2000
Annual report
In
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 G
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 In
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Foreword 1
The International Conference 
on Science and Technology 2
Plant genetic resources policy 4
Orphan crops 7
Promoting in situ conservation 
on-farm 10
Increasing the income of 
smallholder farmers through 
coconut research and 
development 13
Uncovering the value of genetic
diversity 15
The System-wide Information 
Network for Genetic Resources 17
Getting a grip on Geographical
Information Systems 19
The International Network 
for the Improvement of 
Banana and Plantain 21
Conserving forest diversity 
for today and the future 23
Complementary conservation
strategies 25
Selected IPGRI publications
of 2000 27
IPGRI office locations 27
Financial report 28
Establishment agreement 30
Financial support 30
IPGRI’s professional staff 31
IPGRI’s projects  34
IPGRI’s Board of Trustees 35
Acronyms 36An
nu
al 
Re
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20
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Contents
Although the political dimensions of plant genetic resources have taken up an increasing amount
of space on IPGRI’s plate in recent years, we are still fundamentally a scientific and technical
research institute. And so we were very pleased and proud this year to sponsor a major
international conference where the focus was squarely on science. The International Conference
on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st Century (SAT21)
was held in Malaysia in June with the collaboration of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and support
from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Malaysia. The
Conference attracted 260 participants from 63 countries. Their goal: to craft a vision for plant
genetic resources research in the next century. (More on the Conference on p. 2.)
Good progress was made this year in the renegotiation of the International Undertaking on plant
genetic resources, holding out the promise of an eventual resolution of the long impasse and real
prospects for the establishment of a multilateral system for access and benefit sharing. As the
CGIAR’s lead Centre on genetic resources policy, IPGRI has watched and participated as an
observer in the negotiations with the greatest interest. Present at all 13 negotiating sessions (four
of which took place this year), IPGRI has often been called upon by FAO and its Commission to
provide technical input and advice. 
The effectiveness of the multilateral exchange system that could emerge from the negotiations,
and the ability to meet the research challenges identified by the SAT21 participants, will largely
depend on our continued commitment to conserve and use the genetic resources held in
collections around the world. In 2000, IPGRI began to study the feasibility of launching a major
effort to support a country-driven process to develop and fund an internationally agreed plan for
a rational global genetic resources conservation system. Such as system has been called for in
the Global Plan of Action for plant genetic resources. The effort would also include raising funds
to upgrade and endow the genetic resources collections held in the Future Harvest Centres
supported by the CGIAR. The Centres act as trustees for the collections under the auspices of
FAO, which is also expected to play a leading role in the campaign. 
As the year drew to a close, anticipation at IPGRI grew high as the builders put the finishing
touches on our new headquarters building in Maccarese, about 25 miles from Rome. Organizing
ourselves to move, after over 25 years in Central Rome—11 at the last location—involved nearly
all Rome-based staff, be it in assisting the architects in the design of the building, choosing the
new furniture, checking out the location of the nearest snack bars, restaurants, banks and post
offices, or looking into the best means of transportation to the new office. 
Maccarese is located on land once occupied by marshes. The land was completely drained in the
1930s and turned into prime agricultural property. The main structure for our new building,
constructed around that time, is an old grain silo and mill (mulino in Italian). We moved in the first
week of March 2001, and, as of this writing, are still unpacking and getting used to the new
neighbourhood. We would like to acknowledge the Governments of Italy and Japan for assisting us
to build our ‘dream house’. We hope to welcome all of our friends here soon. 
Finally, we record our sorrow at the passing of two IPGRI colleagues and friends. Dr Abdou-
Salam Ouedraogo, Regional Director for IPGRI in sub-Saharan Africa, died in a tragic plane crash
in the early days of the year. Dr Eric Quarcoo, a scientist in IPGRI’s West African office in Benin,
died of cancer after a long, brave battle. We miss them greatly. 
This annual report provides a taste of some of the year 2000’s key projects and activities. We
believe it shows that, given continued strong support from our donors, IPGRI can continue to
play a significant role in supporting global efforts to conserve and use plant genetic resources for
the benefit of humanity. 
Geoffrey C. Hawtin Marcio de Miranda Santos
Director General Board Chair Fo
re
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or
d
Foreword
For IPGRI, one of the most gratifying stories of the year 2000
was the International Conference on Science and Technology for
Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st Century. While a
number of high-level conferences—notably the Earth Summit, the World
Food Summit and the International Technical Conference on plant genetic
resources—have concerned themselves with biodiversity in recent years, their
content has tended to be political. This meeting (also known as SAT21) was the largest
international forum in some 25 years to examine the broad and complex range of
scientific and technical issues underlying the conservation and use of plant
genetic resources. The conference, co-sponsored by IPGRI and the Malaysian
Palm Oil Board (MPOB), was held in Kuala Lumpur in June and attracted over
250 participants from 63 countries. 
Ever since the Earth Summit put the conservation and use of biodiversity
squarely on the development agenda in 1992, the science of plant genetic
resources has grown vastly in size and complexity. Today, we recognize the
importance of the social and economic factors related to genetic resources, the
need to support conservation by farmers, the value of a large number of useful
plant species, formerly neglected by research, and the importance of diversity
within production systems, especially in marginal areas. These issues were not
recognized as being of critical importance, even a decade ago. Once the province
mainly of breeders and genebank curators, the management and use of plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture now involves ecologists, plant physiologists,
reproductive biologists, biotechnologists, geographers, anthropologists, sociologists and
economists. 
The goal of the SAT21 organizers was to provide a platform for communicating and
disseminating knowledge—drawn from all of these disciplines—about the current state of
the science of genetic
resources management. The
result was a giant step towards
the design of a global vision for
the next century, and a
heightened awareness of the
scientific challenges that lie
ahead. 
Nearly 50 scientists presented
their work to the conference,
and about 250 posters were
displayed in
dedicated sessions
during the week.
Some topics of
concern included
the power of
molecular methods
and of geographic
information systems
(GIS), the costs of
conservation and
the increased
responsibility of the
private sector to
The International Conference on Science and Technology
SA
T2
1
The conference dinner, sponsored by the
Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment, featured guest speaker Professor
Jack Hawkes who recalled his friendship with
genetic resources pioneer Nicolai Vavilov.
Professor Hawkes was awarded a certificate
marking his own outstanding contributions to the
conservation and use of plant genetic resources
over six decades. A number of conference
participants—including IPGRI staff members—
took the
opportunity to
reminisce with
Professor Hawkes,
their former
teacher at the
University of
Birmingham, UK. 
SAT21 Honoree 
Jack Hawkes. 
P. Sands, IPGRI 
Designed by 
P. Tazza, IPGRI
Some of the
illustrations from 
a children’s art
contest held in
Kuala Lumpur on
the topic of
biodiversity
conservation in the
21st century.
Illustrations by Ong
Ee Boon, Lim Chin
Hong and Thum
Mun Choon
support conservation efforts.
Evening sessions considered
the link between plant genetic
resources and poverty
alleviation, and progress in the
development of a multilateral
system for access and benefit
sharing. 
The SAT21 conference identified
the management and use of
biological information as a
critical goal for the future.
Biological information is
doubling every two years,
based on DNA sequence data
alone. In the past
decade, more scientific
information has been
created than in all of
previous history.
Knowledge about plant
resources has grown
exponentially as has the
ability to manage and use that knowledge. It is a powerful tool to use to improve the
lives of the 1.5 billion people that live in abject poverty in developing countries. 
Another topic receiving priority attention was the group of crops known as
‘orphans’. Traditionally, agricultural science has mostly concentrated on improving
the productivity of so-called major crops such as maize, wheat and rice. Far less
attention has been paid to other crops that also often provide food and nutritional
security. But these species, which include many fruits and vegetables with high
levels of vitamin A and other micronutrients, play a vital role in the lives
of the poor. Many of them are adapted to marginal farming conditions
where major crops will not grow, such as degraded or hilly areas or
zones with saline soils or arid conditions. Improving the management
and use of these crops is a major research challenge for the future.
Field visits to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development
Institute, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and the Universiti
Putra Malaysia rounded out the week’s programme.
SAT21 concluded with a pledge by participants to maintain the
momentum generated by the conference. A Steering Committee was
established and is investigating the feasibility of setting up an
international plant genetic resources society and of organizing a series of
follow-up conferences over time. IPGRI also hosts a list-server, which
allows participants to continue to exchange information. The conference
proceedings will be published in September 2001. 
Visit the SAT21 web site (www.ipgri.cgiar.org/sosindex.htm) for more
on future activities, abstracts of papers and the conference
synthesis paper. 
2000 3Annual Report
 The applications of genomic sciences for a
better understanding of genepools
 Technologies and strategies for ex situ
conservation
 The deployment and management of genetic
diversity in agroecosystems 
 The role of bioinformatics in conservation and
use 
 Exploring underused species—diverse options 
 In situ conservation of wild species 
 Germplasm enhancement and pre-breeding
 Indicators for sustainable management of
genetic resources 
 Implications of gene transformation techniques
for ex situ conservation choices 
 GIS applications for genetic resources
management 
 The economics of managing genetic resources
and the role of the private and public sectors 
SAT21 examined the following
thematic areas:
As commonly understood, the concept of ‘policy’ has two key defining characteristics:
first, that it prescribes a set of ideas or a plan of action, and second, that it has been
formally endorsed by a group of people, an organization, a government or a political party.
National policy can be, and sometimes is, strongly influenced by the interests of a single
powerful political leader. However, international policy, by definition, is set by a group of
nations based on due consideration of the trade-off between national interest and the
benefits of belonging to a collective. Mutual interest itself has evolved over time, reflecting
a growing awareness of the interdependence of countries with regard to economic and
environmental concerns, food security and other factors. 
No country, however rich in diversity, is self-reliant with regard to plant genetic resources.
Crops that originated in one country or region grow and prosper in other parts of the world.
These crops often play a crucial part in the economies of their adopted homes. As a result,
broad access to genetic resources and international collaboration in collecting, evaluating
and using genetic resources are absolutely essential. 
Scientists and breeders have long understood the special nature of agricultural biodiversity
and, in response, have operated a partnership system comprising national programmes
and other partners, including the Future Harvest Centres, NGOs and the private sector.
Many discrete structures exist within the framework of this partnership system; for
example, plant genetic resources networks, which operate formal, rule-based systems of
cooperation and exchange. 
Few would deny that this partnership system has benefited both developing and developed
countries over the years—the Future Harvest Centres alone send out about 650000
samples of germplasm and improved materials each year, about 90% of which goes to the
South. However, the field of agrobiodiversity, once the strict province of scientists and
development workers, has become increasingly political in the years since the coming into
force of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as countries have come to grips with
the benefits—and responsibilities—of national sovereignty over their genetic resources. This
has led to a call for more formal mechanisms and policy instruments to guide future
collaboration. 
Today, plant genetic resources policy, and the legal
mechanisms for implementing that policy, are under
development at both national and international levels
through processes that are complex and interrelated.
The evolution of international policy and law depends
greatly on national processes and positions. Likewise,
the process at the international level affects national
policy-making. 
IPGRI’s historical relationship and physical proximity
to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and its long and active
involvement with the CBD has provided significant
experience of the actors, issues and culture in the
key policy fora relevant to agricultural biodiversity.
This has allowed IPGRI policy and legal staff to
make a very substantial contribution to the
international debate, both through informing policy
based on the Institute’s own scientific and technical
expertise, and through representing the issues and
interests of the CGIAR, an explicit responsibility
Plant genetic resources policy
Pl
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entrusted to IPGRI as Convening Centre of the System-wide Genetic
Resources Programme (SGRP). 
IPGRI has been a consistent presence in meetings of the FAO
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The institute
is one of only a few non-parties permitted to participate in the
Commission’s Contact Group sessions concerning the renegotiation of
the International Undertaking on plant genetic resources. IPGRI has also
been very active in providing expert input to the discussions of the CBD’s
Panel of Experts on Access and Benefit-sharing, which is developing
guidelines for national access legislation to be considered by the
Conference of the Parties to the CBD. In both fora, IPGRI has tabled
numerous policy studies and analyses—often at the request of the
negotiators—concerning issues around the development of a multilateral
system for exchange of plant genetic resources. Recent research resulted,
for example, in papers on legal mechanisms to alleviate mistrust amongst
negotiators, and possible financial mechanisms for administering the
International Undertaking.
