The sustainable use of PGRFA encompasses a wide range of activities from crop improvement through plant breeding, adaptation and diversification to seed delivery. Plant breeding acts as bridge between the conservation in genebanks and the seed systems that deliver improved varieties to farmers.
The Second GPA emphasises sustainable use of PGRFA for food security. A number of activities are outlined to increase the use of genetic diversity in the field, reduce crop vulnerability and strengthen linkage between conservation, crop improvement and seed delivery. Activities include increasing the use of varietal mixtures, improving the deployment of genetic diversity, identifying under-utilized species, and developing post-harvest and marketing methods. It describes policies, capacity enhancement and strategies for improving products in farmers’ fields. The priority activities are
- Expansion of characterization, evaluation and further development of specific subsets of collections to facilitate use
- Support for plant breeding, genetic enhancement and base-broadening efforts
- Promotion of diversification of crop production and broadening of crop diversity for sustainable agriculture
- Promotion of development and commercialization of all varieties, primarily farmers’ varieties/landraces and underutilized species
- Support of seed production and distribution