Partnerships CGN

Dutch plant and animal breeding companies

Dutch plant and animal breeding companies assist CGN in building, maintaining and evaluating the genebank collections. With the following companies we have a Letter of Intent or Memorandum of Understanding: Bejo Zaden B.V., CRV B.V., De Groot en Slot B.V., Enza Zaden Research and Development B.V., Koninklijk Friesch Paarden-Stamboek (KFPS), Nunhems B.V., Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V., Royal Dutch Sport Horse (KWPN), Syngenta Seeds B.V., TOPIGS Norsvin.

Plantum

Plantum is the sector organisation for plant breeding and cultivation companies.

Dutch State Forest Service

The Dutch State Forest Service (Staatsbosbeheer) maintains the genebank for autochthonous trees and shrubs. CGN supports the Dutch State Forest Service in the management and collection establishment of the genebank and maintains the documentation of the genebank through a database accessible through the website: www.genenbankbomenenstruiken.nl.

Board for Plant Varieties

The Board for Plant Varieties, the responsible Official Body for the registration of forest stands and varieties, maintains the ‘Rassenlijst Bomen’ (List of recommended varieties and provenances of trees).  CGN provides the necessary expertise to keep the Rassenlijst Bomen up to date. For this CGN carries out inspections for registering Basic Material and establishes provenance tests for approval in the category ‘Tested’.

NGOs

Stichting Zeldzame Huisdierrassen (SZH)

CGN collaborates with the Dutch Rare Breed Survival Trust (SZH) and a wide range of breed societies in the Netherlands, to support the development of sustainable breeding programs and to promote the use of endangered breeds.

De Oerakker

CGN facilitates the national platform De Oerakker to promote the conservation and use of historic Dutch crop varieties in the field.

SAVE Foundation

SZH and De Oerakker are members of the European umbrella organisation Save Foundation with the aim to halt and to reverse the trend of genetic erosion of agrobiodiversity.

European networks

CGN represents the government of the Netherlands in three pan-European networks for plant, animal and forest genetic resources.

European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR)

The European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) is a collaborative programme aimed at ensuring the long-term conservation and facilitating utilization of plant genetic resources in Europe. Read about the network on their website, take a look at the database for European Genetic Resources EURISCO or read about the European genebank network AEGIS.

European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resouces (ERFP)

The European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP) supports the in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources by exchange of knowledge and best practises among countries. More information on the web portal of the European genebank network EUGENA and the European Information System EFABIS.

European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)

EUFORGEN is an international cooperation programme that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe as an integral part of sustainable forest management. The information system on forest genetic resources EUFGIS was created in a project in close collaboration with EUFORGEN.

European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP)

EAAP is an international non-governmental organization which aims to improve the knowledge and the dissemination of research on farm animals.

Euroseeds

Euroseeds (former European Seed Association) is the voice of the European seed industry, representing the interests of those active in research, breeding, production and marketing of seeds of agricultural, horticultural and ornamental plant species.

EFFAB

The European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders is the association of the animal breeding and reproduction organisations in Europe. On their website you can read more about EFFAB, the sector, related policy issues, research and other activities.

Global organisations

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

The FAO is a specialized organisation of the United nations to achieve global food security and quality. The FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGFRA) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (ITPGRFA) are part of FAO. CGN supports the FAO with its expertise and represents and advises the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality at FAO meetings.

Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

The mission of the 15 CGIAR institutes is to create a food secure future. CGIAR collaborates with many partners including CGN.

Global Crop Diversity Trust

The Crop Trust was established by the FAO and CGIAR to (financially) support plant genebanks globally. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a place to safety-backup genebank material, was funded by the Crop Trust.

Projects

CGN is partner in several international projects that contribute to conserving and sustainable use of plant, animal and forest genetic resources.

Innovative Management of Animal Genetic Resources (IMAGE)

The aim of IMAGE (EU Horizon 2020 funded) is to enhance the use of genetic collections and to upgrade animal gene bank management. IMAGE will further develop genomic methodologies, biotechnologies, and bioinformatics for a better knowledge and exploitation of animal genetic resources.

Farmers Pride

The EU Horizon 2020 funded project Farmers Pride aims to build a network for on-farm conservation and sustainable use of Europe's plant diversity.

GenRes Bridge

GenRes Bridge is a consortium to seek for similarities and collaboration between the plant, animal and forest networks ECPGR, EUFORGEN and ERFP, and to develop a European integrated strategy for conserving genetic diversity in agriculture and forestry.