Other international organizations are currently engaged in policy debates
that impinge on genetic resources, and IPGRI has been a presence there
as well. For example, the Institute participates in the World Intellectual
Property Rights Organization’s (WIPO’s) Working Group on Biotechnology
and assisted in developing the Working Group’s programme on
biotechnology and plant genetic resources. IPGRI has also been deeply
involved in genetic resources-related discussions and negotiations of the
World Trade Organization/Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (WTO/TRIPS), the Global Biodiversity Forum
and the Global Forum for Agricultural Research. IPGRI’s contributions to
these deliberations have, above all, concerned the issues of access and
intellectual property rights, issues that are closely linked and whose
interpretation has enormous implications for multilateral exchange in the
future and, not least, for the role of the CGIAR.
Many areas of a national economy are concerned with some aspect of
plant genetic resources, including the food, agriculture, forestry, medicine,
industry, transport, shelter, energy, tourism and environmental sectors.
Farmers, plant breeders, researchers, government agencies and private
companies all contribute to and benefit from the conservation and
sustainable use of genetic resources. Often, however, these sectors and
individuals do not coordinate their activities and may not even be aware of each other’s
work, no matter how closely it may relate to their own. The result may be fragmented or
duplicated efforts and the development of national plans and strategies with conflicting
objectives. There are also well-established protocols amongst indigenous and local
communities for cooperation and exchange of genetic resources, but these are not
always known or understood, and thus often not accounted for in national policy and law
making. 
IPGRI tries to encourage recognition of the large degree of coincidence between the
interests of these quite distinct but related sectors and disciplines, and to ensure that
policies made within them support plant genetic resources conservation and use. Often,
this requires nothing more than the fairly straightforward and simple act of bringing
people together. For example, a recent regional workshop on TRIPS, organized by IPGRI
in the Philippines included representatives from agriculture, trade and environment
5
IPGRI publications
in 2000 provided
advice and
information on
policy options for
national
programmes. 
6ministries throughout Asia. A
similar meeting took place in
Zimbabwe for the countries of
southern Africa. 
Another approach is to try to
ensure a consistent
understanding of agricultural
biodiversity at meetings of the
FAO Commission, the WTO,
WIPO, and the Conference of
the Parties to the CBD. IPGRI’s
presentations, papers and
active participation at these
meetings provide such
continuity and consistency. 
IPGRI played a key role in the
Crucible II project, which
brought together a highly
diverse group of individuals
from the public, private and
grassroots sectors to debate and consider options on intellectual property, the rights of
farmers, mechanisms for benefit sharing and appropriate structures for the conservation of
seeds. The multi-donor funded exercise was a follow-up to the highly successful Crucible
Project, which, in the mid-1990s, took the same approach to identifying and examining the
impact of intellectual property on trade, plant biodiversity and rural society. 
Many of the elements of national and international legal frameworks needed to ensure the
conservation, development, exchange and use of plant genetic resources do not yet exist.
To be effective and acceptable, these need to be guided by non-partisan and
dispassionate information and analysis, and a solid grounding in plant genetic resources
science. IPGRI is active in research and the development of new ideas for international law
and policy in the areas of, for example, sui generis approaches to intellectual property and
options for protecting traditional knowledge. Sui generis refers to a unique form of
intellectual property protection especially designed to meet certain criteria and needs. 
The 1994 agreements with FAO placed a significant obligation on the Future Harvest
Centres by formalizing their commitments concerning the genetic resources collections
housed in their genebanks. The agreements require that the collections remain in trust for
the world community and that they are available without restriction to all users. The terms
and conditions applied to all Centres are identical, reflecting the understanding of the FAO
Commission that, while the collections may be housed in 11 separate genebanks, they
represent a single global resource. For this reason, it is critical that Centres policies on the
collections be uniform across the system, and that they are well understood by the real
‘owners’ of the material: the world community. 
As Convening Centre for SGRP, IPGRI leads the process to further develop, coordinate and
promote Future Harvest Centre positions on legal and policy issues. It aims to ensure that
these policies are in line with international developments and that Centres are fully
informed as to the implications of these developments for their own work. This involves, for
example, the development of Material Transfer and Germplasm Acquisition Agreements in
line with the FAO Agreements (for more information, see http://www.sgrp.cgiar.org/).
2000Annual Report
The Crucible II project gave rise to a two-volume
publication, Seeding Solutions. Volume One offers
policymakers a clear description of the facts, the
fights and the fora relevant to plant genetic
resources. Volume Two describes legal mechanisms
to address three main points:
1. The need to conserve and exchange genetic
resources for the benefit of present and future
generations.
2. The need to encourage innovation in the
conservation and enhancement of genetic
resources.
3. New options for securing and strengthening the
rights and interests of indigenous and rural
peoples in their role as creators and conservers of
genetic resources. 
Seeding Solutions, co-published with IDRC and the
Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, is available from
IPGRI. Contact ipgri-publications@cgiar.org
Crucible II
Over time, humans have chipped away at their food sources until little remains.
Although people have used more than 7000 edible species at some stage in their history,
today, we essentially depend on just 30 crops to feed ourselves and about 60% of our
calories come from wheat, rice and maize. For the rich and privileged, the reduction in the
variety of food on our plates may stand as a sad symbol of the standardization of modern
life (although it should be noted, that this trend is beginning to reverse as wealthy countries
begin to import exotic and diverse foods from around the world). But it has far harsher
implications for the rural poor, particularly in marginal areas. For them, the best guarantee
of food security lies in access to a wide array of crop varieties and species and, in
particular, to crops that can prosper under fragile and risky conditions. 
These crops—which exist in every poor country—include hundreds of species of cereals,
fruits, vegetables, pulses, roots and tubers, oil crops, spices and medicinal plants. They
have much in common. As subsistence crops, they are adapted to local growing
conditions and require little or no external inputs. Many of the food species have high
levels of micronutrients and vitamins, thus protecting against the ‘hidden hunger’ caused
by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. They provide an opportunity for the poorest people to
earn a living as producers or sellers. They are generally a very affordable source of
calories. Many have important cultural value. And they have been largely overlooked by
science. 
The sustainable improvement of rural livelihoods is a complex endeavour. Coping with
greater competition for natural resources, urbanization and climate change will require a
larger portfolio of crops to meet new environmental conditions and new markets. Some key
resources needed to meet these challenges are already in the hands of the rural poor in the
form of the crop species they routinely use to meet household needs. But because
agricultural research has paid little attention to these species, there are major gaps in our
knowledge and capacity to conserve and improve them. For instance, we do not know
O
rp
ha
n 
cr
op
s
Orphan crops
Collecting data on the use of leafy vegetables, Senegal. 
IPGRI
8enough about their cultivation
requirements in order to
increase their yield performance
and quality traits. Little has
been done to identify the most
effective commercialization,
marketing and policy
frameworks to promote their
use and maximize their
economic value. 
There have been repeated calls
for greater research attention to
these so-called neglected or
orphan species. The FAO
Global Plan of Action for plant
genetic resources, Agenda 21
and the Global Forum for
Agricultural Research have all
recognized the significant
potential these crops have to
contribute to food security and
income generation. While IPGRI and other Future
Harvest Centres have supported important programmes
of work on a number of these species for many years,
these have tended to be carried out on regional and
local levels, without coordination or a clear international
strategy. 
In 1999, participants at an international workshop on
food security threw down a challenge. The workshop, organized by the M.S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation in Chennai, India and IPGRI on behalf of the CGIAR’s Genetic
Resources Policy Committee, called for the development of a coherent framework and
strategy for addressing neglected species and the establishment of a mechanism for
promoting work at the international level. Following the workshop, IPGRI and the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) developed a comprehensive global
programme to address the use and enhancement of neglected species. As part of the
project development process, IFAD supported the organization of three community-driven
priority-setting meetings in Egypt, Bolivia and India.
The IFAD-funded research will focus on marginal production areas in nine countries of West
Asia and North Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. A series of pilot projects will carry out
work on the priority species identified during the regional stakeholder meetings. The
selections reflect the contribution of the species to sustainable agricultural systems, their
economic potential, levels of threat from genetic erosion, and their local or regional
importance for food security, nutrition and income generation. The selected species include
nutritious millets and Lathyrus sativus (South Asia), Andean grains such as quinoa and
amaranth (Latin America), and medicinal and aromatic species (West Asia and North Africa). 
Project activities will include strengthening or establishing local seed production systems
and improvement and selection programmes involving local farmers. Surveys will assess
the distribution of available diversity and traditional knowledge about the target species.
Scientists will work with local communities to strengthen the conservation of the species
on-farm and will ensure that material is safely conserved in genebanks as well. Networks
involving all players in the production to consumption cycle will drive the process to
2000Annual Report
Woman
harvesting
Amaranthus
spp. leaves
for the
kitchen.
IPGRI
Egypt: argel, caper, oregano, mint, liquorice
Turkey: medicinal orchids
Yemen: aloe, cumin, nigella, coriander, mint, henna
Bolivia: quinoa
Peru: canihua
Ecuador: amaranth, lupin
India: grasspea,
finger millet
Nepal: Italian millet,
little millet
Bangladesh:
grasspea
Countries and species
selected by priority-setting
regional meetings
improve knowledge about uses of the target crops and to investigate and pursue
opportunities for improving access to commercial markets.
Traditional leafy vegetables are an important component of home gardens in both rural and
peri-urban areas throughout Africa. They are a major part of the household diet and an
important source of micronutrients, including vitamins A and C, and iron. Traditional
vegetables are sometimes gathered from the wild but, when domesticated, they do not
require many inputs and tend to flourish in areas where imported vegetables are not as
successful. They also compete effectively in markets with imported vegetables, which by
contrast require high inputs and are often too expensive for rural farmers and the urban
poor. 
Despite their value for food, nutrition and livelihood security, the use of traditional
vegetables has fallen off markedly in Africa. In part, this is because research and
development have paid very little attention to these crops. They are poorly known and not
terribly visible, being cultivated in home gardens or growing wild in forest areas. They are
above all the responsibility of women, who are the chief producers, users and sellers of
these plants. Researchers and, more recently, farmers and consumers, have tended to
accord greater status to imported crops and others with higher income earning potential. 
In 1996, an IPGRI project brought together scientists, development organizations and
technologists from Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal and Zimbabwe to increase
knowledge about the plant genetic resources of African vegetables. The Directorate
General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands sponsored the two-year
project, which linked the conservation and use of these resources to poverty alleviation by
communicating this knowledge in a form that could be directly used by local communities,
non-governmental organizations and development agencies. It combined local knowledge
and conventional documentation of genetic diversity with nutritional analyses in order to
link biodiversity to nutritional well-being. In addition, the project made local communities
the starting point for efforts to document and conserve traditional vegetables. The 
chief outcomes of the project were published in 1999 by IPGRI in a book entitled 
The Biodiversity of Traditional Leafy Vegetables.
This year, IPGRI secured additional resources from the Netherlands that will allow the
Institute to extend its work on African vegetables. The project, conducted in collaboration
with the African regional programme of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development
Center, includes partners from Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia. The
project aims to improve the food security, nutritional status and livelihoods of vulnerable
groups, namely women
and children, in the sub-
Saharan Africa region by
enhancing the
conservation, preparation,
processing, marketing and
use of African leafy
vegetables. The partners
have identified public
awareness as a key
activity for the project. 
2000 9Annual Report
Aloe is one of the crops receiving priority
attention in IPGRI’s IFAD-funded global
project on neglected crops.
IPGRI
On-farm conservation is generally used to describe a process by which farmers
maintain the traditional crop varieties that they have developed and which they continue
to manage and improve. Over the past several years, IPGRI has evolved an approach to
on-farm conservation that goes beyond this to encompass the entire agricultural and
environmental system occupied by the farm, and includes both immediately useful
species (such as cultivated crops, forages and agroforestry species) and their wild and
weedy relatives. 
