Spending on Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: How Much and How Efficient?

With growing awareness of the dangers of an irreversible loss of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), there has been a major effort devoted to collecting and conserving plant genetic resources. The objective of this study is to assess the level of investments in PGRFA conservation in different countries and their efficiency. Few studies of the costs and efficiency of gene banks and other methods of conservation exist so far. This study finds that the order of magnitude of domestic expenditures on the conservation of PGRFA by 37 countries amounts to approximately US $475 million for the year 1995. The efficiency of PGRFA conservation varies widely between countries. While a more comprehensive and thorough efficiency analysis of the countries’ conservation efforts is called for, the approach taken here does draw attention to practical solutions to the ongoing political discussions on the sharing of benefits and costs of PGRFA conservation and utilisation.