The genebank management work of the Centres ensures that the in-trust collections are healthy and readily available for use by plant breeders and farmers. Moreover, this work helps set standards for the world, representing a weighty responsibility to achieve excellence. Through SGRP, the CGIAR Centres share their expertise and experiences on all aspects of biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of plant, animal, and aquatic genetic resources. This creates a formidable body of knowledge about best practices, suitable technologies and effective training materials for sustaining biodiversity, not just in genebanks and research labs, but in farmers’ fields and other ecosystems.
 
It goes without saying that to be effective, genetic resource practices must be based on sound scientific research. SGRP helps shape the Centres’ research strategies by identifying knowledge gaps and opportunities for achieving economies of scale in conducting research of common interest. Carrying out high-quality agricultural research is what the CGIAR Centres are all about, and the CGIAR’s Science Council has made sustaining biodiversity for current and future generations a top research priority.
 
Find out more about the CGIAR research priorities.