An important field genebank of rare fruit trees faces an uncertain future as a result of financial support. No, not that one. Bioversity International reports that the Pomona Botanical Conservatory in Apulia, Italy, has failed to obtain a much needed grant to support its activities.
And in other threatened genebank news, our friends in the north report a visit from Swedish National TV to the Nordic Genetic Resources Center to cover budget cuts there.
According to our friends, half the staff will lose their jobs at the start of 2011 if the crisis is not resolved, “and the Nordic countries may start to lose the genebank collection of genetic resources carefully preserved during more than three decades”.
How fine that all this should be happening as the world discusses the conservation of biodiversity at Nagoya.
I think that the national government should not do this, and should create a core fund so that centers like these are not disturbed, and they may continue their functioning smoothly. Gene bank is an essence in the field of agriculture, so they should not be disturbed because of funding issues. There are many countries in this world, who are still working to establish gene banks, and the countries which already have one should think themselves fortunate to have one, and advance in the field of agriculture.
Speaking of which, I wonder what happened in the case of the fruit genebank in Jharkand State in India? The Executive Secretary of the Global Crop Diversity Trust asked whether anything could be done, but as far as we know nothing has been done. Or has it?
The regional newspaper for Southern Sweden covers the same story with some more details today. With some help from Google Translate you may read the text in English from this link.
It should perhaps be added that Nordgen still hope for a solution where the staff cuts will not be required. The crisis is taken serious at the government level in the Nordic countries.
The unpredictable direction of climate change would not allow for a precise determination of which genes are likely to be important in sustaining fruit crop production. Existing gene banks should therefore be regarded as assets for the nation and governments should try to grow their investment by protecting them rather than chopping them off. I urge the Italian government to protect this gene bank.