The unique features of farmers’ knowledge, including how it relates to knowledge held by
the community, how it changes over time and why, and ethical issues relating to collecting
and analysing such knowledge, calls for the use of special techniques. IPGRI promotes an
approach that ensures farmers are fully and actively involved in the research process. This
requires an understanding of the environmental, biological, cultural and socioeconomic
factors influencing a farmer’s decision to select, maintain or discard a particular crop
variety. As a result, the approach has implications not only for the conservation of plant
genetic diversity but also for ecosystem health, human well-being and the reinforcement of
cultural values. 
IPGRI is working with rural communities, researchers, processors and marketing agents in
nine countries to develop and refine participatory methods to collect, analyse and use the
most critical information surrounding the conservation of genetic resources on-farm. Key
questions being addressed concern the amount and distribution of genetic diversity
maintained on-farm, the processes—human and natural—involved in maintaining this
diversity, and the identity (rich, poor, male, female) of the people involved in these processes. 
Participatory methods for gathering information include interviews, focus group
discussions, spatial mapping, matrix ranking and transects. This information is
supplemented by household, market and seed system surveys, field trials on-station and
on-farm, and genetic diversity measurements in the field and in laboratories. 
While the actual approach to crop diversity management tends to be site specific, research
methods have more widespread
application. The creation of strong
institutional linkages between
countries and with international
organizations is an important goal of
the IPGRI project. These linkages
allow partners from different regions
of the world to exchange knowledge
and experience, helping them to
further develop and define their own
research methods. 
The employment of empirical—
including participatory—approaches
has yielded a wealth of information
on local social, cultural, economic
Promoting in situ conservation on-farm 
Roadside drama, Nepal. The play
is based on a true story from the
village that demonstrates the
value of rice diversity.
D. Jarvis, IPGRI
Pr
om
ot
ing
 in
 s
itu
co
ns
er
va
tio
n 
on
-fa
rm
 
and agro-ecological conditions
in the partner countries, as well
as farmer crop and seed
management practices, and the
characteristics and origins of
their preferred varieties. There
is now a better understanding
of the key actors in on-farm
conservation and use, and the
specific roles of particular
gender, age and ethnic groups. 
The information links farmer
decision-making on the
selection and maintenance of
crop landraces to measures of
genetic diversity. Such
information helps us to better understand the structure of plant genetic diversity and the
forces—human and otherwise—that act upon it. It can be used to discover the best
conservation strategies for particular areas and crops. Analysis of the information suggests
farming practices that improve ecosystem health through the use of local crop genetic
resources, and may uncover factors limiting the maintenance of local crop diversity on-
farm. The information also helps breeders to improve varieties for marginal environments
and to link breeding efforts with farmers’ needs. 
2000 11Annual Report
 Maintain the processes of evolution and
adaptation of crops to their environments
 Conserve diversity at different levels—ecosystem,
species, within species
 Ensure farmers’ efforts are an integral part of
national plant genetic resources systems
 Conserve ecosystem services critical to the
functioning of the Earth’s life-support system
 Improve the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers
through economic and social development
 Maintain or increase farmers’ control over and
access to crop genetic resources.  
On-farm conservation can:
Burkina Faso
Ethiopia
Hungary
Mexico
Morocco
Nepal
Peru
Turkey
Vietnam
On-farm project partners
Granary with clay
roof, Burkina Faso. 
M. Djimadoum
12
In 2000, IPGRI published A
Training Guide for In Situ
Conservation On-farm. The
Guide was written to provide
national programmes with the
basic skills and tools to build
the institutional capacities and
partnerships needed to
implement an on-farm
conservation programme. It
draws very heavily on the
knowledge gained from the
process of developing and
testing research methodologies
in the partner countries. The
Guide covers disciplines
ranging from genetics to
ecology to anthropology, and
topics such as sampling, data
analysis and participatory
methods. It includes an
extensive bibliography. The
Guide will be produced in
several languages. 
The impact of the IPGRI on-
farm project has already been
substantial. It has been instrumental in putting in situ conservation onto the national policy
planning agendas in Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Morocco and Nepal. National institutions, local
communities and consumers are being sensitized to the value of local crop varieties in all
of the participating countries, while the partners are searching for new market outlets for
these varieties. Agricultural extension workers are learning that local crop resources are a
worthwhile addition to modern variety packages. There has also been a strong push to
increase gender awareness in national in situ conservation programmes and to increase the
number of women participating in decision-making, training and data collection.
See the new in situ Web site in English,
French, Spanish and Arabic at IPGRI’s
homepage, www.ipgri.cgiar.org. The site
includes a bibliography related to in situ
conservation, links to partner Web sites in
Nepal, Mexico, Morocco and Ethiopia, and
the Training Guide to In Situ Conservation
described above. 
2000Annual Report
 Farming system practices were shown to be
responsible for improving the productivity of local
crop varieties. In Jumla, Nepal, farmers re-route
cold water from high mountain streams to be
warmed by the sun before irrigating the rice crop.
The warmed water induces flowering at the
appropriate point in the season to enable timely
maturation and harvesting of the crop.
 In Mexico, it was found that there was a higher
turnover of the early maturing varieties of maize,
which are sown in small areas, while the late
maturing varieties tend to be conserved for many
years. This has strong implications for policy to
support informal seed systems. 
 In parts of Morocco, it was found that farmers
sometimes call all local varieties of barley by a
single name even though they clearly distinguish
and manage differently sub-units of this ‘named-
variety’. These farmer-managed ‘units’ are
distinguished by a set of traits rather than by
separate names. The global project team calls
them ‘farmers’ units of diversity’. The team is
using the concept to enhance the value of genetic
resources to benefit farming communities.
Sample research findings
Wild medicinal and aromatic plants, which
are usually collected by women and
children, being taken to markets, Turkey. 
A. Tan
Coconut provides a living for about 50 million people around the world, but despite the
importance of the crop, farm yields are declining due to aging palms, population growth
and economic pressures to convert land to alternative uses, natural disasters and other
environmental pressures. The Coconut Genetic Resources Network, or COGENT,
coordinated by IPGRI, is increasing farmers’ incomes through research and development
and by promoting high-value coconut products as a strategy to support the conservation
of coconut genetic resources. 
Since its establishment nine years ago, COGENT has grown into a global network involving
38 coconut-producing countries and including regional networks for South Asia, Southeast
Asia, South Pacific, Africa and the Indian Ocean, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
COGENT-sponsored activities for coconut researchers and development workers help them
to direct research to the needs of smallholder farmers. To date, COGENT has trained more
than 250 researchers in 37 countries. The network has convened dozens of meetings,
workshops and conferences. It has conducted technical assistance activities benefiting
more than 70 countries and has implemented 125 research grants in about 30 member
countries. 
COGENT has fostered collaboration between its members and advanced laboratories and
research organizations worldwide. COGENT-sponsored research activities include the
development of molecular marker-based techniques for locating and characterizing
diversity, studies of genetic erosion in coconuts, and genome mapping. Multilocation trials
are studying the yield, performance and farmers’ preference for 30 promising coconut
varieties in 18 countries worldwide.
COGENT’s new coconut
genetic resources database
contains passport and
characterization data for over
1300 accessions, supplied by
genebanks in 22 member
countries. Additional databases
on coconut research
information, farmers’ varieties
and multiple uses of coconut
are being developed by the
COGENT secretariat. 
A model collecting and
conservation strategy
developed by COGENT is
providing guidance to national
policymakers to assist them to
develop their own strategies.
Collecting activities have added
over 500 additional Asian
coconut populations to national
collections. COGENT is
establishing a multi-site
International Genebank in India,
Indonesia, Papua New Guinea
and Côte d’Ivoire to provide
additional security for national
C
oc
on
ut
 re
se
ar
ch
 
an
d 
de
ve
lop
m
en
t
Increasing the income of smallholderfarmers through coconut researchand development 
COGENT recently carried out a survey of potentially
marketable high-value coconut products and related
coconut varieties. Results indicate that Indonesian
coconut farmers could earn US$3126 per hectare
per year by producing palm sugar and Indian
coconut farmers could earn $1978 from selling
tender nuts. Vietnam estimated that a housewife
working at home could earn about $72 per month by
making ropes from coconut fibre using a $15 twining
machine. Bangladeshi women can earn about $1 per
day for making doormats. Thai households can earn
US$200–US$400 per month for producing
handicrafts and kitchen utensils made from coconut
shell and coconut wood. Without these products,
coconut farmers only earn approximately $250 per
hectare per year from copra, the primary coconut
product. Feasibility studies are being conducted in
Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to
pilot the production of these high-value products and
the means for in situ conservation of the coconut
varieties used to produce them.
Enhancing farmers’ incomes
through multi-use strategies
14
collections and a mechanism for evaluation and safe germplasm exchange. Ten Asia
Pacific countries are carrying out in situ conservation programmes, with COGENT support. 
Coconut farmers, 96% of whom are smallholders, use a range of local varieties that
provide multiple products and contribute to the food security of low-income households.
However, with increasing socioeconomic and environmental pressures on coconut-based
farming systems, cultivation is declining, as is the crop’s competitiveness with other
commodities. A 14-country project supported by IFAD and the UK’s Department for
International Development (DFID) is trying to promote and increase the value to the farmer
of coconut production and to enhance the genetic basis for multiple uses of the crop. The
activity uses participatory research methods to incorporate users’ perspectives, to evaluate
the needs and concerns of men and women, and to assess the cultural practices of
household consumers and
processors as they might relate to
coconut production. It has
resulted in the development of an
income generating strategy that
promotes the deployment of high-
yielding and adapted varieties, the
production and sale of coconut-
based products, and inter-
cropping of coconuts with
livestock or fodder. The dual
objectives: more effective and
consistent conservation of
coconut genetic resources and
better incomes for coconut
farmers.
2000Annual Report
An illustration developed as part
of a project to teach children
about the importance of plant
genetic resources. It shows
many of the different uses of
the coconut tree. 
Why do farmers continue to conserve and plant traditional crop varieties even after
modern varieties have been introduced? What is the value of the genetic diversity held in
genebanks and how is this diversity being used? IPGRI’s economics research programme,
carried out in association with national plant genetic resources programmes and
universities, is trying to answer these questions to better understand the economic
incentives for conservation.   
Approximately 6 million accessions of plant genetic resources are held in national, regional,
international and private collections around the world. A good deal of information exists
about the traits and characteristics of this material: data that are extremely valuable to
breeders and other users. However, not much is known about the demand for this
germplasm by the scientific community, or how this demand is influenced by the economic
conditions in which scientists work and the needs of the countries and communities that
they serve. Our understanding of the costs of maintaining and distributing genetic
resources collections is also limited. 
IPGRI is leading an SGRP initiative to study the demand for diversity in the Future Harvest
Centre genebanks. The initiative involves analysing SINGER data to assess the volume and
destination of samples distributed from the genebanks (see related story on SINGER,
p. 17). The study thus far indicates that the overwhelming majority—in the order of 90%—
of material distributed from the Centres is destined for developing countries. 
Other studies are examining the distribution and use of genetic resources from several
national genebanks, and seeking to improve economic methods for estimating the value of
accessions. An SGRP study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI—
also a Future Harvest Centre) is analysing the costs of conservation in the Future Harvest
genebanks. The goal of these studies is to help place a value on the costs and benefits of
genetic resources collections as well as to demonstrate the importance of a multilateral
system. They will also assist decision-makers to identify ways to improve efficiency.
In some marginal environments, landraces remain the choice of farmers, when either
breeding programmes have not been able to develop modern varieties that meet their
needs and circumstances, or else the seeds of such varieties are too expensive or not
available. In better environments, farmers often continue to grow landraces even if modern
varieties are available, because they may have qualities or traits they prefer, such as ease
of processing or taste. 
Some communities favour traditional varieties for cultural reasons including medicinal
purposes, rituals and festivals. In other cases, commercial seed supply systems do not
ensure ready and affordable access to seed of modern varieties. Even as economies
advance and farmers specialize in production for more distant markets, there may be an
economic role for landraces when urban consumers value their unique traits. 
