Biodiversity protection has long been one of the most important environmental issues not only in the Czech Republic but also worldwide. In the Czech Republic (CR), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is responsible for the protection of biodiversity (= genetic resources = GR) which is of great importance for food and agriculture.
In view of the above, MoA announced “The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture“ (NPGR) (=National Programme) in 1993 in order to ensure sustainable conservation, availability and use of genetic resources important for food and agriculture that are located in the Czech Republic.
This National Programme is governed by Czech law (Act No. 148/2003 Coll., Act No. 154/2000 Coll., Decree No. 458/2003 Coll., Decree No. 213/2017 Coll., Decree No. 447/2006 Coll., Decree No. 448/2006 Coll.) and by international agreements (FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources).
This Programme has received not only formal but also financial support from the Czech Republic – through the MoA. It is announced on a multi-annual basis, each programme being partly amended according to current needs and state of knowledge in the field of conservation of genetic resources.
Currently, the 2018-2022 National Programme is being implemented. Focus on NPGR themes is defined in the relevant programming document (currently “The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture for the period 2018–2022” – ref. No.: 51834/2017-MZE-17253).
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Objectives of National Programme
The basic objective of the National Programme:
To ensure the long-term conservation of the GR of plants, animals, micro-organisms and small invertebrates important for food and agriculture, in accordance with national legislation, international obligations and the needs of users of genetic resources, and for the sustainable development of agriculture in the CR, adapting to climate change and maintaining the quality of rural areas.
In order to achieve the basic objective, the following goals have been set:
1) To ensure the protection and long-term storage of GR included in the National Programme using appropriate and up-to-date conservation methods.
2) To collect historical, present and new GR important for food and agriculture that are located in the CR, including the repatriation of original Czech materials from abroad, and to rationally enlarge collections of GR with new material from abroad in accordance with the needs of their users.
3) To enhance the evaluation and characterization, i.e. to gain the knowledge of properties, traits and genetic diversity of GR and to assess their use for improving the biological potential and utility value of plant varieties, species and breeds of animals and strains of microorganisms.
4) To keep clear records and documentation on the GR conserved and provided, including the international exchange of information.
5) To guarantee the availability of GR stored in the CR for users and provide both the GR and relevant information to domestic and foreign users in accordance with national and European legal requirements and other international obligations.
6) To create the conditions for the efficient and sustainable use of GR in line with the needs of agricultural practice, commodity processors and consumers and to support the environmental functions of agriculture and adaptation to climate change.
7) To guarantee the international commitments of the CR in this area and thus participate globally in protection of agrobiodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits resulting from its use.
Board of The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture
The Board of the National Programme (NPGR Board of the MoA) manages the National Programme and is composed of the representatives of the MoA and coordinators of the sub-programmes. Its mandate is given by the Statute and the Rules of Procedure and its task is to create the necessary organizational framework to ensure the work with genetic resources important for food and agriculture. It decides on the priorities, factual contents, coordination steps and the allocation of approved funds to individual sub-programmes. The NPGR Board of the MoA determines and approves the priority activities of the individual sub-programmes, updates them and brings them into full compliance with the aforementioned legal standards and international obligations. It also serves as an arbitrator body in case that any dispute arises.
| Chairman of the borad: | Ing. Vlastimil Zedek (MoA) |
| Members: | Ing. Jiří Jungr (MoA) |
| Mgr. Petra Zábojová (MoA)
Agriculture Commodities Department of MoA representative Agriculture Commodities Department of MoA representative Department of Foodstuff of MoA representative Ing. Vojtěch Holubec, CSc. (Crop Research Institute Prague) Ing. Petr Komínek, Ph.D. (Crop Research Institute Prague) Ing. Tomáš Němeček (Institute of Animal Science) |
The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture is divided in three separate sub-programmes for the GR of plants, animals and microorganisms:
1) The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources and Agrobiodiversity
2) The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Animal Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture
3) The National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Microorganisms and Invertebrates of Agricultural Importance