PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES OF SURINAME (Country Report) Paramaribo June 2012 COMPILED BY: Patricia Y. Milton Agronomist / Seed Technologist Paramaribo Suriname E-mail: [email protected] LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABS Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek ACT The Amazon Cooperation Treaty ACT Suriname Amazon Conservation Team Suriname ADEK Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname ADRON Anne van Dijk Rijst Onderzoeks Centrum Nickerie - The Anne van Dijk Rice Research Centre Nickerie ATM Ministry of Labour, Technological Development and Environment AVRDC Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre BBS National Herbarium Suriname BGVS Bureau Geneesmiddelen Voorziening Suriname - Suriname's national pharmaceutical company CARDI Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute CARICOM Caribbean Community CATIE Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CELOS The Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname CEVACU Campo Experimental Valle de Culiacán CI Conservation International CIAT Centro International de Agricultura Tropical CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research CIMMYT The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre CIRAD/FLHOR Cirad - Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement Flhor - Département des productions fruitières horticoles CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CMO Center for Environmental Research CSNR Central Suriname Nature Reserve DMR Diary of Materials Received EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESA Office Office of Environmental and Social Assessment at NIMOS EMBRAPA Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria - The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations FFS Farmer Field School GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Fund GIS Geographic Information Systems GNP Gross National Product GOS Government of Suriname ICBG International Cooperative Biodiversity Group's ICRAF The International Council for Research in Agroforestry ICRISAT International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics IGSR Institute for Graduate Studies IICA The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture INGER International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice IPGRI The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute IPM Integrated Pest Management IPPC International Plant Protection Convention IRRI International Rice Research Institute ITPGRFA The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture ITTO International Timber Organization 1 IUD Division of Import, Export and Foreign Currency Control from the Ministry of Trade and Industry LBB The Suriname Forest Service LMO Living Modified Organism LON Agricultural Research Nickerie MAAHF Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries MC Moisture Content MNR Ministry of Natural Resources NBSC National Biodiversity Steering Committee NCD Nature Conservation Division of the Suriname Forest Service NGO Non Governmental Organization NHS National Herbarium Suriname NIMOS National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname NISM National Information Sharing Mechanism on PGR NWFP Non-Wood Forest Products NZCS National Zoological Collection Suriname PGR Plant Genetic Resources PPO Praktijk Onderzoek Plant en Omgeving PROCITROPICOS Programa Cooperativo de Investigación y Transferencia de Tecnología para los Trópicos Suramericanos - The Cooperative Program on Research and Technology Transfer for the South American Tropics SBB Foundation for Forest Management SBBS Stichting Behoud Bananen Sector SCF Suriname Conservation Foundation SML Stichting ter bevordering van de Machinale Landbouw (Foundation for Mechanized Agriculture) SNRI Foundation National Rice Research Institute STINAPA Foundation Nature Parks STIPRIS Foundation Experimental Gardens in Suriname TOR Terms of Reference TREC Training Resources for the Environmental Community UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme USA United States of America USDA/TARS United States Department of Agriculture - Tropical Agriculture Research Station UWI University of the West Indies WFS World Food Summit 2 Acknowledgement This amended report is one of the outcomes of the project "PR 45708 - The establishment of a National Information Sharing Mechanism on the implementation of the Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (“Global Plan of Action”) and the preparation of a Country Report on the state of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (“Country Report”). For the execution of the project, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAHF), a project coordination team was formed comprising of: ­ the PGRFA Focal point, Mrs. Patricia Milton; ­ the head of the Division Experimental Gardens of the Research Department, Mrs. Sunita Bipat; ­ the head of the Division Fruit Crops of the Research Department, Mrs. Soesila Ramautar; and ­ the head of the Seed Unit of the Research Department, Mrs. Esther Doelahasori. We express our appreciation to the organizations/professionals in Suriname that provided information on plant genetic resources for updating the report. These organizations include: - The Anne van Dijk Rice Research Centre (ADRON) of the Foundation National Rice Research Institute (SNRI) - The Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS) - National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname (NIMOS) - The National Herbarium Suriname (BBS) - The Amazon Conservation Team Suriname (ACT Suriname) - The Ministry of Environment, Technological Development and Labour for granting permission to use information from a survey regarding aspects related to the “Biosafety Framework”, carried out on behalf of this ministry. - Mrs. Soesila Ramautar, Head of the Fruit Crops Division, for providing updated information on the status of ex-situ germplasm collections at the experimental gardens We would also like to express sincere appreciation to Mr. Stefano Diulgheroff, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), for his extensive contributions during the execution of the project. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report portrays an updated and detailed assessment on the status of conservation, sustainable use and development of plant genetic resources (PGR) for food and agriculture and forestry in Suriname. It reflects, among other, the capacity needs and constraints related to the current contribution of plant genetic resources to food and agriculture and forestry in Suriname. Important developments have occurred since the last report was produced and submitted to FAO in 2009. Even though a specific national policy for the management of plant genetic resources in Suriname is a shortcoming, progress in this direction has been made through the establishment, in December 2011, of a National Committee for the coordination of the activities on plant genetic resources. This has been one of the positive results of the process that also led to the establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism on plant genetic resources. Its portal and database1 are essential supporting tools for the Committee to operate. For agricultural and horticultural crops there is need for coordinated national programmes in Suriname with focus on well-organized plant genetic resources activities. For these crops elements related to plant genetic resources exist, but linkage between these elements is lacking. Different organizations conduct conservation activities to a certain extent. However, these activities do not occur according to standardized protocols and procedures. With regards to forestry species, the Government of Suriname has a long-standing commitment to nature preservation and biodiversity conservation. Forest genetic resources comprise timber species, medicinal plants and non-timber forest species. The Suriname Forest Service gives high priority to conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. Suriname's strong tradition of nature conservation with regard to forestry crops, its protection of biodiversity and its preservation of primary tropical forest is indicated by a nature conservation system comprising 13 protected areas, ranging from 100 to 1,600,000 ha, covering about 12% of the total land surface. These protected areas encompass a wide range of ecosystems, from tropical forests to coastal formations, making Suriname's nature conservation system one of the most representative in South America. Several organizations are either responsible for or managing genetic resources: The Research Department of The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAHF), the Suriname Forestry Service, two national institutes of the Anton de Kom (ADEK) University of Suriname (the National Herbarium Suriname and the National Zoological Collection Suriname), Conservation International, Suriname Conservation Foundation, the Amazon Conservation Team and The Anne van Dijk Rice Research Centre (ADRON). Suriname’s knowledge on genetic resources is best known for the coastal plain and savannah belt. Ex situ collections are scarce and the situation regarding the conservation of agricultural crops is unsatisfactory. Conservation is constrained by the lack of financial means and human capacity. Except for rice, seed production practices are inadequate, Not well regulated import of new varieties, lack of proper testing by