Knowledge from economics research can help inform policy decisions by predicting the
extent to which farmers will continue to grow traditional varieties, given the economic
opportunities they face. Using in-depth case studies carried out with national research
partners, IPGRI is examining the factors that enhance or detract from on-farm
conservation. Research in both developing and developed economies (Morocco, Hungary,
Burkina Faso, Nepal and Finland) aims to assess the multiple benefits of crop landraces to
farmers and society as a whole and to identify appropriate economic policies to support
on-farm conservation. The studies have found that least-cost conservation of crop genetic
diversity will occur where farmers derive the greatest net benefit—either in monetary or
non-monetary terms—from growing traditional varieties and if the varieties they grow are
most genetically distinctive and therefore of greatest public benefit. U
nc
ov
er
ing
 th
e 
va
lue
 o
f
ge
ne
tic
 d
ive
rs
ity
Uncovering the value of genetic diversity
16
For example, a detailed study in the hillsides of
Nepal showed that the benefits of traditional
varieties to farmers in marginal areas outweigh
the costs by a ratio of nearly 4:1. In a site
where the use of modern varieties is
increasing, Nepalese researchers have
identified a subset of rice landraces that are
genetically distinct and that farmers perceive
as providing traits of particular significance.
Further research is quantifying the relative
value of these landraces to farmers and
identifying the economic and policy factors that
can enhance the chances that farmers will
continue to grow them (see table above). 
Indian researchers in the state of Kerala have
shown that conserving the diversity of
traditional coconut varieties improves the
livelihoods of poor farmers by generating
multiple sources of income. Unlike modern
varieties that are grown for copra production,
traditional types can be used to produce
multiple products including toddy and sweet
juice for drinking and thus provide higher
incomes for producers with one hectare or
less planted to coconut. 
Comparing situations in developing and
advanced economies provides insights into the
conditions under which development is
consistent with maintaining crop diversity. For
example, whereas Nepal’s agricultural policy
tends to encourage the use of modern
varieties, Finland provides subsidies to farmers
who grow landraces or older varieties. Case
studies have been initiated this year in Finland
and Hungary to assess the social, cultural and
economic role of local crop diversity in
advanced economies. 
2000Annual Report
In Nepal, farmers value varieties that require less labour
and time to process. 
D. Hines 
Site
Number of farmers Bara Kaski Jumla All
197 173 180 550
Percent of farmers
Growing only landraces 7 48 100 50
Growing only modern varieties (MV) 51 7 0 20
Growing both landraces and MVs 42 45 0 29
This table was constructed by Devendra Gauchan and Melinda Smale.
Farmers’ cultivation of different rice types 
at three sites in Nepal
Ever since the first grunted exchange
of knowledge, information has been
known to have value and potentially,
enormous power. Now, as we enter the
21st century, the revolutionary
advances of the past decade have
made information the single most
important tool for global change.  
The genetic resources collections
housed in the Future Harvest Centres
are widely seen as an invaluable
international public good that must be
central to any global genebank system.
But without SINGER—the System-wide
Information Network for Genetic
Resources—their true value would go
unrecognized and unrealized. SINGER
is the flagship project of the SGRP and
is managed by IPGRI.
The past two years have seen a
massive effort to improve the quality
and accuracy of the SINGER data.
Now, SINGER contains passport,
characterization and evaluation
information for over 500 000 in-trust
accessions. A parallel effort has been
underway to improve the distribution
data in the system. Work still remains,
but by the end of 2000, SINGER
already contained data on 1.5 million
germplasm transfers. 
The importance of documenting
germplasm flows has come to the fore
to support resource-mobilization for the
genebanks and to inform the debate on
TheSystem-wide InformationNetwork for Genetic Resources
Preliminary analysis on recipients 
of more than 1.7 million samples
transferred from  the genebanks 
at CIP, CIMMYT, CIAT, ICARDA,
ICRISAT, ILRI and IRRI (1974–2001). 
85%
15%
3%
7%
10%
30%
50%
Private
sector
NGOs and 
farmers
Genebanks
Universities
NARS
Developed
countries
Developing
countries
Recipients
SI
N
G
ER
18
benefit-sharing under a multilateral system. Analysis of the data is revealing some very
interesting trends. For example, germplasm transfers from seven Future Harvest Centres
were tracked over a period of 25 years. Over 90% of the material distributed from those
genebanks—more than 850 000 samples—went to public and private sector organizations
in developing countries. 
More and more, researchers are taking a holistic approach to agrobiodiversity conservation
and use, which considers entire production systems and their environs, forestry, aquatic
and livestock genetic resources all as pieces of the development puzzle. This trend, which
can be seen in the broad mandate of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the more
recent extended coverage of the FAO Commission, is very much echoed in the strategy of
the SGRP. SINGER is working hard to integrate information systems relating to the non-
plant sectors supported by the CGIAR—such as the Domestic Animal Genetic Resources
Information Database developed by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI—
also a Future Harvest Centre)—and to activities, such as breeding, which are closely linked
to germplasm use but not traditionally included in genebank data sets. 
The increased collaboration between SINGER and other information systems, and the
moves at Centre-level to integrate their own genetic resources and breeding information,
foretell greater opportunities to increase the usefulness of SINGER to a broader scientific
community. The SINGER model has already been adopted for the development of the
European Crop Genetic Resources Information System (EPGRIS), providing a test case for
other regional or crop-based information platforms. A policy on the roles and
responsibilities of SINGER ‘partners’ from outside the CGIAR is under development. 
A new SINGER user-interface, with multiple query functions and mapping, statistical and
graphical features, was released on the Web in 2000. The interface was created using
software designed by the SINGER team that can easily be modified according to Centre
and other user needs. SINGER staff conducted two-week training sessions at all of the
Future Harvest Centres in 1999–2000 on the application of the software for the design and
dissemination of Centre databases. Funds permitting, a new CD-ROM version of SINGER
will be produced shortly. 
2000Annual Report
The conservation challenge is a massive one. No country has yet devoted adequate
resources to addressing that challenge. The limited resources that are available must be
targeted with care; a task that is virtually impossible without adequate information on
ecogeographic distribution, genetic diversity and genetic erosion, or the analytical tools
and skills needed to use that information. 
However, conservation is a discipline often driven by urgency, frequently requiring action
before all the facts are known. Very often it becomes necessary to intervene while still
gathering information about the genepool or place that has been targeted for conservation.
The paucity of knowledge about plant genetic diversity and the lack of skills needed to
manage what knowledge exists are major obstacles to the development of national genetic
resources strategies. 
The different stages in the process of managing genetic resources, from collecting to
conservation to use, all yield data that are crucial to the effectiveness of the process as a
whole. These include data on the identity and characteristics of the material, and on the
place where the material originated, and where it presumably developed its distinctive
properties. Thus, much information related to genetic resources is associated with specific
geographical locations.
Geographical information systems (GIS) assemble, store, manipulate and analyse such
‘geo-referenced’ data. GIS make it possible to integrate complex spatial information from
many different sources, and then analyse and model the data in different ways to reveal
patterns, relationships and future scenarios. 
IPGRI has a keen awareness of the potential value of GIS for managing and understanding
the large and complex datasets associated with plant genetic resources. A key aspect of
IPGRI’s GIS strategy is to raise awareness throughout the plant genetic resources
community of the power of this tool, which can be used to track deforestation and
desertification, locate sites of potential occurrence of a particular species, identify diversity
hotspots, and assess the impact of the products arising from the use of genetic resources. 
Geo-referenced genetic diversity data can also be linked to other geo-referenced data,
such as digitized maps and remote sensing data on climate, soils, topography, human
disturbance and other aspects of the physical and biotic environment. This information
adds considerable value to the conventional passport data associated with genetic
resources, and can facilitate the conservation and use of genetic resources. 
Another important component of IPGRI’s
strategy is the development, testing and
transfer of GIS methods and tools. In
particular, IPGRI is interested in the use of GIS
to analyse spatial patterns related to genetic
diversity. The relationship between
environmental and socioeconomic data and
the genetic diversity of cultivated crop species
is a research area of particular interest. 
IPGRI has collaborated with two other Future
Harvest Centres to develop and test a pair of
G
et
tin
g 
a 
gr
ip 
on
 G
IS
Getting a grip on Geographical Information Systems
GIS can be used to pinpoint high priority
areas for collecting genetic resources.
I. de Borhegyi, IPGRI
20
GIS packages for national programmes: Diversity Analysis or DIVA-GIS (with the
International Potato Center—CIP) and FloraMap® (with the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture—CIAT). DIVA-GIS, which was also supported by SGRP, uses spatial analysis to
identify areas of high diversity. In addition, DIVA-GIS can extract climate data for all
locations on Earth. These can be used for ‘retro-classification’ of the environment at
collecting sites, a useful function for germplasm curators and users. 
The first formal release version (ver 1.4) is currently available and can be downloaded free
of charge at http://www.cipotato.org/tools/diva.htm. IPGRI is collaborating with CIP in the
design and testing of the software, and in providing training in its use.
FloraMap® is designed to predict the distribution of organisms in the wild when little or
nothing is known of the physiology of the species involved. It is based on the assumption
that climate is an important determinant of the environmental range of wild plants and
many other organisms. Likely additional sites for finding a particular species will have
climate profiles similar to those of the original locations where the wild accessions were
collected. FloraMap® uses latitude, longitude and altitude data to extract climate data on
the sites of collecting, and then produces probability maps showing where else in the
world the species might be found.
FloraMap® is designed mainly to help plant breeders and managers of genebanks to predict
new collecting sites for wild plants. However, the maps it generates have other uses, such
as identifying suitable locations for cultivating promising wild species or conducting field
trials. In addition, biodiversity specialists can use the maps to plan more efficient in situ
conservation programmes. By overlaying probability maps for various wild plant species,
specialists can select those sites that have a climate compatible with the largest number of
species targeted for conservation. IPGRI is collaborating with CIAT in testing the software,
and in making it available for use to interested genetic resources programmes, including by
providing training. For more on FloraMap® see http://www.floramap-ciat.
In collaboration with USDA and others, IPGRI has conducted case studies on the
effectiveness of GIS approaches to data analysis. One study resulted in the
identification of high priority areas for the conservation of wild peanuts, based on
various diversity and erosion risk indicators. This study, which also involves the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT—also a
Future Harvest Centre), is now examining the possible effects of global climate
change on the geographical patterns of peanut biodiversity. 
Another GIS study, funded by Germany, is looking at crop genetic diversity in the
Ucayli region of Peru (based at the CGIAR Ecoregional Benchmark for the Forest
Margins at Pucalpa). A collaboration with the Peruvian national plant genetic
resources programme, the study is adding data on genetic diversity and genetic
erosion to an extensive environmental and socioeconomic database, with the
objective of identifying patterns and associations that may be used to develop
conservation strategies for similar areas of the Amazon margins. 
In late 2000, IPGRI hosted a training course on the use of GIS at its Regional
Office for sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi. Genetic resources scientists from Sudan,
Burkina Faso and Kenya attended the three-month course, which covered the
most advanced methods of data formatting, diversity studies, and analysis of
spatial distribution using different GIS tools. IPGRI has also provided GIS training
within the context of its work on tropical fruits in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania.
2000Annual Report
Collecting
genetic
resources.
I. de
Borhegyi,
IPGRI
Most people in developed countries think of bananas as a snack or dessert food.
However, for more than 400 million people in the tropics, bananas, especially cooking
varieties, are a dietary staple. In countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, bananas
account for well over half of the daily calories for much of the population. The crop grows
in more than 120 countries on about 10 million hectares, with an annual production of
88 million metric tons. Bananas are the developing world’s fourth most important food crop
after rice, wheat and maize, with nearly 90% grown by small-scale farmers for home
consumption and local trade. 
The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), an IPGRI
programme, is dedicated to advancing banana production among small-scale farmers
around the world. INIBAP contributes to improving the livelihoods of small-scale banana
farmers by conserving banana diversity and helping to put it to use. 
The INIBAP genebank contains the world’s largest collection of banana diversity, more than
1000 accessions, which are held in trust for the world community. The genebank
distributes about 6000 samples each year to users, from breeders developing resistance to
diseases, to farmers who have lost their crops through natural disasters. Recently, for
example, the genebank sent bananas to Nicaragua as part of an effort to replace the crops
destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. 
