New platform for collaborations around plant genetic resources

Over the past few decades, the regulatory frameworks surrounding plant research and breeding have become increasingly detailed and complex. This includes international treaties and conventions on the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of plant genetic resources, national/regional biosafety legislation related to the technologies for managing and improving the genetic material, and intellectual property (IP) systems including plant breeders´ rights (PBR) and patents. Now a new initiative – the Plant Genetic Resources International Platform (PGRIP) – is addressing these issues.

The main objective of PGRIP is to provide a platform for interdisciplinary collaborations analyzing and addressing the policies and regulatory developments, including aspects such as technical, economic, ethical, and social, for plant genetic resources used for research and breeding. PGRIP supports and facilitates international, peer-reviewed publications to ensure that evidence-based and scientific perspectives are available for policy makers and other stakeholders. Resources are also allocated to stimulate research mobility.

Visit the website www.pgrip.org or contact the executive manager Dennis Eriksson at dennis.eriksson@pgrip.org if you want to know more.