Research Areas

Recent Publications

Core descriptors for in situ conservation of crop wild relatives v.1.

Screening the banana biodiversity for drought tolerance: can an in vitro growth model and proteomics be used as a tool to discover tolerant varieties and understand homeostasis

Annual Report 2011

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Bioversity News

Bioversity International is shaking up the food system says Food Tank

Bioversity International was mentioned by the Food Tank: The Food Think Tank as one of the 40 organizations that are shaking up the food system. "Our hope is that the more people know about the work that these groups are doing, the more people can be inspired to make their own change in the food system," said the co-founders of the blog.

Semantics for Biodiversity – International Workshop

The 1st international workshop on Web Semantics for Biodiversity, held on 27 May in Montpellier, France, will define key challenges identified by the bioinformatics community, discuss solutions and identify opportunities emerging from interactions across plant science and informatics disciplines.

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International conferences and meetings

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Browse by Tag: Forests and Trees

International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition

The International Conference on Forests, Food Security and Nutrition will take place at FAO in Rome, Italy from 13-15 May, 2013. The Conference aims to increase understanding of the crucial role that forests, trees and agroforestry systems can play in improving the food security and nutrition of rural people, especially in developing countries.

Barbara Vinceti

Title: Scientist, forest genetic resources Duty post: Bioversity HQ, Rome, Italy Barbara Vinceti, an Italian national, joined Bioversity International in January 2002 as an Associate Expert. Initially, she was responsible for planning and the coordination of research activities on conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Latin American countries. Then

Forest foods should be used in fight against global malnutrition

Gearing up for the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition Bioversity International scientist Barbara Vinceti speaks about the importance of forest foods in peoples' diets. Photo: CIFOR

Celebrate the genetic diversity of trees on the International Day of Forests

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests. The Day will celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Forest scientists at Bioversity International study how to conserve and manage the genetic diversity of trees — the diversity that is the foundation and backbone of any forest.

Forest Genetic Resources Training Guide not only for geneticists

Conservation and management of forest genetic resources deserves our attention. Diversity within tree species is the raw material for trait improvement and adaptation to changing environments. Bioversity International Honorary Research Fellow, David Boshier, explains what is different about this training guide compared to other forestry training materials.

Bridging the gap between publishing and applying forest genetic research

In 2008, David Boshier and colleagues from Bioversity International started creating free 'off the shelf' materials that would make forest genetic resources training relevant, attractive and accessible, both in language and availability to non-specialists. The team is currently working on the 3rd and 4th training modules Seed supply chain and Forest management.

Forest Genetic Resources Programme

Bioversity International's Forest Genetic Resources Programme undertakes research on the diversity of tree species, and on how it can be used and conserved more effectively.

Global Timber Tracking Network website launched

The Global Timber Tracking Network (GTTN) brings together the science, scientists, policy makers and stakeholders to promote the integrated use of DNA and stable isotope technologies to ensure legal timber trade and curb illegal and unsustainable logging. GTTN recently launched their website.

Forests and agriculture to work together to tackle climate change

In the run up to UN climate summit, CIFOR have issued a media advisory asking Can the world’s forests and farms work together to tackle pressing food security challenges and climate change?

Developing multi-resource forest management plans for the Congo Basin forests

In partnership with CIFOR, Bioversity International's Forest Genetic Resources Programme is leading a project in the Congo Basin to develop sustainable forest management plans to benefit rural communities and the logging concessionaires while avoiding over-exploitation of valuable tree species. Photo by Ollivier Girard for CIFOR.

Winner of the Abdou Salam Ouedraogo Fellowship 2012

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 12-month Abdou Salam Ouédraogo (ASO) 2012 Fellowship for Research on Conservation and Use of Forest Genetic Resources is Ms Addisalem Ayele Bekele from Ethiopia.

Evert Thomas

Evert Thomas, a native of Belgium, joined the AMS office in April 2011. His main task consists of enhancing the conservation and use of forest genetic resources, among others through the use of spatial diversity analysis. Evert is also contributing to the thematic study on ecological restoration for FAO’s State of the World Forest Genetic Resources.