The International Musa Testing Programme (IMTP) evaluates germplasm for resistance to
specific banana pests and diseases. The crops of small-scale farmers are particularly
susceptible to pests and disease since these farmers usually lack the money for chemicals
to combat them. By testing resistance under different environmental conditions, the IMTP
can identify the most appropriate germplasm for use in different parts of the world, and
thus move one step further to getting pest and disease resistant high-performing bananas
into farmers’ fields. INIBAP has produced a CD-ROM in order to promote further research
in testing and evaluation. The CD-ROM includes the IMTP database, IMTP cultivars and
reference clones catalogue, the compilation of all IMTP results (Evaluating Bananas: a
Global Partnership), and the guidelines needed for the evaluation of the resistance to black
Sigatoka, Fusarium wilt and nematodes, which are parasitic worms. 
The importance of IPGRI’s efforts to conserve, evaluate and promote the use of banana
diversity was recently validated by the Ugandan Government, which has invested its
contribution to the CGIAR in an INIBAP-coordinated project that uses novel biotechnology
techniques to enhance the disease resistance of East African Highland bananas. The project
will establish a regional biotechnology centre in Uganda and will upgrade the country’s
existing molecular biology facilities. It will host training programmes, international meetings
and workshops in order to build skills and knowledge amongst Ugandan scientists. 
The Uganda project will
support efforts to
improve resistance to the
devastating banana
disease black Sigatoka,
and to nematodes
through genetic
transformation. The most
effective genes will be IN
IB
AP
The International Networkfor the Improvement of Banana and Plantain
Carrying plantains to market on horseback,
Rwanda. 
G. Hawtin, IPGRI
22
identified in transgenic model plants and confirmed
by field-testing. The project will also support research
by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA—also a Future Harvest Centre) and the Ugandan
national agricultural research organization on the
genetic mechanisms underlying weevil resistance in
these banana types. At the same time, new strains of
Bt toxin will be tested for their effectiveness in
controlling weevils. Bt toxin is a naturally occurring
pesticide that is lethal to certain insects. 
A recent study by SGRP traced the development of
new disease-resistant bananas that offer tremendous
potential to improve the well-being of the world’s
poor. The improved banana hybrids are the product of
years of research by the Fundación Hondureña de
Investigación Agrícola (FHIA). Fortunately, FHIA had a
wide variety of banana germplasm to work with,
thanks to a worldwide collecting effort four decades
ago. Two renowned botanists, Paul Allen and J.J.
Ochse collected nearly 800 banana accessions from
Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific for the United
Fruit Company’s work in Honduras in what was one
of the greatest and most successful collecting
missions in the history of plant introduction. 
The banana germplasm collection passed from
private hands into public trust in 1984 and it now
forms the backbone of the FHIA collection. Eleven
wild types of bananas collected by Allen from Borneo,
Burma, Java, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua
New Guinea were used to develop the disease
resistant bananas. The development and testing of
the new bananas was an international effort,
supported in part by INIBAP and a network of banana
researchers around the world. 
The FHIA improved banana hybrids are now being
introduced by INIBAP and partners into areas affected
by black Sigatoka disease. In Cuba, up to a threefold
increase in banana and plantain production has been
reported from the improved bananas. The varieties are
also being introduced into Africa, where they have the
potential to alleviate the crisis caused by disease-
devastated crops and thus to help millions of people. 
INIBAP and FHIA have recently compiled and edited
a catalogue of Paul Allen’s banana collections. This
publication is available from IPGRI under the title A
Tribute to the Work of Paul H. Allen: a Catalogue of
Wild and Cultivated Bananas. Information about the
germplasm and improved varieties is also available
through INIBAP’s Musa Germplasm Information
System. 
2000Annual Report
Recognized for its innovative research and the
importance of its conservation work, the INIBAP
genebank was invited to participate in the EXPO
2000 World Exposition as one of 767 ‘projects
around the world’. While EXPO 2000 was based in
Hannover, Germany, by shining a spotlight on
projects in other locations, such as the genebank, it
expanded its reach beyond the walls of the exhibit
hall. INIBAP’s participation in EXPO 2000 highlighted
the importance of bananas for smallholder farmers in
developing countries. It resulted in the publication of
articles in the German and Belgian press, including a
feature in Lufthansa magazine. Deutsche Welle in
Germany and Arte in France and Germany broadcast
film footage about the project. During Belgian Day at
EXPO, the Prime Minister and Prince Philippe of
Belgium were briefed on the INIBAP project, which
was on display in the Belgian Pavilion. INIBAP’s work
was presented on the EXPO Web site, in the EXPO
catalogue and on CD-ROM. INIBAP also served as
an expert source in the Global Dialogue on ‘the role
of the village in the 21st century: crops, jobs and
livelihoods’. The Global Dialogue included a debate
and discussion with an invited audience of
international leaders in business and politics, as well
as advocacy
groups, grassroots
organizations and
the general public.
INIBAP genebank showcased
at EXPO 2000 
Banana genebank,
Indonesia. 
I. de Borheygi,
IPGRI
In many parts of the world, people depend on forests for building materials, fuel,
medicines, fodder and other resources used for food and income generation. Forest
ecosystems protect watersheds from erosion and trap carbon, which, in the form of carbon
dioxide, is believed to be a major contributor to global warming. Agricultural crops have
been domesticated from forests where their wild relatives still evolve. But in spite of their
value, forests are under threat from the encroachment of agriculture and urban areas,
commercial timber harvesting, over-harvesting of non-timber forest products, forest fires
and many other factors. 
IPGRI addresses the problems of deforestation and land use changes through programmes
to conserve biodiversity in natural areas and reserves and on private lands. The Institute’s
forest genetic resources programme involves local communities, researchers and scientists
from more than 50 countries. The programme works closely with other Future Harvest
Centres and the FAO Forestry Department. Projects focus on providing an array of options
to farmers and other stakeholders to allow them to make informed decisions about the
conservation and use of high value species for timber, and non-timber forest products,
such as rubber, resins and medicines, and those which are useful for providing
environmental services.
The Mapuche people in Argentina and Brazil depend upon the fuel-wood, medicinal resin
and seeds of the Araucaria tree, which are consumed as food and sold to generate family
income. However, overharvesting is putting both the species and the future livelihoods of
the Mapuche at risk. An IPGRI project in Argentina and Brazil is working with the Mapuche
and other forest-dependent communities to help them develop effective restoration
practices and conservation strategies to address the impact of human activities on the
Araucaria and other key tree species. This German-sponsored project focuses on
communities in Acre, Pontal, Curitiba in Brazil, and Bariloche in Argentina. 
Workshops held in 2000 involved stakeholders in planning for this project, including the
identification of priority species and research sites and the development of detailed
workplans. Working closely with local communities, scientists
are currently assessing the contributions of forests to
community livelihoods, tracing the history of forest use,
assessing forest diversity and the amount of timber and other
products harvested from the forests, and documenting current
forest management practices. 
With support from the government of Japan, IPGRI is working
with the International Network on Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
to promote the conservation and sustainable use of these two
important forest products, which provide diverse employment
opportunities, a myriad of products, and have more uses than
any other multipurpose tree species in the world. 
A major focus of the INBAR–IPGRI partnership has been to
strengthen the capacity of national programmes to manage
and study bamboo and rattan resources and to develop
methods for sustainable harvesting. In Hongqiang, Central
Yunnan, China, a training workshop on bamboo and rattan
management techniques was conducted for about 30
members of the local community. The workshop inspired the
community to establish a genebank, which now conserves 20
species of native bamboo. IPGRI also sponsored participants
from partner research institutes in India, Indonesia and
C
on
se
rv
ing
 fo
re
st
 d
ive
rs
ity
 
fo
r t
od
ay
 a
nd
 th
e 
fu
tu
re
Conserving forest diversity for today and the future
Tabebuya echinata
tree in a savanna
ecosystem in Brazil.
W. Amaral, IPGRI
24
Vietnam on a short training course at the Universiti
Putra Malaysia at Serdang where they learned
techniques for carrying out genetic diversity studies
on bamboo and rattan.
Medicinal trees from the forest play a vital role in
human health and provide a significant source of
income for urban and rural people in developing
countries. However, high demand for medicinal tree
products can threaten the future of a species.
Alstonia boonei, found in coastal Africa, is mainly
used for the anti-malarial properties found in its bark.
Unfortunately, there is no way to harvest the bark
without damaging the tree. There is only limited
information available about the genetic diversity of the
tree, its distribution, threats and conservation approaches and no specific conservation
activities have yet occurred. 
Now, a sub-network of SAFORGEN—the Sub-Saharan African Forest Genetic Resources
Network—is helping to develop a strategy for the conservation of Alstonia boonei. The
sub-network, which is coordinated by IPGRI’s West and Central African office in Benin with
financial support from UNEP, promotes action on medicinal tree species. The goal of
SAFORGEN is to strengthen the capacity of national programmes through regional
initiatives on forest genetic resources.
IPGRI has developed a decision model to help land use planners, forest managers, and
government officials make better decisions about the conservation and use of forest
biodiversity. The model prioritizes tree species based upon their utility
and their vulnerability to present threats. It helps decision-makers to
assess the cost-effectiveness of different management options.
Developed with the University of British Columbia, the model was
field tested by researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil
in a tropical evergreen forest and a tropical semi-deciduous forest. In
addition to economic and biological factors, the model also analyses
the perspectives of different stakeholders, including scientists,
farmers, business people and others. The main results of the research
were presented at the International Conference on Science and
Technology for Managing Plant Genetic Resources in the 21st century
in Kuala Lumpur, June 2000 (see article page 2).
2000Annual Report
At least 2.5 billion people depend on or use bamboo;
it has so many uses—from building material to
food—that it is often called ‘green gold’. Rattan, or
climbing palm, is the source of cane for furniture and
weaving. 
Together, bamboo and rattan earn global revenues
exceeding US$11 billion.
Indonesian rattan diversity includes 250 out of the
596 species known to exist. In Indonesia, 142
species of bamboo have been recorded.
Bamboo and rattan facts
Parkia biglobosa trees 
in a parkland ecosystem,
Burkina Faso.
A. S. Ouédraogo, IPGRI
Mapuche Indians from
Argentina discussing
priority areas for
conservation and use of
Araucaria araucana.
L. Gallo
In situ has long been the conservation method of choice for wild species and
ecosystems, while ex situ approaches have generally been preferred by plant breeders and
other scientists for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The CBD expressed a
preference for in situ conservation, viewing ex situ as predominantly a complement.
Proponents of each approach argue their greater value based on technical or philosophical
grounds, often failing to recognize that there is no one solution to all conservation
challenges. 
IPGRI recognizes the importance of putting the genepool rather than the technology first
and thus promotes the concept of complementary conservation strategies. This approach
calls upon the entire suite of available conservation methods, at any one time employing
the ones that best serve the needs of the genepool, or part of the genepool, in question.
Complementary conservation strategies recognize that both in situ and ex situ conservation
(including ex situ technologies such as seed storage, field genebanks, in vitro conservation,
pollen and DNA storage) have advantages but that neither is sufficient alone. 
It is relatively easy to discern the extent of diversity held ex situ in a genebank or botanical
garden since the conserved germplasm is usually documented for the use of plant
breeders and other users. The genetic resources maintained in this way are relatively
secure and accessible. There are, however, disadvantages to this approach. Ex situ
conservation removes material from its
natural environment, halting the
evolutionary processes that make
landraces unique and adaptable to
changing environments. Ex situ
technologies carry a significant cost
and even seed storage, which is one
of the least expensive options, may be
out of reach for many national
genebanks, especially if they aspire to
conserve the whole range of diversity
found within a country’s borders.
Special methods are required for the
ex situ conservation of certain
species, and this may drive the cost
even higher. The result is that ‘major’
crops or those of high economic value
are likely to receive more attention
than the locally important crops that
can be so critical for food security in
the developing world.
In situ conservation protects both
genetic resources and the processes
that give rise to diversity. The long-
term sustainability of breeding efforts
may depend on the continued
availability of the genetic variation
maintained and developed in farmers’
fields. Under certain circumstances,
depending on the crop or type of
genetic resources to be maintained,
interventions supporting their continuing
evolution on-farm may be cheaper and
C
om
ple
m
en
ta
ry
co
ns
er
va
tio
n 
st
ra
te
gie
s
Complementary conservationstrategies
Cassava for sale at a market in Cuzco.
