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What is it about? What is it about?

Crops are an essential component of our agricultural production. Their diversity is important for sustainable agriculture, which in times of climate change needs to supply a growing world population with food. Therefore, this diversity must be protected and made available for sustainable use.

What is it about?

View of a cottage garden with blooming flowers and vegetables. Click leads to enlarged view.
farm garden (Source: J.Mühlbauer exclus. - stock.adobe.com)

What are plant genetic resources?

Do you know blue potatoes, white strawberries or green tomatoes? These almost forgotten, old varieties are currently experiencing a renaissance as a valuable plant genetic resource in plant breeding and among hobby gardeners.

Plant genetic resources are any genetic material of plant origin of actual or potential value for food and agriculture.

Why do we need to conserve plant genetic resources?

Plant genetic resources are an important economic resource. They are at the beginning of numerous value chains that lead to efficient plant varieties, new medicines or technical products.

The plant genetic resources that form the basis for these innovations either come from natural sites, from genebanks or other collections, or they are current varieties being improved through breeding.

Contact

Dr. Imke Thormann
+49 (0) 228  6845 - 3438
Email: Imke.Thormann(at)ble(dot)de

Sarah Sensen
+49 (0) 228  6845 - 3543
Email: Sarah.Sensen(at)ble(dot)de

Isabelle Winkler
+49 (0) 228  6845 - 2895
Email: Isabelle.Winkler(at)ble(dot)de

Federal Office for Agriculture
and Food
Unit 331
Deichmanns Aue 29
D-53179 Bonn