Landrace conservation strategy for the United Kingdom

The extent of loss of crop genetic diversity associated with the loss of landraces is difficult to quantify accurately, but we do know that both worldwide and in Europe there has been a massive loss of named landrace varieties that is thought to equate to a significant loss of crop genetic diversity. This erosion of an agrobiodiversity resource that may be critical for future food security has been recognized in a number of international legal instruments, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. As a signatory to these treaties, the UK has an obligation to take steps to secure the full range of its plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, including the diversity of UK landraces. The project identified and created an inventory of 67 wheat, barley and oats, 569 English and Welsh vegetables and 7 forage landrace populations.