BSPB Joins Discussions on Genetic Diversity in August 2026

BSPB joined the UK Plant Genetic Resources Group meeting on 4th August, followed by a visit to Elsoms Seeds on 5th August, to discuss how conserved genetic diversity can better support practical plant breeding, food security and climate resilience.

The discussions highlighted the growing policy focus on plant genetic resources, including their role in biodiversity, national resilience and future variety development. For BSPB and its members, a central theme was the need to connect conservation activity with real-world use by breeders, ensuring that genetic resources can move effectively into research, pre-breeding, commercial breeding programmes and ultimately into varieties for farmers and growers.

The Elsoms visit provided a valuable opportunity to see how this link works in practice, with discussion on the importance of making germplasm, breeder toolkits and associated information accessible and useful to breeding companies. The visit also reinforced the value of collaboration between public research collections and commercial plant breeders in turning genetic diversity into innovation.

BSPB will continue to engage in these discussions, particularly where policy, funding, phytosanitary rules and biodiversity indicators affect breeder access to material and the practical use of plant genetic resources. Ensuring that conservation policy is linked to functioning seed systems and routes to market will be key to delivering the full benefits of genetic diversity for UK agriculture.