Learning from community gene/seed bank experiences

The Policy Unit at Bioversity International and partner organizations are conducting research on novel ways to bridge community-based management practices to conserve and use plant genetic resources with national and international genebanks and through use of the Multilateral System of the ITPGRFA. We are interested to learn from experiences of local gene/seed banks from around the world that collect, conserve, regenerate, produce, and share seeds of crops and varieties of various kinds (major crops, minor crops, underutilized and neglected species).
Some of the questions we are interested in are:

• How did the community gene/seed bank emerge? Who manages them and how? What roles do they play? What kind of and how much plant genetic resources do they hold/flow in and out of them? Who is using these materials?
• How do community gene/seed banks connect to other local or regional initiative of the same nature? Are they connected with formal system gene-banks and seed systems at national or international levels?
• What are the policies, laws and (informal) institutions that impact on the operations?
• What are effective incentives, institutional support mechanisms, and links to guarantee long-term functioning? 

If you have any documentation about local gene/seed bank initiatives that you would like to share, please contact Ronnie Vernooy in the Policy Unit: r.vernooy@cgiar.org 

Thank you in advance.