Bioversity Director General intensifies campaign to save Russian berries

As the 11 August deadline looms for the court ruling on the future of the Pavlovsk Research Centre, activity to save its vast field collection of fruits and berries has intensified.

Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity, has today written a letter to the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, asking him to personally intervene to stop planned construction work to build holiday homes on the site and keep the centre open.

He has also contacted other high profile organizations and individuals such as Kew Gardens and the Convention on Biological Diversity to draw attention to the planned closure.

Bioversity first raised awareness about the threat to Pavlovsk earlier in the year (Press Release - Russia to destroy Strawberry Fields Forever on 11th August). The research centre, just outside St Petersburg, is host to more than 4000 varieties of fruits and berries which are a key genetic resource to develop varieties better adapted to cope with climate change, pests and diseases.

As media attention and public awareness about the planned closure has increased, so has the pressure to try and get the planners to change their minds.

One campaign to save Pavlovsk is the ‘Tweet Medvedev’ appeal organized by the Global Crop Diversity Trust to encourage people to send messages of protest to the Russian president via Twitter. 

Bioversity and the Trust are also keen to encourage people to contact their local Russian ambassador for support against the closure.

So far the Kremlin has declined to comment.