S. Hood
26
more effective than ex situ storage. However, it may be difficult for scientists to identify and
access genetic resources conserved in situ. The same factors that allow for dynamic
conservation may serve to threaten the security of landraces. Genetic erosion can still
occur due to unforeseen circumstances like war and natural disasters, while social and
economic change may either foster or hinder on-farm biodiversity conservation over time.
Indeed, one of the challenges of in situ conservation research is to evaluate how economic
development is affecting farmer maintenance of diversity so as to account for this process
in the implementation of conservation initiatives.
The concept of complementary strategies has been debated for many years but with little
follow up by the conservation community. Recently, IPGRI decided to put the idea to the
test in developing a cassava conservation strategy for Peru. Cassava conservation experts
met at a workshop in Huaral, Peru to identify conservation objectives for the crop and to
determine the range of diversity that should be conserved. Using guidelines developed by
IPGRI, the group identified field and in vitro genebanks as the most useful options for
cassava conservation in that country and expressed interest in exploring possibilities for
in situ conservation as well. The participants also sketched out a national work plan for
cassava conservation.
The workshop in Peru provided the first example of a case study of the type required to
validate the complementary conservation approach. A number of other crops are being
considered for case studies by IPGRI, such as coffee in sub-Saharan Africa and sweet
potato. These crops (including cassava) are all promising examples because there is no
one overriding preferred conservation method for any one of them. Seed storage, field
genebanks and in vitro conservation are prominent methods for each so the concept of
getting the right balance is particularly pertinent. As our experience grows, it will be useful
to explore the economic aspects of the different decisions that are needed in the
implementation of a complementary conservation strategy.
2000Annual Report
Cassava farmer,
West Sumatra.
I. de Borhegyi,
IPGRI
Regional Offices
Plant Genetic Resources
Programme 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
 Conserving agricultural biodiversity in situ: scientific
basis for sustainable agriculture (with SDC, DGIS,
BMZ/GTZ, IDRC and FAO)
 Descriptor Lists for: Rocket, Citrus (English, French.
Spanish), Lathyrus (with Japan-ODA), Jackfruit
 Milho (with CIMMYT, Ministério da Agricultuta, do
Desenvolvimiento Rural e das Pescas, Brazil)
 Priority-setting for underutilized and neglected plant
species of the Mediterranean region
 Management of field and in vitro germplasm
collections (with FAO, SGRP)
 Genes in the Field
 FAO/IPGRI PGR Newsletter, Nos. 119–123 (with
FAO)
 Cryopreservation of tropical plant germplasm
 Populus nigra Network—6th meeting (with
EUFORGEN)
 Safflower—Germplasm collection directory
 Farmer Participatory research on coconut diversity
(with COGENT, IFAD)
 Working procedures for cocoa germplasm evaluation
and selection (with CFC, International Cocoa
Organization)
 Moving forward with the International Undertaking:
legal mechanisms to alleviate mistrust
 1999 IPGRI Annual Report (English, French, Spanish)
 Geneflow 1999 (French)
 Seeding Solutions (with IDRC, the Dag
Hammarskjöld Foundation)
 Research on Rattans in China (with Japan-ODA,
INBAR)
 Forest Genetic Resources Research Highlights
 Forest Genetic Resources IPGRI’s Strategic Action
Plan
 SGRP Annual Report 1999
 Participatory approaches to the conservation and
use of plant genetic resources (with the Center for
Development Research, Denmark)
 Ethnobotany and genetic diversity of Asian taro:
focus on China (with the Chinese Society for
Development Assistance)
 Directorio de Colleciones de Germoplasma en
America latina y el Caribe (with DANIDA)
 A Training Guide for In Situ Conservation On-farm
(with SDC, DGIS, BMZ/GTZ, IDRC and FAO)
 Core collections of plant genetic resources
Selected IPGRI publications of 2000
IPGRI officelocations
27
Restricted projects
Australia
Taro Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization 3
Nematology—Vietnam 24
Subtotal 27
ADB
Coconut Genetic Resources Network and Human Resources
Strengthening in Asia and the Pacific Region (Phase II) 179
Conservation and Use of Native Tropical Fruit Species 
Biodiversity in Asia 239
Subtotal 418
AfDB
Plant Genetic Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa 119
Musa Genetic Resources 27
Subtotal 146
Belgium
Collaborative Musa Research—KUL 254
Gembloux—Musa Virus Diseases 163
INIBAP Transit Center—KUL 302
Musa Coordination in Africa 207
Studies on Breeding Systems (Phaseolus lunatus) Phase II 132
Study of Diversity (Colletotrichum and Stylosanthes) Phase II 14
Subtotal 1,072
Brazil
Lusophone Project 58
Canada
Developing Decision-making Strategies on Priorities for
Conservation and Use of Forest Genetic Resources 28
International Conference on Science and Technology 
for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 19
Subtotal 47
CFC
Banana Improvement Programme Assessment 2
Cocoa Germplasm Utilization and Conservation 470
Coconut Germplasm Utilization and Conservation 156
Subtotal 628
CIRAD
Musa Publications 31
Musa Nematode Research 29
Subtotal 60
COLCIENCIAS
Conservation and Use of Genetic Resources of Passiflora 7
CTA
CRBP Symposium Proceedings 3
Forestry Genetic Resources Workshop 9
Information Services/Publications 30
International Conference on Science and Technology 
for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 7
Organic Banana Production Workshop 2
Subtotal 51
Denmark
Junior Professional Officer—Benin 11
Junior Professional Officer—Colombia 17
Effective Conservation and Use of Intermediate and 
Recalcitrant Tropical Forest Tree Seed Phase II 107
Participatory Approaches to the Conservation and Use 
of Plant Genetic Resources 4
Subtotal 139
European Countries
ECP/GR—Phase VI 232
EUFORGEN—Phase I 62
EUFORGEN—Phase II 146
Subtotal 440
European Union
Global Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—Latin America 103
Global Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—ACP 18
Global Forest Genetic Resources Strategies—Asia 130
Human and Policy Aspects of Plant Genetic Resources 
Conservation and Use—ACP 5
Human and Policy Aspects of Plant Genetic Resources 
Conservation and Use—Asia 114
Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut 
Genetic Resources—Latin America 118
Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut 
Genetic Resources—ACP 27
Promoting Sustainable Conservation and use of Coconut 
Genetic Resources—Asia 148
Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and 
Regional Networks in the Americas—Latin America 191
Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and 
Regional Networks in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania—ACP 27
Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and 
Regional Networks in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania—Asia 114
Support to Plant Genetic Resources Programmes and 
Regional Networks in Central and West Asia and North 
Africa—MED 170
Unrestricted and
Attributed
Australia 299
Austria 50
Belgium 256
Canada 474
China 120
Denmark 468
France 206
Germany 297
India 75
Italy 912
Japan 1,488
Netherlands 1,345
Norway 360
Philippines 23
Republic of Korea 50
South Africa 50
Spain 50
Sweden 361
Switzerland 539
Thailand 10
United Kingdom 894
USA 600
Various Asian Institutions 19
World Bank 3,749
Subtotal 12,695
Above figures include accounts
receivable at 31 December 2000
for:
1. Belgium’s 1998 and 2000
unrestricted contributions of
BF11,400,000 at year-end
rate of exchange of
BF42.9674=US$1.00.
2. Italy’s unrestricted
contribution of Lire
788,000,000 at year-end
rate of exchange of Lire
2062.39=US$1.00.
3. The Philippines’ unrestricted
contribution of
PHP519,151.33 at year-end
rate of exchange of
PHP50=US$1.00.
Financial report
For the year ended 31 December 2000, in US dollars (‘000)
Restricted
Australia 27
ADB 418
AfDB 146
Belgium 1,072
Brazil 58
Canada 47
CFC 628
CIRAD 60
COLCIENCIAS 7
CTA 51
Denmark 139
European Countries 440
European Union 1,505
FAO 73
Finland 82
FONTAGRO 51
France 353
Future Harvest 20
Germany 533
GFAR 2
IDRC 231
IFAD 355
IFS 4
Italy 90
Japan 434
JIRCAS 19
Luxembourg 116
Netherlands 843
Norway 58
Peru 14
Philippines 12
Portugal 120
PRGA 24
Republic of Korea 110
Rockefeller Foundation 41
Spain 256
Sweden 143
Switzerland 652
TBRI 25
Technova 36
Uganda 319
United Kingdom 70
UNDP 64
UNEP 79
USDA 49
VVOB 199
World Bank 120
Subtotal 10,195
Total Grants 22,890
Support to regional Musa programs—Latin America 142
Support to regional Musa programs—ACP 21
Support to regional Musa programs—Asia 177
Subtotal 1,505
FAO
Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Acacia Germplasm 3
Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Acacia Germplasm II 5
Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Small Grain Germplasm 3
International Conference on Science and Technology 
for Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 12
International Training Course on Fruit Tree Genetic Resource 
Conservation and Use for Central Asia 3
National Programme Strategies and In Vitro Conservation 
Manual 4
Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter 41
Publication of Two Decision Guides 2
Subtotal 73
Finland
Associate Expert—Malaysia 82
FONTAGRO
Aprovechamiento de los Recursos Genéticos de las Papayas
Para su Mejoramiento y Promoción 51
France
Coconut Genetic Resources Network 52
Senior Scientist – Commodity Chains Project 103
MGIS – Musa Germplasm Information System 6
Peri-urban Banana Production in West Africa 20
Senior Scientist—Research on Tropical Fruit 103
Mapping Musa acuminata translocation break points through 
molecular cytogenetics (Montpellier Biotechnology Platform) 69
Subtotal 353
Future Harvest
Fundraising Campaign to Support Genetic Resources
Collections Around the World 20
GFAR
Analysis of National Genebank Data 2
Germany
Forest Genetic Resources in Brazil and Argentina 246
Home Gardens and In Situ Conservation 101
In situ Conservation (Morocco component) 28
International Conference on Science and Technology for 
Managing Plant Genetic Diversity in the 21st Century 13
Patterns of Genetic Diversity and Genetic Erosion 
of Traditional Crops in Peru 139
Southern African Workshop on TRIPS 6
Subtotal 533
IDRC
Associate Scientist 10
Community Level Management of Plant Genetic Resources 34
Conserving Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Species 0
Crucible Meetings—Publications 16
Diversification of Coconut Products to Enhance Incomes 
of Coconut Farming Communities 4
In situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase II 104
Musa Germplasm Information System 4
Musa In Situ Conservation 59
Subtotal 231
IFAD
Sustainable Use of Coconut Genetic Resources 
in the Asia–Pacific Region 238
In situ Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic 
Resources in Desert-prone Areas of Africa 105
Workshop on Enlarging the Basis of Food Security 12
Subtotal 355
IFS
Tropical Root Crops Meeting (Support for Attendance of
Developing Countries Scientists) 3
Forestry Genetic Resources Workshop 1
Subtotal 4
Italy
Junior Professional Officer—Forest Genetic Resources 
Research 90
Japan
Plant Genetic Resources Programme in Asia, the Pacific 
and Oceania 134
Global Forestry Genetic Resources Strategies—Research 
on the Genetic Resources of Bamboo and Rattan 200
CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Program Policy 
Research and Coordination of the System-wide Genetic 
Resources Program 100
Subtotal 434
JIRCAS
Japan Workshop Proceedings 19 
Luxembourg
Genetic Resources of Broad-leaved Forest Tree Species 
in Southeastern Europe 116
Netherlands
Associate Expert—Conservation Strategies Research 90
Associate Expert—Forest Genetic Resources Research—
CWANA 68
Associate Expert—Forest Genetic Resources Research—
Americas 90
Associate Expert—Home Gardens Research 90
In Situ Conservation in Burkina Faso and Nepal 505
Subtotal 843
Norway
Policy Unit 58
Peru
Peruvian Banana Research 14
Philippines
Philippine Musa Collection 12
Portugal
Lusophone Project 120
PRGA
Farmers Domestication and Improvement of Yam 
in West Africa 24
Republic of Korea
Associate Scientist—In Vitro Conservation 90
Associate Scientist—Research Grant 20
Subtotal 110
Rockefeller Foundation
Musa Baseline Project 41
Spain
Cherimoya Germplasm Bank in Peru 35
Technology Transfer Project (Musa) 52
Training Programme 169
Subtotal 256
Sweden
Associate Expert—Cucurbitaceae Research 90
Genetic Resources Policy 44
Eastern Africa Regional Meeting 9
Subtotal 143
Switzerland
CGIAR—Plant Genetic Resources Policy Research Unit 120
In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase II 116
In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity Phase III 403
IPM Banana Conference 1
Singer Phase II 12
Subtotal 652
TBRI
RISBAP 25
Technova
Research on Sweet Potato 36
Uganda
Musa Biotechnology for Uganda Project 319
United Kingdom
Cryopreservation Techniques for Plant Species in India  6
Farmer Testing of Banana in East Africa 64
Subtotal 70
2000 29Annual Report
30
UNDP
IMTP - Phase II 46
UNDP-GEF
Participatory Management of Date Palm Plant Genetic
Resources in Oases of the Maghreb 18
UNEP
SAFORGEN—Conservation Strategies for Priority Tree 
Species in Sub-Saharan Africa 14
UNEP-GEF
In situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives through 
Enhanced Information Management and Field Application 65
USDA
Wild Relatives of Crop Species in Bolivia 34
In Situ Conservation of Wild Crop Relatives in Paraguay 3
Development/Testing of Geographical Information System 
for Locating Cultivated Plant Diversity 5
Collection of Germplasm of Phaseolus spp. and Arachis 
hypogaea L. in Venezuela 7
Subtotal 49
VVOB
Research Fellow—Nematology in Costa Rica 44
Research Fellow—Nematology in Vietnam 49
Research Fellow—Technology Transfer in Uganda 58
Entomology in Cameroon 48
Subtotal 199
World Bank
CGIAR Genetic Resources Policy Committee 10
Germplasm Conservation in Central Asia and the Caucasus 18
Fundraising Campaign to Support Genetic Resources
Collections Around the World 60
Intellectual Property Rights Audit 32
Subtotal 120
Total Restricted Grants 10,195
Financial Support for the Research Agenda of
IPGRI was provided in 2000 by the Governments of:
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, F.R. Yugoslavia (Serbia
and Montenegro), Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United
Kingdom, USA
and by the: 
African Development Bank, Asian Development
Bank, Common Fund for Commodities, Centre de
Coopération Internationale en Recherche
Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD),
Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de la
Ciencia y la Tecnología (COLCIENCIAS), Technical
Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA),
European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO), Food and Fertilizer
Technology Centre for the Asia and Pacific Region
(FFTC), FONTAGRO, Future Harvest, Global Forum
on Agricultural Research (GFAR), International
Development Research Centre (IDRC), International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),
International Foundation for Science (IFS), Japan
International Research Center for Agricultural
Sciences (JIRCAS), CGIAR Programme on
Participatory Research and Gender Analysis for
Technology Development and Institutional
Innovation (PGRA), Participatory Research and
Gender Analysis Programme of the CGIAR (PRGA),
Rockefeller Foundation, TBRI, Technova, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United
Nations Development Programme Global
Environmental Facility (UNDP-GEF), United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations
Environment Programme Global Environmental
Facility (UNEP-GEF), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), Vlaamse Verenining voor
Onderwijs en Technische Bijstand in het Buitenland
(VVOB), World Bank
Financial support
Establishment agreement
The international status of IPGRI is conferred under
an Establishment Agreement which, by December
2000, has been signed and ratified 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.
