Partnerships
Bioversity values partnership. It is at the heart of everything we do.
In working with our partners, our aim is to ensure that Bioversity's innovative research into how agricultural biodiversity can improve lives is taken up and used. Bioversity undertakes research for development, but it is not a development agency. With our partners we aim first for a practical demonstration of successful interventions that will encourage others to undertake the kind of larger-scale implementation that can power development.
Every partner makes contributions based on their core competencies, which can be scientific, organizational, infrastructural or financial in nature. Joint efforts result in mobilization of a range and amount of resources that is much larger and more diverse than any individual partner could muster on its own.
For more information, scroll down or click on the links below.
Our Donors
Our donors provide more than finances. They have a wealth of expertise about genetic resources and development. Their input has been instrumental in shaping Bioversity's broad programme of work. Bioversity works closely with its donors and other research partners to identify priorities for action and develop and implement projects.
Visit our Donors page
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Bioversity was established by the CGIAR and remains part of the CGIAR System. It works closely with the other CGIAR Centres and with the CGIAR System as a whole.
Bioversity hosts the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP)-a partnership Programme involving the 15 CGIAR Centres.
To find out more, click on CGIAR and US.
International organizations and conventions
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which provided Bioversity's secretariat when it was first launched as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, continues to be a major partner for Bioversity. Bioversity works closely with FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and provides technical support for implementing the global policies and strategies to protect agricultural genetic resources that have been negotiated under the FAO's auspices. These include the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and preparations for the first Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources.
Bioversity works within the policy frameworks of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Treaty, and provides technical inputs to the parties to these conventions.
Bioversity also collaborates with several other UN bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
National Genebanks
National genebanks and research institutions are at the core of national agricultural research systems. They bear the primary responsibility for conserving and using genetic resources at the country level. Bioversity works in partnership with them on all aspects of genetic resources. Strengthening their activities, particularly through capacity-building, is central to Bioversity's work.
Networks
Networks represent a special kind of partnership. Members share the costs of specific research projects, each receiving the benefits of the results. Members also use networks to seek and disseminate best practices, calling on more expertise than they could on their own. Bioversity works extensively with many different kinds of networks, and provides a coordinating secretariat for several, among them the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) and the Genetic Resources Network for West and Central Africa (GRENEWECA). Crop-based networks, such as International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) are also supported by Bioversity secretariats.
Visit our Networks page
Public Sector Institutions
Along with national genebanks, other public-sector institutions, such as government ministries, seed multiplication and extension services, universities, botanical gardens and policy-making bodies have activities relevant to national genetic resources work. Bioversity works to involve them in the conservation effort, as well as forging and sustaining links among them.
Non-governmental organizations
Bioversity also works in partnership with non-governmental organizations that are active locally and internationally in the conservation and use of genetic resources to conduct locally based research and to raise awareness and build the necessary consensus for action.
The farming communities are also partners. This ensures that the research is tailored to the needs of the people who who benefit from it the most.
Many private-sector companies are expanding their activities in such areas as biotechnology research, varietal development and the supply of genetic materials to farmers. Bioversity is strengthening its links with the private sector in areas of mutual interest.
International and national research institutes
These institutes, in both developing and developed countries, have special expertise in the area of biodiversity. Bioversity works with them on particular research topics, with the aim of transferring the results to other partners, especially those in developing countries.
To view a list of Bioversity's partners that are collaborating on our current research work, visit our Projects page and search our Medium Term Plan 2007-2009.
Global Partnerships
Bioversity's Global Partnerships Programme supports collaboration among international players in the realm of agricultural biodiversity. It works to create a conducive policy environment through contributions to global agendas and participation in international fora. Bioversity is home to several important multi-partner initiatives such as the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU) and the Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) and, through the Global Partnerships Programme, supports the delivery of their outputs. Bioversity International is also a co-founder and co-sponsor of the Global Crop Diversity Trust. More information about these global initiatives is provided below. In addition, Bioversity coordinates and facilitates the organization's participation in regional and crop networks. Its regional and sub-regional offices work to build and strengthen regional networks that help strengthen national genetic resources management capabilities.
Listed below are four global partnership initiatives in which Bioversity has a major role.
CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP)
The CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) unites all CGIAR Centres in a programme of collective action and collaboration aimed at enhancing the CGIAR System's contribution to effective, equitable and sustainable management and use of genetic resources of importance to agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It was established in 1994 to strengthen the CGIAR's ability to contribute to global genetic resources efforts and in particular, to more effectively discharge its global responsibility with respect to the collections of plant genetic resources that are held in trust by the Centres for the world community.
A major initiative of SGRP is the System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources (SINGER) that was established in 1997. SINGER joins the genetic resources information systems of the CGIAR Centres and allows information about the collections they hold to be accessed and cross-searched through a single point of entry on the Internet.
Bioversity is the convening centre of the SGRP and hosts its Secretariat. In addition to providing Programme coordination, Bioversity leads core activities on genetic resources policy, public awareness and representation and SINGER.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust
Global Crop Diversity Trust was founded by the FAO and Bioversity, acting on behalf of the CGIAR Centres. The Trust is currently jointly hosted in Rome by FAO and Bioversity. The Trust is working to raise a US$260 million endowment, the interest from which will support globally important collections of crop diversity.
Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU)
Bioversity has collaborated with the Global Forum on Agricultural Development (GFAR) and other partners to launch the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU). The GFU, operates under the auspices of GFAR, and Bioversity hosts the project that is overseen by an international steering committee.
Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR)
The Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) works to provide a neutral space where governments, international and national research institutes, civil society organization and the private sector can come together to discuss important issues related to agricultural biodiversity. The Platform consolidates and reviews existing research on agrobiodiversity and recommends avenues of future research.
Bioversity, CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) and other partners are working to build the Platform. Bioversity currently provides the Platform's secretariat.
