Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GenRes Bridge (Joining forces for genetic resources and biodiversity management)
Período documentado: 2020-07-01 hasta 2021-12-31
Farmers and foresters are key European environmental stewards, helping provide food security, and other ecosystem services. Industry, energy production, and more than 44 million jobs depend on EU farming and forestry. Many international policies and programmes recognise the importance of genetic resources (GenRes) (CBD; ITPGRFA; FAO Gen Res Global Action Plans; EU Biodiversity, Farm-to-fork, Climate Change Adaptation and Forest Strategies, and the FOREST EUROPE process). GenRes conservation and sustainable management enables us to meet current and future demands in farming, forestry and consumption.
The GenRes Bridge project has significantly contributed to ensuring long-term food security, and delivering many non-food products and services. It has supported different functions of agriculture and forestry, fundamental to planetary wellbeing. It has harnessed knowledge, strategies, tools and infrastructures developed individually in crop, forest and animal domains over recent decades by the three pan-European genetic resources networks: ECPGR (European Cooperative Programme for Plant genetic Resources), EUFORGEN (European Forest genetic Resources Programme) and ERFP (European Regional Focal Point for Animal genetic Resources). Together with a wide range of biodiversity stakeholders and end-users of GenRes within and beyond Europe, GenRes Bridge has enhanced the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in Europe, achieving all of its objectives as follows:
• Accelerated collaborative efforts among crop, forest and animal GenRes networks and wider (agro) biodiversity stakeholders
• Widened individual network capacities to enhance the status and effectiveness of GenRes conservation and use
• Enhanced Gen Res’ conservation status
• Improved services offered to Gen Res end-users
GenRes Bridge has delivered:
The Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe (GRS4E‒ www.genresbridge.eu/GRS4E)
An innovative concept for integrated management and conservation of genetic resources focused on genetically-diverse landscapes, linked to hotspots of livestock, crop and forest diversity (www.genresbridge.eu/resources/genetic-hotspots)
The Genetic Resources Gateway, a portal to map and access initiatives and actors responsible for Genetic Resources conservation (www.genres.eu)
The open-access, peer-reviewed journal Genetic Resources, on plant, animal and forest genetic resources (www.genresj.org)
The GenRes Bridge project has significantly contributed to ensuring long-term food security, and delivering many non-food products and services. It has supported different functions of agriculture and forestry, fundamental to planetary wellbeing. It has harnessed knowledge, strategies, tools and infrastructures developed individually in crop, forest and animal domains over recent decades by the three pan-European genetic resources networks: ECPGR (European Cooperative Programme for Plant genetic Resources), EUFORGEN (European Forest genetic Resources Programme) and ERFP (European Regional Focal Point for Animal genetic Resources). Together with a wide range of biodiversity stakeholders and end-users of GenRes within and beyond Europe, GenRes Bridge has enhanced the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in Europe, achieving all of its objectives as follows:
• Accelerated collaborative efforts among crop, forest and animal GenRes networks and wider (agro) biodiversity stakeholders
• Widened individual network capacities to enhance the status and effectiveness of GenRes conservation and use
• Enhanced Gen Res’ conservation status
• Improved services offered to Gen Res end-users
GenRes Bridge has delivered:
The Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe (GRS4E‒ www.genresbridge.eu/GRS4E)
An innovative concept for integrated management and conservation of genetic resources focused on genetically-diverse landscapes, linked to hotspots of livestock, crop and forest diversity (www.genresbridge.eu/resources/genetic-hotspots)
The Genetic Resources Gateway, a portal to map and access initiatives and actors responsible for Genetic Resources conservation (www.genres.eu)
The open-access, peer-reviewed journal Genetic Resources, on plant, animal and forest genetic resources (www.genresj.org)
WP2‒GRS4E: has developed the GRS4E, via three pillars: i) identifying and engaging GenRes stakeholders; ii) reviewing and analysing existing EU GenRes management strategies, and iii) collaboration between three EU GenRes networks (ECPGR, ERFP & EUFORGEN). For the 1st time, this assembled the mosaic of existing knowledge, strategies and stakeholders. WP2 identified overlaps, gaps and possible synergies between the 3 GenRes domains (plant, animal & forest), wider (agro)biodiversity management activities and relevant stakeholders, for more effective conservation and use of EU GenRes. WP2 produced a comprehensive stakeholder list, a review report and the GRS4E with a concrete action plan. The plan outlines the EU policy framework and provides a vision on how to best conserve and sustainably use forest, plant, and animal GenRes in Europe. The GRS4E is publicly available, along with domain-specific GenRes strategies from ECPGR, ERFP & EUFORGEN.
