and southern Africa 51
Access and plant genetic resources for food and agriculture 120
In situ conservation on-farm: lessons learned and policy  
  implications 12
Dietary diversity: linking traditional foods and plant genetic  
  resources to rural and urban health in sub-Saharan Africa 82
Subtotal 516
IFAD
Enhancing the contribution of neglected and underutilized  
  species to food security and to incomes of the rural poor 310
Enhancing farmer livelihoods through improved on-farm  
  management of plant genetic resources: developing an  
  innovative conceptual, methodological and operational  
  framework 60
Agrobiodiversity for development in North Africa:  
  role of plant genetic resources in people’s livelihoods 10
Programme empowering Sahelian farmers to leverage their 
  crop diversity assets for enhanced livelihood strategies 30
Subtotal 410
IFAR
Capacity-building fellowships 40
IFPRI
MSc student—Diversity analysis of finger millet in India 1
Strengthening community institutions to support the   
  conservation and use of plant genetic resources in  
  Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan 4
Impact assessment in Uganda 13
Impact assessment in Uganda and Tanzania 17
Subtotal 35
ISF
SINGER—System-wide Information Network for Genetic  
  Resources 22
Italy
Associate expert—Socioeconomic studies on neglected  
  and underutilized species in Central and West Asia  
  and North Africa 74
Associate expert—Forest genetic resources research 51
Subtotal 125
IWMI
CSI project under CGIAR ICT-KM programme 36
Japan
CGIAR genetic resources support programme policy  
  research and coordination of the System-wide Genetic  
  Resources Programme 50
Global forestry genetic resources strategies—Research  
  on the genetic resources of bamboo and rattan 42
Global forestry genetic resources strategies—Research  
  on the genetic resources of bamboo and rattan 60
Plant genetic resources programme in Asia, the Pacific  
  and Oceania 80
Associate expert 45
Subtotal 277
JIRCAS
Fellowship programme on ‘Development and marketing   
  of tropical fruits and underutilized crops for improved 
  nutrition and incomes’ 5
Korea, Republic of
Associate scientist—Medicinal plants 90
Medicinal plants in 16 countries in Asia–Pacific 62
Regional training course on development of descriptors  
  for medicinal plants and information documentation 25
Subtotal 177
KUL
VLIR projects in Asia 8
Luxembourg
Genetic resources of broad-leaved forest tree species  
  in South-Eastern Europe Phase II 119
McKnight Foundation
Central advisory service—CAS 3
McGill University
Honorary research fellow—Dietary diversity: a challenge  
  linking health with plant genetic resources 30
Mexico
Policy workshop—Support to national genetic resources  
  programme 2
Morocco
INRA–IPGRI framework of agreement for joint collaboration 
  on plant genetic resources conservation and utilization 56
Multi-Donors to the Conference on Plant Genetic  
Resources in West and Central Africa1
Conference expenditure 39
Multi-Donors to the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative, 
GRPI2
Genetic Resources Policy Initiative expenditure 1259
Multi-Donors to the Global Crop Diversity Trust Campaign 
Phase II3
Global Crop Diversity Trust Campaign Expenditure Phase II 1560
Multi-Donors to Marketing Strategies and Capacity  
Strengthening to Realize the Economic Potential of 
Underutilized Plant Species4
Marketing Strategies and Capacity Strengthening to Realize 
  the Economic Potential of Underutilized Plant Species 17
1 The following provided support for the Conference on Plant Genetic Resources in West and Central Africa: CTA, DMP, ICRAF, ICRISAT, Syngenta and WARDA.
2 The following provided support for the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative, GRPI: Germany, IDRC, The Netherlands and Rockefeller Foundation.
3 The following provided support for Global Crop Diversity Trust Campaign Phase II: AusAID, CIDA, GRDC, Rockefeller Foundation, SDC, Syngenta and USAID.
4 The following provided support for Marketing Strategies and Capacity Strengthening to Realize the Economic Potential of Underutilized Plant Species: CTA and 
UNIDO.
