Millions of rural people in the developing world depend on trees for food, cooking fuel, shelter, medicine and income. Of the thousands of wild tree species important to people for nutrition and livelihoods, many are becoming scarce. The drivers of forest biodiversity loss are well-known, for example: over exploitation, slash and burn agriculture, changing climate, invasions of exotic species and over-grazing by domestic livestock.
Although several organizations are tackling these problems, Bioversity International occupies a unique niche, studying at a global level, how to use and conserve valuable tree genetic resources.
Bioversity International’s tree genetic resources research focuses on documenting the diversity within tree species that are important for people, analyzing the threats to trees and their genetic resources and learning how these threats can be addressed to achieve their conservation and sustainable use in protected areas, managed forests and woodlands.
For more than 30 years, Bioversity International has worked closely with fruit tree and tree crop professionals and farmers around the world to share experiences, challenges, and new methods and approaches regarding the integration of diverse knowledge sources, the cross-fertilization of ideas, and the co-production of new innovations in tropical and Central Asian fruit trees, cacao and coconut.
Available in English and Spanish, the 'Training Guide on forest genetic resources' is a tool for teaching and learning about forest genetic resources issues in formal education or on-the-job training. Through its modules, you will learn about the links between sustainable forest management and forest genetic resources, covering areas such as conservation strategies, trees outside forests, seed supply chains, and forest management, forest restoration and logging.
Bioversity International’s forest research contributes to the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry: Livelihoods, Landscapes and Governance.