• Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia and the SustainableCaucasus Agriculture in Central• AsiaSustainable and the Caucasus 4 AgriculturElements of ae Nationalin StrategyCentral forAsia Managementand the and CaucasusUse of Plant • SustainableGenetic ResourcesAgricultur in Georgia e in CentralCalvinAsia O. andQualsetthe Caucasus • Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia and the Caucasus • Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia and the Caucasus •Sustainable Ag ELEMENTS OF A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR MANAGEMENT AND USE OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES IN GEORGIA GCP/GLO/162/EC – Georgia (9) August 2009 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS with the support of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION and in collaboration with the INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS Contributors Dr. Calvin O. Qualset University of California at Davis To be cited as: Qualset, Calvin O. (2009). Elements of a National Strategy for Management and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Georgia. Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia and the Caucasus No.4. ICARDACAC/FAO 2009. 87 pp. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or of ICARDA concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO or ICARDA in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to: Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Communication Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to: [email protected] and to the Regional Coordinator of ICARDA for Central Asia and Caucasus, P.O. Box 4564 Tashkent 100000, Uzbekistan, or by e-mail to [email protected] © ICARDA-CAC and FAO 2009 ISSN: 0254-8318 Elements of a National Strategy for Management and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Georgia TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 3 Abbreviations and acronyms 4 Executive Summary 5 1. Introduction 9 2. Methodology of the Study 12 3. The National Study: Evaluation of Elements of PGR and Recommendations 13 3.1 Recommendation: Adoption of a National Integrated and Coordinated Plant Genetic Resources Program 13 3.1.1 General Principles of a National Integrated and Coordinated PGR Programme 13 3.1.2 In situ Conservation 14 3.1.3 Ex situ Conservation 16 3.1.4 Utilization 19 3.1.5 Access and Benefit-Sharing 21 3.2 Recommendation: Establishment of national institutions for coordination of PGR activities 22 3.2.1 Creation of a Governing and/or Coordinating Body for Genetic Resources Management and Use 22 3.2.2 Establishment of a National Plant Genetic Resources Advisory Council 24 3.3 Recommendation: Capacity Building for the management of PGR 24 3.3.1 Enhancement of national policy and legislation on PGR 24 3.3.2 Strengthening human resources and infrastructures capacities 26 3.3.3 Development of a national data management and information system 29 3.4 Time-line and financial support 29 4. Annexes 31 4.1 Terms of Reference 31 4.2 Visitations and Workshops 34 4.3 Institutes and Organizations Relevant to Plant Genetic Resources 36 4.4 Plant and Microbial Genetic Resources Collections in Georgia 37 4.5 Reports and Publications Reviewed 38 4.6 Roster of Georgian laws to Agriculture and Natural Resources 40 4.7 Outline of a proposal to elaborate the needs, opportunities, and institutional framework of a National Integrated Strategy for PGR Management and Use 41 4.8 Report of Stakeholders Workshop, 15-17 October 2007, Tbilisi, Georgia 44 4.9 Proposal for Future Activities in Developing a National Program for PGR Management and Use 68 4.10 Report of Policy Dialogue Workshop, 20 November 2007, Tbilisi, Georgia 71 Box 1. Vitis: Example of in situ and ex situ conservation of grapes and wild relatives in Georgia 19 Elements of a National Strategy for Management and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Georgia 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to FAO for taking leadership in commissioning this study and to the European Community for providing funds to carry it out. Support from FAO technical staff, Drs. Kakoli Ghosh, Elcio Guimarães, and Mauricio Lopes was stimulating, untiring and patient. Administrative support by FAO staff for arrangements was much appreciated. The work could not have been completed without the competent leadership by Dr. D. Bedoshvili and support from Dr. Zakir Khalikulov of ICARDA. Ms. Gulbani provided exceptional support throughout the interviews and workshops. The local knowledge of Dr. Bedoshvili and Ms. Gulbani enriched the study immensely and made my efforts pleasant and comprehensive. Their diligence and accuracy was evident in the rapid and accurate production of the workshop proceedings reports. I especially acknowledge the support by staff of government offices, research institutes, the Agricultural University, and local organizations for the time they spent in discussions. Their knowledge and insights were profound and greatly contributed to the successful outcome of the workshops and, hopefully, to the successful establishment of a new national program. Elements of a National Strategy for Management and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Georgia 3 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity CGIAR - Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research CIMMYT - International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CIP - International Potato Center EU - European Union FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GCDT - Global Crop Diversity Trust GIPB - Global Partnership Initiative on Plant Breeding Capacity Building ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas ICRISAT - International Crops research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics ILRI - International Livestock Research Institute IPRs - Intellectual Property Rights IT-PGRFA - International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature MoA - Ministry of Agriculture MoES - Ministry of Education and Science MoENPR - Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources NBG - Nordic Gene Bank NBSAP - National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NBSPG - National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan - - Georgia PFU - Program Facilitation Unit PGR - Plant Genetic Resources PGRFA - Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture PVP - Plant Variety Protection RI - Research Institute SIDA - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency UC - University of California UNEP - United Nations Environmental Program USAID - United States Agency for International Development WB - World Bank Elements of a National Strategy for Management and Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Georgia 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Georgia is a country of rich natural resources and one of the oldest agricultures on earth. Through its agricultural legacy Georgian farmers have developed many unique varieties of plants that provide gene resources for the future in agriculture. These resources are at risk of loss and, in fact, many have been lost, as agriculture advances to be a stronger component of the national economy. Plant genetic resources (PGR), defined as the genetic materials of domesticated and wild plants that are progenitors or relatives of economic plants, must be protected for future use. Thus, the efficient conservation of plant genetic resources and their sustainable utilization in plant breeding and seed systems are a high priority as Georgia strives for greater economic strength through its agricultural industry. The preparation of this Study This study is a result of the FAO project “Designing an Integrated Strategy to Improve Georgia’s Food Security through Improved Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources”. The overall objective of the study is to strengthen Georgia’s capacity for effective management and use of PGR to contribute to national food security and agricultural development. A review of the current status of PGR management in Georgia is presented, emerging challenges are identified and key recommendations towards developing a national policy on PGR conservation and use through a comprehensive integrated approach are provided. The study covers all the relevant sectors related to the management of PGR and addresses related issues on regulatory frameworks, technology transfer and capacity building. Financial support for the project was provided by the European Commission, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was a key collaborator in the implementation of the activities. A number of public and private Georgian institutions involved in PGR conservation and use