Financial  report
Continued
National Museums of Kenya
Conservation scientist—Conservation and use of  
  indigenous knowledge/systems and genetic resources 30
Netherlands
Associate expert—Fruit and nut tree complementary  
  conservation strategies 65
Associate expert—Information management, networking  
  and capacity building in conservation and use of forest  
  genetic resources in sub-Saharan Africa 68
Associate expert—Restoration of plant genetic diversity 53
Associate expert—Geographic information systems  
  for plant biodiversity 74
Associate expert—Agricultural economist 99
Associate expert—Management of forest genetic  
  resources in sub-Saharan Africa 34
Associate expert—Economics of agrobiodiversity 36
Subtotal 429
Norway
Policy unit  220
NZAID
Pacific plant genetic resources 11
OAS/CICAD
Rehabilitation and modernization of organic banana  
  production in Alto Beni, Bolivia 101
Rehabilitation and modernization of organic banana  
  production in Alto Beni, Bolivia—Phase 2 461
Subtotal 562
Peru
Strengthening the scientific basis of agricultural biodiversity  50
Philippines
Conservation and use of tropical fruit species diversity  
  in the Philippines 50
Introduction, evaluation and adoption of new banana  
  materials in the Philippines 65
Subtotal 115
Pioneer
Vavilov–Frankel fellowship 11
Quebec
Internship in sub-Saharan Africa—Survey on low-cost 
  seed drying technology 12
Rockefeller
Banana weevil resistance mechanisms—PhD student 17
Develop common approaches to exchange genetic  
  resources with national and international partners in  
  compliance with the International Treaty on Plant 
  Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 28
Institutional learning and change—ILAC 31
2004 Bellagio meeting on plant genetic resources— 
  Genetic resources flow and values paper 14
Further development, implementation and mainstreaming 
  of institutional learning and change approaches 55
Musa baseline information project 29
Impact assessment studies 23
Strategies for genetic transformation of bananas  
  in Africa—workshop 5
Subtotal 202
SDC
Access and benefit-sharing: SADC regional workshop 61
System-wide PGR Policy Research Unit, CGIAR and SGRP  53
Enhancing contribution of home gardens to on-farm  
  management of plant genetic resources and to improve  
  livelihood of Nepalese farmers 68
In situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity—Phase IV 448
Subtotal 630
SIDA
Genetic resources policy 95
ASARECA EAPGREN baseline survey—8 countries 15
ASARECA technical backstopping to EAPGREN  7
Subtotal 117
TBRI
Regional information system for banana and plantain  
  for Asia and the Pacific 2
Uganda
Novel approaches to the improvement of banana  
  production in eastern Africa 188
UNDP-GEF
Participatory management of date palm plant genetic  
  resources in oases of the Maghreb 628
In situ conservation of native landraces and their wild  
  relatives in Vietnam 41
Subtotal 669
UNEP-GEF
Community-based management of on-farm plant   
  genetic resources in arid and semi-arid areas of   
  sub-Saharan Africa 216
In situ/on farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity  
  (horticultural crops and wild relatives species) in   
  Central Asia 83