31IPGRI’sprofessional staff
OFFICE OF DIRECTOR GENERAL
HAWTIN, Dr Geoffrey Director General
FOWLER, Dr Cary Honorary Research Fellow,
Senior Advisor
WATTS, Ms Jamie Impact Assessment and
Evaluation Specialist
WATANABE, Dr Kazuo Honorary Research Fellow
WITHERS, Dr Lyndsey Assistant Director General
SECRETARIAT OF THE CGIAR SYSTEM-WIDE
GENETIC RESOURCES
TOLL, Ms Jane Senior Scientist, SGRP
Coordinator
DAOUD, Ms Layla Communications and
Administration Assistant
GAIJI, Mr Samy Scientist, SINGER Project
Leader
ROBINSON, Dr Jonathan*/** Consultant
SKOFIC, Mr Milko Database and
Programmer Analyst
OFFICE OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL,
PROGRAMME
HOOGENDOORN, Deputy Director General, 
Dr Coosje* Programmes
IWANAGA, Dr Masa** Deputy Director General,
Programmes 
THOMPSON, Dr Judith Scientific Assistant
THORMANN, Ms Imke*** Consultant
DOCUMENTATION, INFORMATION AND 
TRAINING GROUP
GOLDBERG, Ms Elizabeth Group Director
ALERCIA, Ms Adriana Germplasm Information
Specialist
CISSOKHO, Ms Pascale* Multimedia/Web Specialist
DEARING, Ms Julia Anne Scientist, Library and
Information Services
GARRUCCIO, Ms Maria* Library and Information
Services Specialist
HAZEKAMP, Ir Tom** Scientist, Germplasm
Documentation 
METZ, Dr Thomas* Scientist, Genetic
Resources Information
Systems Management
NEATE, Mr Paul* Senior Scientist, Head,
Communications Services
RAYMOND, Ms Ruth Senior Scientist, Public
Awareness
SEARS, Ms Linda** Editor
STAPLETON, Mr Paul** Senior Scientist, Head,
Editorial and Publications
Unit
TAZZA, Ms Patrizia Design/Layout Specialist
GENETIC RESOURCES SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY GROUP
ENGELS, Dr Jan Group Director
AMARAL, Dr Weber* Forest Genetic Resources
Scientist
BOFFA, Dr Jean-Marc** Consultant, Forest Genetic
Resources
BRAGDON, Ms Susan Senior Scientist, Law and
Policy
BROWN, Dr Tony Honorary Research Fellow,
Genetic Diversity
ENGELMANN, Dr Florent Senior Scientist, In Vitro
Conservation
EYZAGUIRRE, Dr Pablo Senior Scientist,
Anthropology and
Socioeconomics
HODGKIN, Dr Toby Principal Scientist,
Genetic Diversity
JARVIS, Dr Devra Scientist, In Situ
Conservation
MOORE, Dr Gerald* Honorary Research Fellow,
Law and Policy
PETRI, Dr Leonardo Associate Scientist, Forest
Genetic Resources
SAKALIAN, Dr Marieta* Consultant, In Situ
Conservation of Crop Wild
Relatives
SMALE, Dr Melinda* Senior Economist
THORMANN, Ms Imke* Scientific Assistant,
Genebank
TROEDSSON, Ms Karin** Research Fellow, Law and
Policy
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
GEERTS, Mr Koen Director Finance and
Administration
HARMANN, Ms Karen Senior Accountant
LUZON, Ms Josephine Finance Manager
PAPINI, Ms Silvia Office Manager
RASMUSSON, Ms Lotta Human Resources
Manager
TEMKOW, Mr Stephen Budget/Audit Officer
VALORI, Mr Dario Computer Services
Manager
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
ATTA-KRAH, Dr Kwesi Regional Director
DULLOO, Dr M. Ehsan Germplasm Conservation
Scientist
GRUM, Dr Mikkel Scientist, Genetic Diversity
KAMAU, Mr Henry Scientist, Training/SADC
Programme
32
KERJE, Mr Torbjörn Associate Scientist, Genetic
Resources /SADC
Programme
KIAMBI, Mr Dionysious K. Scientist, East Africa
Programme
MUKEMA, Mr Isaiah Documentation and
Information Officer
NDUNG’U-SKILTON, Associate Scientist, In Situ
Ms Julia Conservation
OBARA, Ms Anne* Administrative Officer
OBEL-LAWSON, Scientific Assistant
Ms Elizabeth
OUEDRAOGO, Regional Director
Dr Abdou-Salam
(deceased)
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
VODOUHE, Dr S. Raymond Scientist/Coordinator,
Genetic Diversity
DOSSOU, Dr Bernadette Associate Scientist, In Situ
Conservation (Burkina Faso)
EYOG-MATIG, Dr Oscar Forest Genetics
Resources
Scientist/Coordinator 
SAFORGEN
QUARCOO, Mr Eric Associate Scientist, Root 
(deceased) and Tuber Genetic
Resources
SANGARE, Honorary Research Fellow, 
Dr Abdourahamane Training
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
COPPENS, Dr Geo Senior Scientist, Tropical
Fruit
FRANCO, Mr Tito Documentation and
Information Programme
Specialist
GUARINO, Mr Luigi Senior Scientist, Genetic
Diversity
HOOGENDIJK, Mr Michiel Associate Scientist,
Genetic Diversity
Documentation and
Assessment
LEAL, Prof. Freddy Honorary Research Fellow
MORALES, Dr Francisco Germplasm Health
Specialist
SEGURA, Mr Sergio Visiting Researcher,
Passiflora Genetics
VAN BREUGEL, Mr Paulo* Associate Scientist, Forest
Genetic Resources
VAN DEN HURK, Ir Anke Associate Scientist,
Complementary
Conservation Strategies
WILLIAMS, Dr David E. Senior Scientist, Genetic
Diversity
ASIA, PACIFIC AND OCEANIA 
SAJISE, Dr Percy* Regional Director
BATUGAL, Dr Pons A. Senior Scientist, COGENT
Coordinator
CHIN, Prof. H.F. Honorary Research Fellow,
Public Awareness
CHO, Mr Eun-Gi Associate Scientist, Citrus
Cryopreservation
HONG, Mr Lay Thong* Specialist, Bamboo and
Rattan and Forest Genetic
Resources
KOSKELA, Dr Jarkko* Associate Scientist, Forest
Genetic Resources
Conservation and Use
MOHAMED, Hj. Azhari* Consultant
QUEK, Dr Paul Scientist, Documentation/
Information
RAO, Dr V. Ramanatha Senior Scientist, Genetic
Diversity/Conservation
SHAHARUDIN, Dr Saamin Scientific Assistant
SHALIZAHANIM, Ms Shukor Communications Assistant
STHAPIT, Dr Bhuwon Ratna Scientist, In Situ Crop
Conservation Specialist
WELLER, Mr Michael Administrative Officer
EAST ASIA
ZHOU, Prof. Mingde Senior Scientist, East Asia
Coordinator
ZHANG, Mr Zongwen Associate Scientist, East
Asia Associate
Coordinator
SOUTH ASIA
BHAG MAL, Dr Senior Scientist, South
Asia Coordinator
ARORA, Dr R.K. Honorary Research Fellow
MATHUR, Dr Prem. N. Associate Scientist, South
Asia Associate
Coordinator
RAMAMANI, Ms Y.S.* Scientific Officer, Tropical
Fruits
CENTRAL AND WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA
AYAD, Dr George Regional Director
ACHTAR, Ms Suha** Associate Scientist, In Situ
Conservation
2000Annual Report
BAMMOUN, Ms Aicha* In Situ Conservation of
Agricultural Biodiversity-
National Professional
Officer
BARI, Mr Abdullah Associate Scientist, PGR
Information/Data
Management and Analysis
Methodologies
BAZUIN, Mr Tom* Associate Scientist, Forest
Genetic Resources
DE VICENTE, Dr M. Carmen*Scientist, Plant Molecular
Genetics
DURAH, Dr Kheder* Regional Network and
Information Manager
KHABBAZ, Mr Antoine** Public Awareness Officer
KHALIL, Mr Rami* Public Awareness Officer
LABIB, Mr Nabil Regional Coordinator for
GEF/UNDP Project
MAMELLY, Mr Adib Finance and
Administration Officer
PADULOSI, Dr Stefano Senior Scientist,
Integrated Conservation
Methodologies and Use
TURDIEVA, Dr Muhabbat Scientist, Forest Genetic
Resources, Central Asia
and the Caucasus
VAN BREUGEL, Mr Paulo*** Associate Scientist, Forest
Genetic Resources 
EUROPE
TUROK, Dr Jozef Regional
Director/EUFORGEN
Coordinator
BORELLI, Mr Simone Scientific Assistant, Forest
Genetic Resources
LALIBERTÉ, Ms Brigitte Scientific Assistant, Crop
Genetic Resources
LIPMAN, Ms Elinor Scientific Assistant
MAGGIONI, Mr Lorenzo Scientist, ECP/GR
Coordinator
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE
IMPROVEMENT OF BANANA AND PLANTAIN
FRISON, Dr Emile A.G. Director
ARNAUD, Ms Elizabeth Information/
Documentation Specialist
DOCO, Ms Hélène Information/
Communications
Specialist
ESCALANT, Senior Scientist, Musa
Dr Jean-Vincent Genetic Resources
ESKES, Dr Bertus Coordinator CFC/ICCO/
IPGRI Cocoa Project
LIPMAN, Ms Elinor Scientific Assistant
LUSTY, Ms Charlotte* Pulbic Awareness and
Impact Assessment
Specialist
OMONT, Mr Hubert Senior Scientist,
Commodity Chains
PICQ, Ms Claudine Head, Information/
Communications
PONSIOEN, Mr Guido Information/
Documentation Specialist
SHARROCK, Ms Suzanne Scientist, Germplasm
Conservation
THORNTON, Mr Tom Financial Manager
ASIA AND PACIFIC
MOLINA, Dr Agustín Regional Coordinator
VALMAYOR, Dr Ramón** Honorary Research Fellow
VIETNAM
VAN DEN BERGH, Dr Inge Associate Scientist,
Nematology
EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
KARAMURA, Dr Eldad Regional Coordinator
BLOMME, Dr Guy* Associate Scientist,
Assistant to Regional
Coordinator
KARAMURA, Dr Deborah* Genetic Resources
Specialist
ELEDU, Mr Charles* GIS Specialist
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
AKYEAMPONG, Dr Ekow Regional Coordinator
MESSIAEN, Ir Stijn Associate Scientist,
Entomology
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
ROSALES, Dr Franklin Regional Coordinator
MOENS, Mr Thomas Associate Scientist,
Nematology
POCASANGRE, Dr Luis* Associate Scientist,
Technology Transfer
INIBAP TRANSIT CENTRE
VAN DEN HOUWE, Ir Inès Scientist, Germplasm
Conservation
SWENNEN, Prof. R. Honorary Research Fellow,
Musa Genetic
Improvement
* Joined during 2000
** Left during 2000
*** Moved groups during 2000
2000 33Annual Report
Support to plant genetic resources programmes
and regional networks in the Americas 
(Project Coordinator: David Williams)
assists countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean to build up their capacities to conserve
and use plant genetic resources
Support to plant genetic resources programmes
and regional networks in Asia, the Pacific and
Oceania
(Project Coordinator: Ramanatha Rao)
assists countries in Asia, the Pacific and Oceania to
build up their capacities to conserve and use plant
genetic resources 
Support to plant genetic resources programmes
and regional networks in Europe 
(Project Coordinator: Jozef Turok)
assists countries in Western and Eastern Europe to
build up their capacities to conserve and use plant
genetic resources
Support to plant genetic resources programmes
and regional networks in sub-Saharan Africa 
(Project Coordinator: Mikkel Grum)
assists countries in sub-Saharan Africa to build up
their capacities to conserve and use plant genetic
resources
Support to plant genetic resources programmes
and regional networks in Central & West Asia
and North Africa 
(Project Coordinator: Stefano Padulosi)
assists countries in Central & West Asia and North
Africa to build up their capacities to conserve and
use plant genetic resources
Global capacity building and institutional
support 
(Project Coordinator: Elizabeth Goldberg)
trains scientists and trainers and develops training
tools 
Global forest genetic resources strategies
(Project Coordinator: Weber Amaral)
