Biotechnology, Breeding and Seed Systems

Development of the Crop Protection Compendium, a comprehensive, authoritative knowledge base on global crop protection, by assembling the expertise of some 2000 specialists from five continents. The result of this South-North and South-South knowledge transfer is presented in a user-friendly, multimedia form that transforms extensive information into easily understood knowledge. This facilitates practical decision-making, so that pest management is achieved more effectively, more efficiently, and with reduced environmental impact.
Outreach through delivery of the Crop Protection Compendium to more than 100 countries, of which 75% are developing countries. This is backed by routine updating, which is sustainably resourced through market activities in which revenues from sales of the Compendium, principally from developed countries, are applied to ongoing renewal of its content, benefiting both developing and developed countries. Outreach is backed by training and impact assessment. For example, the Crop Protection Compendium has been adopted by the Government of Tanzania (Commission on Science and Technology)as a core knowledge tool for deployment in village IT centres, to strengthen sustainable rural agriculture.
Creation, as part of the development of the Crop Protection Compendium, of the most comprehensive global geographic information system of records of pests, diseases and weeds of the world's crops. This has been adopted as a core knowledge resource by national and regional quarantine organizations in all continents, thereby facilitating free trade in agricultural commodities without unneeded restrictions to movement through non-tariff trade barriers. This is of particular value in developing countries, where quarantine services may not be well resourced with knowledge and experience of global trade. The Compendium offers a simple e-guide to performing Pest Risk Analysis, designed to help those in developing countries with limited experience of quarantine. The Compendium also meets the needs for a guide to trade in commodities from developing countries to areas like Europe where regulatory restrictions can be inhibiting.