Conservation and sustainable use of cultivated and 
  wild tropical fruit diversity: promoting sustainable  
  livelihoods, food security and ecosystem service 84
In situ conservation of crop wild relatives through enhanced 
   information management and field application 839
Conservation and use of crop genetic diversity to control 
  pests and diseases in support of sustainable agriculture 273
Subtotal 1495
USAID
Meeting on ‘The evolving role of genebanks in the light  
  of developments in molecular genetics’ 3
Target Project—Increasing productivity and market  
  opportunities for banana in Africa 140
Subtotal 143
USDA
Collection of germplasm in Bolivia and Guyana 7
Collection of germplasm of Phaseolus spp. and  
  Arachis hypogaea L. in Venezuela 9
Subtotal 16
VVOB
Associate scientist—Nematology in Latin America   
  and the Caribbean 69
Associate scientist—Technology transfer in eastern  
  and southern Africa 135
Associate scientist—Nematology in West and Central  
  Africa 131
Associate scientist—Nematology in Asia 141
Subtotal 476
World Bank
CGIAR genetic resources policy committee 82
CGIAR genebank upgrades—Musa 283
CGIAR genebank upgrades—SGRP/SINGER 105
CGIAR genebank upgrades for SGRP monitoring 15
CGIAR ICT-KM Virtual resources center project 53
CGIAR ICT-KM E-publishing project 28
Subtotal 566
Total Restricted Grants   
Subtotal Restricted Grants 18 860
Challenge Programs
Austria
Challenge Program—Unlocking genetic diversity in  
  crops for the resource poor 62
CIAT
Challenge Program—On the molecular marker  
  characterization of 500 accessions of cassava using 
  a DArT chip 38
Challenge Program—Generation
Challenge Program—Unlocking genetic diversity in  
  crops for the resource poor 900
Total Restricted Grants   
Subtotal Challenge Programs 1 000
Total Restricted Grants   
Total Restricted Grants  19 860
STABILE, Mr Lorenzo* Database Developer/Information 
Systems Analyst
TAZZA, Ms Patrizia Design/Layout Specialist
GENETIC RESOURCES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GROUP
ENGELS, Dr Jan Group Director
AMARAL, Dr Weber Senior Scientist, Forest 
Genetic Resources
BORDONI, Mr A. Paul Scientific Assistant, 
Underutilized Species
BRAGDON, Ms Susan** Senior Scientist, Law and Policy
BROWN, Dr Anthony Honorary Research Fellow, 
Genetic Diversity
DE PONTI, Mr Tomek* Associate Scientist
DULLOO, Dr M. Ehsan Scientist, Conservation and 
Management of Germplasm 
Collections
ENGELMANN, Dr Florent Honorary Research Fellow
EYZAGUIRRE, Dr Pablo Senior Scientist, Anthropology 
and Socioeconomics
GUARINO, Mr Luigi Honorary Research Fellow
HALEWOOD, Mr Michael Senior Policy and Legal 
Specialist
HANSON, Dr Jean** Senior Advisor, Ex situ 
Conservation
HENSON-APOLLONIO, Victoria* Senior Scientist, Project Manager, 
Central Advisory Service
HODGKIN, Dr Toby Principal Scientist, Genetic 
Diversity
JARVIS, Dr Devra Senior Scientist, In situ 
Conservation
JOHNS, Prof. Timothy Honorary Research Fellow
LANE, Dr Annie* Scientist, Global Project 
Coordinator
MOORE, Dr Gerald Honorary Research Fellow, Law 
and Policy
NOORANI, Ms Arshiya* Scientific Assistant, Global 
On-Farm Conservation
SMALE, Dr Melinda Senior Economist
THORMANN, Ms Imke Scientific Assistant, Plant 
Genetic Resources Information 
Management