Kyrgyz conservationists save trees by helping farmers

Today The Washington Times highlights the importance of fruit tree conservation in Kyrgyzstan and the work of Fauna & Flora and Bioversity International. Photo: Bioversity/F. van Oudenhoven

CIFOR Forests News Blog featuring Bioversity International scientists

In light of the closing sessions of the UN Convention on Biodiversity and Tree Diversity Day, CIFOR Forests News Blog spoke to Bioversity International scientists, Phrang Roy and Hugo Lamers, about recognizing the wealth of biodiversity that can be found in indigenous peoples' sacred areas and community biodiversity management. Photo: M. High

Market demands for exotic produce should not replace local fruit tree diversity

Muhabbat Turdieva, Central Asia Project Coordinator, Bioversity International, was part of the delegation at the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in India last week. She speaks about her work on wild fruits and forest systems in Central Asia.

Celebrating Tree Diversity Day - an interview with Judy Loo

Judy Loo, Theme Leader for Forest Genetic Resources programme at Bioversity International (featured here talking to COP11 TV), talks about her work on tree conservation, land use pressures and the illegal timber trade, and how she would like to see the CBD implemented.

A strategy to safeguard the future of chocolate

The vast global chocolate industry — worth more than US$100 billion a year — rests on shaky agricultural foundations. Millions of farmers have just a few trees each, and those trees are constantly under threat from a range of pests and diseases. Long-term, they need better trees. Photo: Bioversity/B. Sthapit

CGIAR centers co-sign Memorandum of Understanding

CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry has agreed to join forces with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity as part of a broader goal to cut the rate of deforestation in half by the end of the decade and to promote sustainable management of farms and forests. Photo: A. Marie

Meet our fellows: Marius Ekué

Ackee is a tropical West African fruit tree that plays an important role in rural livelihoods and traditional agroforestry systems in Benin. The research Marius carried out during his fellowship involved collecting information about traditional knowledge and use of the species, its genetic diversity, as well as its market value and landscape needs.

Identifying tree populations for conservation action through geospatial analyses

In December, over 60 forestry specialists from 12 Asian countries shared experiences and information on conservation of several valuable and threatened forest tree species at the Multinational and Transboundary Conservation of Valuable and Endangered Forest Tree Species Conference in China - report and presentation now available.

Tackling the illegal timber trade

Judy Loo, Theme Leader, Bioversity International's Forest Genetic Resources Programme, explains how using DNA and stable isotopes could be used to track logs and help identify species' geographic origin. This is the latest post from our On the Road to Rio campaign blog.

Why understanding forest genetic resources is vital for future options

Laura Snook Programme Leader, Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Use, talks about the need to harness the huge genetic diversity of different tree species to face challenges such as climate change and find sustainable ways to use and conserve it for our future. This video is the latest from our Rio+20 campaign blog.

Laura Snook

Programme Leader, Forest Genetic Resources Conservation and Use - Coordinator of Component 2, Management and Conservation of Forest and Tree Resources, CGIAR Research Programme 6, on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.

A fork in the road to Rio: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

The mountainous area around Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is one of the centres of origin for traditional fruit tree varieties such as apple, peach and pomegranate. Meet the farmers who, with support from Bioversity, are helping to put these trees back at the heart of local communities. This is the second in our series of farmer stories for Rio+20.

A fork in the road to Rio: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Knowledge of forest genetic diversity to help restore forested landscapes

Bioversity is coordinating a study on the use of native tree species to restore forests around the world, as a contribution to a review by the FAO to be published in April 2013. Read our Rio+20 blog post by Riina Jalonen to learn more.

Taking a serious look at gender issues – starting with ourselves

An independent scoping study of gender in CGIAR Research Programs noted that Trees, Forestry and Agroforestry had “integrated gender in original and effective ways”. An inception meeting for the program's genetic diversity of forests and trees component took this to heart, analyzing feedback from male and female participants. Photo:Hari Priyadi/CIFOR

Science to tackle the illegal timber trade

It has been estimated that illegal logging is worth more than US$10 billion a year. The problem is that timber is difficult to identify, while documents are easy to falsify. A new Bioversity-led project, part of the CGIAR Research Programme on Forests, Trees and Agroforesty, aims to find scientific processes to pinpoint the species and geographic origin of timber.

Fire is essential for sustainable forest regeneration

Slash and burn agriculture results in the best regeneration of a rich diversity of valuable tropical timber species. This conclusion, based on years of research in the community-managed forests of Quintana Roo in Mexico, ought to be taken into account in forest management plans, which currently lean towards banning the use of fire.