WP3‒GenRes in action: i) reviewed the scientific context for developing GRS4E; ii) assembled evidence to support developing in situ GenRes conservation measures and their implementation; iii) contributed to valorising and conserving GenRes within an agro-ecological framework, and iv) compiled scientific messages for the preparation of the GRS4E (in WP2). WP3 provided demonstration cases and an overview of regional genetic diversity hotspots, to outline assessment gaps and help consolidate cross-domain GenRes conservation. WP3’s survey work showed that current GenRes network services are available, used and appreciated across a range of stakeholders, and highlighted a need to collaborate and develop common cross-domain services and activities. Cross-domain quality-management peer reviews proved positive, providing a means for increasing genebank transparency, and of mutual learning. WP3 considered phytosanitary barriers to GenRes exchange, and proposed collaborative actions for safe GenRes exchange via harmonized protocols. These were integrated in GRS4E and the domain-specific strategies. WP3 has reached all milestones and produced a higher-than-planned number of deliverables, some key to the GRS4E.
WP4‒GenRes Data: i) Through workshops, webinars and WP3 interactions WP4 updated partners’ data-management knowledge on both FAIR principles, and on data-user service needs. ii) WP4 also considered better data integration within and between domains and beyond with data from other stakeholders. iii) WP4 developed a proof-of-concept portal to access GenRes accessions data to complement the GenRes Gateway (WP5). iv) These helped develop a publicly-available “Strategy and priorities for delivering information services to end users”. v) WP4 established a shared vision for biodiversity data commons via the European data infrastructure ELIXIR and other infrastructures (GBIF, DISSCO); vi) WP4 updated and tested guidelines for data curation and submission to the central networks repositories. vii) GenRes Bridge spearheaded the successful launch of the Genetic Resources journal with stakeholder support for the journal’s sustainability plan.
WP5‒GenRes Bridge communications have been successful in increasing project visibility and helping develop and promote the GRS4E, which will contribute to improving and harmonising GenRes conservation and sustainable use within regional agricultural and forestry systems’. The key dissemination tools of project website and twitter will continue to provide access to project outputs. A key dissemination success was the GRS4E launch in Brussels.
WP3‒GenRes in action: i) reviewed the scientific context for developing GRS4E; ii) assembled evidence to support developing in situ GenRes conservation measures and their implementation; iii) contributed to valorising and conserving GenRes within an agro-ecological framework, and iv) compiled scientific messages for the preparation of the GRS4E (in WP2). WP3 provided demonstration cases and an overview of regional genetic diversity hotspots, to outline assessment gaps and help consolidate cross-domain GenRes conservation. WP3’s survey work showed that current GenRes network services are available, used and appreciated across a range of stakeholders, and highlighted a need to collaborate and develop common cross-domain services and activities. Cross-domain quality-management peer reviews proved positive, providing a means for increasing genebank transparency, and of mutual learning. WP3 considered phytosanitary barriers to GenRes exchange, and proposed collaborative actions for safe GenRes exchange via harmonized protocols. These were integrated in GRS4E and the domain-specific strategies. WP3 has reached all milestones and produced a higher-than-planned number of deliverables, some key to the GRS4E.
WP4‒GenRes Data: i) Through workshops, webinars and WP3 interactions WP4 updated partners’ data-management knowledge on both FAIR principles, and on data-user service needs. ii) WP4 also considered better data integration within and between domains and beyond with data from other stakeholders. iii) WP4 developed a proof-of-concept portal to access GenRes accessions data to complement the GenRes Gateway (WP5). iv) These helped develop a publicly-available “Strategy and priorities for delivering information services to end users”. v) WP4 established a shared vision for biodiversity data commons via the European data infrastructure ELIXIR and other infrastructures (GBIF, DISSCO); vi) WP4 updated and tested guidelines for data curation and submission to the central networks repositories. vii) GenRes Bridge spearheaded the successful launch of the Genetic Resources journal with stakeholder support for the journal’s sustainability plan.
WP5‒GenRes Bridge communications have been successful in increasing project visibility and helping develop and promote the GRS4E, which will contribute to improving and harmonising GenRes conservation and sustainable use within regional agricultural and forestry systems’. The key dissemination tools of project website and twitter will continue to provide access to project outputs. A key dissemination success was the GRS4E launch in Brussels.
Harnessing GenRes helps ensure food security and planetary well-being and supports rural development. Plant and animal breeders need genetic diversity to address challenges such as climate change, and to develop resilient production systems. Implementing the GRS4E will help meet future regional and wider demands in farming, forestry and food security. The GenRes Bridge consortium is committed to long-term GenRes conservation and sustainable use, and has endorsed GRS4E’s vision and implementation plan as a basis for an official EU Strategy to boost regional GenRes conservation and sustainable use for a food-secure Europe. GRS4E outlines a policy framework for EU Member States/stakeholders, arguing for additional national commitments and activities, if adopted by the EC. This could also generate future national funding. Recommendations from the “Strategy and priorities for delivering information services to end users” and linked ECPGR, EUFORGEN and ERFP strategies are already gaining traction in large projects (e.g. H2020 AGENT and FORGENIUS) and in network activities. Better-informed access to diversity will catalyse the transition to more sustainable agriculture and forestry. Continuation of the Genetic Resources journal beyond the project timeframe with the support of ECPGR and ERFP will ensure continued network collaboration and establish the journal as a service to stakeholders.