VINCETI, Dr Barbara Associate Scientist, Forest 
Genetic Resources
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
GEERTS, Mr Koenraad Director, Finance and 
Administration
GLOVER, Ms Melanie Budget Officer
HARMANN, Ms Karen Senior Accountant
LAMBERT, Ms Ingrid* Human Resources Manager
LIBERTO, Ms Giselle Human Resources Officer
LUZON, Ms Josephine Finance Manager
MARTINIUS, Ms Ulrika** Human Resources Manager
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL
FRISON, Dr Emile Director General
CHERFAS, Dr Jeremy*** Science Writer/Public 
Awareness (acting)
FOWLER, Dr Cary Honorary Research Fellow, 
Senior Advisor
HORTON, Dr Douglas* Honorary Research Fellow, 
ILAC Coordinator
MACLEAN, Ms Sheryl Personal Assistant to Director 
General
MALGRAND, Ms Karine Fund Raising Assistant
WATANABE, Dr Kazuo Honorary Research Fellow
WATTS, Ms Jamie Scientist, Impact Assessment 
and Evaluation
WITHERS, Dr Lyndsey Assistant Director General
SECRETARIAT OF THE CGIAR SYSTEM-WIDE GENETIC 
RESOURCES PROGRAMME
TOLL, Ms Jane Senior Scientist, SGRP 
Coordinator
DAOUD, Ms Layla Communications and 
Information Assistant
GAIJI, Mr Samy Senior Scientist, SINGER 
Project Leader
SKOFIC, Mr Milko Database and Programmer 
Analyst
SOOD, Mr Rajesh Information System Analyst
GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST
LAIRD, Mr Julian* Director of Development
LALIBERTÉ, Ms Brigitte*** Scientist
RAYMOND, Ms Ruth Senior Scientist, Public 
Awareness
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL, PROGRAMMES
HOOGENDOORN, Dr Coosje Deputy Director General, 
Programmes
THOMPSON, Dr Judith Scientific Assistant
 
DOCUMENTATION, INFORMATION AND TRAINING GROUP 
GOLDBERG, Ms Elizabeth Group Director
ALERCIA, Ms Adriana Germplasm Information 
Specialist
BUONAIUTO, Mr Massimo Multimedia/Web Specialist
DREW, Ms Jennie Editor
GARRUCCIO, Ms Maria Library and Information 
Services Specialist
METZ, Dr Thomas** Senior Scientist, Genetic 
Resources Information Systems 
Management
NEATE, Mr Paul Senior Scientist, Head, 
Communications Services
RAYMOND, Ms Ruth Senior Scientist, Public 
Awareness
Professionalstaff
Stafflist-Board 2004indd   37 1-09-2005   15:26:57
JARVIS, Dr Andrew** Honorary Research Fellow, 
Geographic Information System
SCHELDEMAN, Dr Xavier Scientist, Conservation and Use 
of Neotropical PGR
WILLEMEN, Ms Louise Associate Scientist
ASIA, PACIFIC AND OCEANIA
SAJISE, Dr Percy Regional Director
ABDUL HAMID, Ms Hanizah Administrative Officer
ANTHONYSAMY, Ms Anita Scientific Assistant
BATUGAL, Dr Ponciano A. Senior Scientist, COGENT 
Coordinator
CHANDRABALAN, Ms Dorothy* Scientific Assistant
CHIN, Prof. H.F. Honorary Research Fellow, 
Public Awareness
DELA CRUZ, Dr Felipe Jr* Regional Project Coordinator
HONG, Mr Lay Thong Specialist, Bamboo and Rattan 
and Forest Genetic Resources
KANNIAH, Ms Jayashree Scientific Assistant
KEIZER, Mr Menno Associate Scientist
LEE, Dr Sok-Young Associate Scientist
LUOMA-AHO, Mr Tapio Associate Scientist
QUEK, Dr Paul Scientist, Documentation/
Information
RAO, Dr V. Ramanatha Senior Scientist, Genetic 
Diversity/Conservation
STHAPIT, Dr Bhuwon Ratna Scientist, In situ Crop 
Conservation Specialist
East Asia
ZHANG, Mr Zongwen Associate Scientist, East Asia  
Coordinator
