Advisory bodies to the national PGR Programme

The National Programme for Plant Genetic Resources was established in 2000. Since its inception, an Advisory Council has provided guidance on the programme’s strategic development. The Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF) are represented in the Advisory Council together with a broad range of other stakeholders, incl. government agencies, private enterprises, museums, NGOs, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen). LRF Horticulture, re-presenting the horticultural industry, has been instrumental in re-introducing heritage cultivars to the domestic market. Their expertise has provided for sound plant nursery production and marketing. Until today ca. 235,000 plants of more than 150 cultivars (ornamentals, fruit trees, roses, vegetatively propagated food plants, etc.) have reached Swedish growers/customers. In addition to the Advisory Council, a number of crop expert committees have been established to support decision-making in the work of the National Genebank for vegetatively propagated horticultural crops. These expert committees are broadly composed, not least by farmers/nurserymen.