Joining forces for genetic resources and biodiversity management

Genetic resources (GenRes) underpin production in agriculture and forestry; they are essential for long-term food security, delivery of non-food products and adaptation to changing climate. Still, their potential remains largely unharnessed. GenRes Bridge aims to strengthen their conservation and sustainable use by accelerating collaborative efforts and widening capacities in plant, forest and animal GenRes domains by sharing perspectives, exchanging best practices, harmonizing standards, trainings and sharing resources under the auspices of the three pan-European GenRes networks: ECPGR, EUFORGEN and ERFP.

Collaboration among GenRes and wider biodiversity actors will widen capacities and increase the effectiveness of sustainable management of GenRes through the development of an integrated GenRes strategy, generation of tools and user-oriented services such as a gateway to ease the navigation through the digital GenRes landscape, and policy recommendations.

Apart from Management and Communication WPs, the project includes three thematic WPs:
• European integrated GenRes strategy: engaging a wide range of stakeholders and expanding geographical scope of existing networks to European Neighborhood Policy countries to share perspectives, knowledge and current strategies to develop an integrated GenRes strategy;
• GenRes in action: taking up science results into GenRes management and strategy preparation, collating demonstration cases, improving user-oriented services, standards and quality management;
• Enhancing GenRes data delivery: improving quality and quantity of information already stored in the central information systems (EURISCO, EUFGIS and EFABIS) through training and linking them to other databases.

GenRes Bridges consortium consists of 16 partners, selected through a broad consultation, representing existing European GenRes structures committed to support long-term implementation of the integrated GenRes strategy and its recommendations.