BAI, Dr Keyu* Assistant Coordinator
South Asia 
BHAG MAL, Dr Senior Scientist, South Asia 
Coordinator
ARORA, Dr R.K. Honorary Research Fellow
JAIN, Dr Charu* Scientific Assistant, Genetic 
Diversity Assessment
MALIK, Dr Surendra Kumar Associate Scientist
MATHUR, Dr Prem N. Associate Scientist, South Asia 
Associate Coordinator
SURENDRAKUMAR, Mr Veluthattil Administrative Officer
CENTRAL AND WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA
AYAD, Dr George Regional Director
BAMMOUN, Ms Aicha** Research Assistant, In situ 
Conservation of Agricultural 
Biodiversity—National 
Professional Officer
BARI, Mr Abdullah Associate Scientist, PGR 
Information/Data Management 
and Analysis Methodologies
PAPINI, Ms Silvia Office Manager
RASMUSSON, Ms Lotta Human Resources Advisor
VALORI, Mr Dario Information Technology Manager
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 
ATTA-KRAH, Dr Kwesi Regional Director
ATIENO, Mr Frederick* Information and Documentation 
Officer
ESTRELLA ENGELMANN, Mr Jaime Project Coordinator, GRPI
GRUM, Dr Mikkel Scientist, Genetic Diversity
KAMAU, Mr Henry Scientist, Training/SADC 
Programme
KAMAU, Mr Kennedy* Web Developer, GRPI 
KWEKA, Mr Demetrius* Associate Scientist, 
Conservation and Use of Forest 
Genetic Resources
MARANDU, Mr Wilson* Conservation Scientist
MBOGGA, Mr Michael Associate Scientist, 
Conservation and Use of Forest 
Genetic Resources
MORIMOTO, Mr Yasuyuki* Associate Scientist, Post 
Doctoral
NDUNG’U-SKILTON, Ms Julia Associate Scientist, In situ 
Conservation
OBARA, Ms Anne Administrative Officer
OBEL-LAWSON, Ms Elizabeth Scientific Assistant
RAO, Dr N. Kameswara Scientist, Germplasm 
Conservation
VAN DER STEEG, Mr Robbert Associate Scientist, Restoration 
of Plant Genetic Diversity
ZOUNGRANA, Dr Issiaka** Senior Scientist, Training
West and Central Africa
VODOUHE, Dr S. Raymond Coordinator for West and 
Central Africa/Scientist, Genetic 
Diversity
ACHIGAN-DUKO, Mr Enoch Associate Scientist
AVOHOU, Mr Hermane* Scientific Assistant to the 
IPGRI-WCA Coordinator
EYOG-MATIG, Dr Oscar Scientist, Forest Genetic 
Resources/Coordinator, 
SAFORGEN
AMERICAS
LASTRA, Dr Ramón Regional Director
BAENA, Ms Margarita Publications and Public 
Awareness Specialist
CHAVEZ, Dr Jose Luis Conservation Specialist, In situ 
Crop Genetic Resources
DE VICENTE, Dr M. Carmen Scientist, Plant Molecular 
Genetics
FRANCO, Mr Tito Documentation and Information 
Programme Specialist
HERMANN, Dr Michael* Senior Scientist, Genetic Diversity
38 2004Annual Report
Stafflist-Board 2004indd   38 1-09-2005   15:26:59
392004Annual Report
DURAH, Dr Kheder Regional Network and 
Information Manager
GIULIANI, Ms Alessandra Associate Scientist, 
Socioeconomics of Neglected 
and Underutilized Crops
HADJ HASSAN, Dr Adnan Honorary Research Fellow
KHALIL, Mr Rami  Media and Public Awareness 
Officer
MAMELLY, Mr Adib Finance and Administration 
Officer
PADULOSI, Dr Stefano Senior Scientist, Integrated 
Conservation Methodologies 
and Use
Central Asia
TURDIEVA, Dr Muhabbat Scientist, Forestry Genetic 
Resources, Central Asia and the 
Caucasus
KARRYEVA, Ms Shirin Regional Coordinator, In situ/
On-farm Conservation
LEE, Ms Marina** Research Assistant to the 
Regional Specialist on 
Community Conservation of PGR