supports strategic research on the conservation
and use of intraspecific diversity of useful forest
tree species; it also aims to develop an information
system on forest genetic resources
Promoting sustainable conservation and use of
coconut genetic resources 
(Project Coordinator: Pons Batugal)
promotes national, regional and global collaboration
through COGENT among coconut-producing
countries and partner institutions in the
conservation and use of coconut genetic resources
Locating and monitoring genetic diversity
(Project Coordinator: Luigi Guarino)
develops methods for locating and measuring
genetic diversity in cultivated and wild species,
combining ethnobotanical with agro-ecological
approaches; it also develops methods for
monitoring genetic erosion 
Ex situ conservation technologies and 
strategies 
(Project Coordinator: Florent Engelmann)
develops improved low-input technologies for the
ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources, and
investigates ex situ conservation strategies
In situ conservation of crop plants & wild 
relatives 
(Project Coordinator: Devra Jarvis)
develops a scientific basis for effective on-farm
conservation that meets farmer and community
needs and maintains diversity; assists national
systems in locating, monitoring and maintaining
viable in situ populations of wild relatives of crops
Linking conservation and use 
(Project Coordinator: Toby Hodgkin)
taking ex situ, in situ and complementary
approaches; emphasizes neglected and underused
crops and supports the use of cocoa genetic
resources
Human and policy aspects of plant genetic 
resources conservation and use 
(Project Coordinator: Pablo Eyzaguirre)
strengthens links between conservation and the
well-being of people, particularly poor rural people,
emphasizing gender, nutrition, income, indigenous
knowledge, traditional resource rights and
participatory approaches
Information management and services 
(Project Coordinator: Paul Neate)
builds capacity in information management and
service provision to meet national, regional and
international responsibilities; provides publications
and information to support the research activities of
IPGRI staff and their partners
Public awareness and impact assessment
(Project Coordinator: Ruth Raymond)
IPGRI’s projects
builds financial and institutional support for plant
genetic resources activities worldwide by raising
awareness among key target audiences of the
role of these resources in sustainable
development and food security; assesses IPGRI’s
impact on the conservation and use of plant
genetic resources
Musa genetic resources management
(Project Coordinator: Suzanne Sharrock)
collects the germplasm of Musa and its wild
relatives; promotes its safe storage, movement and
use; develops standardized tools for retrieving and
exchanging information on Musa germplasm
Musa germplasm improvement 
(Project Coordinator: Jean-Vincent Escalant)
identifies disease- and pest-resistant Musa
genotypes, researches Musa pathogen diversity,
screening methods and molecular genetics and
develops improved Musa genotypes; provides
Musa germplasm
Musa information and communication
(Project Coordinator: Claudine Picq)
supports the production, collection and exchange
of information on banana and plantain; publicizes
Musa issues and the work of INIBAP to scientific
and non-technical audiences
Support to regional Musa programmes
(Project Coordinator: Suzanne Sharrock)
supports INIBAP’s global, regional and national
networks and other partnerships in Latin America
and the Caribbean, in Asia, the Pacific and
Oceania, and in sub-Saharan Africa 
CGIAR system-wide Genetic Resources
Programme and policy support
(Project Coordinator: Jane Toll) 
provides support to the CGIAR system in two
areas: (1) genetic resources policy,  (2) in IPGRI’s
capacity as convening centre of CGIAR’s System-
wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP).
IPGRI’s Boardof Trustees
Dr Masahiro Nakagahra
Vice Director General, STAFF
Institute, 446-1 Ippaizuka
Kamiyokoba,Tsukuba
Ibaraki 305-0854
Japan
Dr Gene Namkoong
P.O. Box 763
Leicester, NC 28748
USA
Prof. Ivan Nielsen
University of Aarhus
Department of Systematic
Botany
Nordlandsvej 68
8240 Risskov
Denmark
Dr Nohra Pombo de
Junguito
4425 Macarthur Boulevard
Washington, DC 20007
USA
Dr René Salazar
Chairperson
Programme Coordination
Committee
Community Biodiversity
Conservation Development
Programme
Quezon City, Philippines 
Dr Theresa Sengooba
Namulonge Agricultural and
Animal Production Research
Institute
P.O. Box 7084
Kampala, Uganda
Dr Benchaphun
Shinawatra
Chiang Mai University
Multiple Cropping Centre
Faculty of Agriculture
Chiang Mai 50002
Thailand
Dr Florence Wambugu 
Director, AfriCenter
CIP/ISAAA, ILRI Campus
Old Naivasha Rd, Kabete
Nairobi, Kenya
BOARD CHAIR
Dr Marcio de Miranda
Santos 
Embrapa Recursos
Genéticos e Biotecnologia
SAIN Parque Rural, Final
W/5 Norte
70770-970 Brasília-DF, Brazil
MEMBERS
Dr Thomas Cottier
Director
Institute of European &
International Economic Law
Hallerstrasse 6/9
CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Dr Mahmud Duwayri
Director AGP
FAO
Via Terme di Caracalla
Rome, Italy
Dr Geoffrey Hawtin
IPGRI
Via dei Tre Denari 472/a
00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino)
Rome, Italy
Dr Malcom Hazelman
Senior Extension, Education
and Communications Officer
FAO Regional Office For
Asia and The Pacific (RAP)
Maliwan Mansion
39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok, Thailand
Dr Marianne Lefort
Head of Plant Breeding
Deptartment
I.N.R.A. – D.G.A.P.
RD 10 (Route de Saint Cyr)
78026 Versailles Cedex
France
Prof. Luigi Monti
Istituto di Agronomia
Generale e Coltivazione
Erbacee Cattedra di
Genetica Agraria
Università di Napoli,
Via dell’Università 100
80055 Portici
Naples, Italy
2000Annual Report 35
Acronyms
ADB Asian Development Bank
AfDB African Development Bank
BMZ/GTZ Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche
Zusammenarbeit/Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit, Germany
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CFC Common Fund for Commodities
CGIAR Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research
CIAT International Centre for Tropical
Agriculture, Colombia
CIMMYT Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento
de Maíz y Trigo
CIP International Potato Center, Peru
CIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale
en Recherche Agronomique pour le
Développement
COGENT Coconut Genetic Resources Network
COLCIENCIAS Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo
de la Ciencia y la Tecnología
CTA Technical Center for Agricultural and
Rural Cooperation, Netherlands 
DANIDA Danish Development Assistance
DFID Department for International
Development, UK
DGIS Directorate General for International
Cooperation, Netherlands
ECP/GR European Cooperative Programme for
Crop Genetic Resources Networks
EPGRIS European Crop Genetic Resources
Information System
EUFORGEN European Forest Genetic Resources
Programme
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FFTC Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre
for the Asia and Pacific Region
FHIA Fundación Hondureña de Investigación
Agrícola
GEF Global Environment Facility
GFAR Global Forum for Agricultural Research
GIS Geographical Information System
ICARDA International Center for Agricultural
Research in the Dry Areas
ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute
for Semi-Arid Tropics
IDRC International Development Research
Center, Canada
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural
Development 
IFPRI International Food Policy Research
Institute
IFS International Foundation for Science
IITA International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture
ILRI International Livestock Research
Institute
IMTP International Musa Testing Programme
INBAR International Network on Bamboo and
Rattan 
INIBAP International Network for the
Improvement of Banana and Plantain
IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute
IRRI International Rice Research Institute
JIRCAS Japan International Research Center
for Agricultural Sciences
NGO Non-governmental Organization
ODA Overseas Development Assistance
PRGA Participatory Research and Gender
Analysis Programme of the CGIAR
SAFORGEN Sub-Saharan African Forest Genetic
Resources Network
SAT21 International Conference on Science
and Technology for Managing Plant
Genetic Resources in the 21st Century
SDC Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation
SINGER System-wide Information Network for
Genetic Resources
SGRP CGIAR System-wide Genetic
Resources Programme
TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights
UNDP United Nations Development
Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment
Programme
USDA United States Department of
Agriculture
VVOB Vlaamse Verenining voor Onderwijs en
Technische Bijstand in het Buitenland
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is an
international scientific organization, supported by the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IPGRI’s
mandate is to advance the conservation and use of plant genetic
resources for the benefit of present and future generations. IPGRI’s
headquarters are in Maccarese near Rome, Italy, with offices in
another 22 countries worldwide. It operates through three
programmes:
 the Plant Genetic Resources Programme
 the CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Programme
 the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and
Plantain (INIBAP)
Cover illustration
This poster is a composite of winning illustrations from an art
contest held in Kuala Lumpur prior to IPGRI’s International
Conference on Science and Technology for Managing Plant Genetic
Resources in the 21st Century. Students from a local school were
asked to imagine what biodiversity conservation in the 21st century
might look like.
Citation:
IPGRI. 2001. Annual Report 2000. International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute, Rome
ISBN 92-9043-485-6
IPGRI, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese (Fiumicino), 
Rome, Italy
© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2001
2000
Annual report