RENKEMA, Ms Heidi Associate Scientist, Fruit and 
Nut Tree Complementary 
Conservation Strategies
TRESHKIN, Dr Sergey** Regional Specialist on 
Community Conservation of 
Plant Genetic Resources
Regional Date Palm Project Coordination Office
NASR, Dr Noureddine Regional Coordinator, 
GEF-UNDP Date Palm Project
BELGUIDJ, Mr Malek National Coordinator, GEF-UNDP 
Date Palm Project, Algeria
RHOUMA, Mr Abdelmajid National Coordinator, GEF-UNDP 
Date Palm Project, Tunisia
ZIRARI, Mr Abdelmalek National Coordinator, GEF-UNDP 
Date Palm Project, Morocco
EUROPE 
TUROK, Dr Jozef Regional Director
BOZZANO, Mr Michele* Programme Specialist, Forest 
Genetic Resources
DEL GRECO, Ms Aixa Scientific Assistant
DIAS, Ms Sonia* Programme Specialist, 
Documentation and Information
KOSKELA, Dr Jarkko Scientist, EUFORGEN 
Coordinator
LIPMAN, Ms Elinor Scientific Assistant
LUND, Dr Birgitte* Project Manager, AEGIS
MAGGIONI, Mr Lorenzo Scientist, ECP/GR Coordinator
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE IMPROVEMENT 
OF BANANA AND PLANTAIN  
MARKHAM, Dr Richard  Director
ARNAUD, Ms Elizabeth Information/Documentation 
Specialist
DOCO, Ms Hélène Information/Communication 
Specialist
ESCALANT, Dr Jean-Vincent Senior Scientist, Musa Genetic 
Resources
ESKES, Dr Bertus Coordinator, CFC/ICCO/IPGRI 
Cocoa Project
LUSTY, Ms Charlotte Public Awareness and Impact 
Assessment Specialist
OLIVEROS, Mr Oliver* GFAR/DURAS Project Coordinator
PICQ, Ms Claudine Head, Information/Communication
PONSIOEN, Mr Guido Information/Documentation 
Specialist
ROUX, Dr Nicolas Scientist, Musa Genomics
STAVER, Dr Charles* Senior Scientist, Sustainable 
Musa Production and Utilization
VEZINA, Ms Anne Editor/Scientific Writer
Asia and Pacific 
MOLINA, Dr Agustín Regional Coordinator
VAN DEN BERGH, Dr Inge Associate Scientist, Technology 
Transfer
Eastern and Southern Africa 
KARAMURA, Dr Eldad Regional Coordinator
BLOMME, Dr Guy Associate Scientist, Assistant to 
Regional Coordinator
ELEDU, Mr Charles GIS Specialist
KAMULINDWA, Mr Julius Araali Project Administrator
KARAMURA, Dr Deborah Musa Genetic Resources 
Specialist
OSIRO, Mr Moses* Associate Scientist 
 
West and Central Africa  
AKYEAMPONG, Dr Ekow Regional Coordinator
JACOBSEN, Ms Kim Associate Scientist, Nematology
 
Latin America and Caribbean
ROSALES, Dr Franklin Regional Coordinator
BELALCAZAR, Dr Sylvio Honorary Research Fellow
CALDERON PARDO, Mr Helder* Administrative Officer 
MOENS, Mr Thomas** Associate Scientist, Nematology
POCASANGRE, Dr Luis Associate Scientist, Technology 
Transfer
 
INIBAP Transit Centre 
VAN DEN HOUWE, Ms Inès Scientist, Germplasm 
Conservation
SWENNEN, Prof. R. Honorary Research Fellow, 
Musa Genetic Improvement
* Joined during 2004
** Left during 2004
*** Moved groups during 2004
Stafflist-Board 2004indd   39 1-09-2005   15:27:00
Prof. Luigi Monti
Department of Soil, Plant and 
Environment Sciences
Università di Napoli, Federico II
Via dell’Università, 100
80055 Portici
Naples
Italy
Dr Renato Salazar**
Coordinator
PEDIGREA
6-1 Oakwood Street
Cottonwood Heights
Antipolo City
Philippines
Prof. Dr Ana Sittenfeld*
Director, Office of International 
Affairs
University of Costa Rica
San Pedro
San Jose
Costa Rica
Dr Stephen Smith
Pioneer Hi-Bred 
International Inc.
7300 NW 62nd Ave
PO Box 1004
Johnston
Iowa 50131
USA
Dr Mahmoud Solh
Director
Plant Production and  
Protection Division
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome
Italy
Dr Florence Wambugu
Chief Executive Officer
AHBFI
Runda Estate, Off Limuru Road
Mimosa Vale, #215
PO Box 642-99621  
Village Market
Nairobi
Kenya
* Joined during 2004
** Left during 2004
BOARD CHAIR
Dr Benchaphun Shinawatra 
Ekasingh
Chiang Mai University
Multiple Cropping Centre
Faculty of Agriculture
Chiang Mai 50200
Thailand
MEMBERS
Dr Carlos Cano**
c/o Deniss Montero, Protocol
Ministro de Agricoltura
Av. Jimenez # 7-65
Bogota
Colombia
Prof. Dr Thomas Cottier**
Director
Institute of European and 
International Economic Law
Hallerstrasse 6/9
CH-3012 Berne
Switzerland
Dr Emile Frison
Director General
IPGRI
Via dei Tre Denari, 472/a
00057 Maccarese
Rome
Italy
Dr Anthony K. Gregson
Oakview East
PO Box 262
Warracknabeal
Victoria 3393
Australia
Dr Marianne Lefort
Head of Plant Breeding 
Department
INRA - DGAP
RD 10 route de Saint-Cyr
78026 Versailles Cedex
France
Dr Olga F. Linares
Smithsonian Tropical Research 
Institute
Unit 0948
APO AA 34002-0948
Balboa
Panama
Prof. Dr Magdy Madkour*
President
Agricultural Research Center 
(ARC)
9 Gamaa Street
Giza 12619
Egypt
Dr Shoji Miyazaki
Project Leader
c/o Institute of Oil Crops 
Research
Xudong Road 2
Wuhan 430062
People’s Republic of China
Board of Trustees
Credits
Text: Jeremy Cherfas
Editor: Paul Neate
Design and layout: 
Patrizia Tazza, 
Frances Ferraiuolo
Printing: Marchesi 
Grafiche Editoriali SpA
Cover illustration
IPGRI works at all points 
along the production 
chain to help people 
improve their livelihoods. 
Illustration by Patrizia 
Tazza.
IPGRI office  locations
Regional Offices
Sub-Regional Offices
INIBAP Offices
Turrialba, Costa Rica
Cali, Colombia
Hervelee, Belgium
Aleppo,
Syria
Douala, Cameroon
Cotonou, Benin
Kampala, Uganda
Nairobi, Kenya
Serdang, Malaysia
Los Baños, Philippines
Beijing, China
New Delhi, India
Tashkent, 
Uzbekistan
IPGRI HQ, Rome, ItalyINIBAP HQ, Montpellier, France
Rome, Italy
Rabat, Morocco Tozeur,
Tunisia
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Annual Report
2004
The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is the 
world’s largest international institute dedicated to the deployment of 
agricultural biodiversity for improving people’s livelihoods.
IPGRI’s overall goal is to make a real contribution to the achievement 
of four of the Millennium Development Goals: eradicating extreme 
poverty and hunger; reducing child mortality; improving maternal 
health; and ensuring environmental sustainability. This is predicated 
on the certainty that agricultural biodiversity can be much more 
widely deployed to improve livelihoods, an observation that lies at 
the core of IPGRI’s new vision.
Vision
People today and in the future enjoy greater well-being through 
increased incomes, sustainably improved food security and nutrition, 
and greater environmental health, made possible by conservation and 
the deployment of agricultural biodiversity on farms and in forests.
IPGRI operates through four programmes and three research and 
support units. It has a staff of around 300, operating from some 30 
locations around the world.
Citation:
IPGRI. 2005. Annual Report 2004. International Plant Genetic 
Resources Institute, Rome, Italy.
ISBN 978-92-9043-691-1
ISBN 92-9043-691-3
IPGRI, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese, 
Rome, Italy
© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2005