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For millennia, generations of farmers have known about—and used—plant genetic diversity. Farmers identify plants with particular traits, or plants that thrive in unfavourable conditions. Seeds and cuttings from these selected plants are guarded and saved for the next sowing season. This ancient breeding practice is now the root of novel plant science.
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Who we are
The Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) is a broad and true network of partners from advanced research institutes and national agricultural research programmes collectively working to improve crop productivity in drought-prone environments. GCP partners draw on plant diversity and new technologies to improve crops with desired traits, focusing on drought tolerance. Through this wide range of partners, GCP links basic science with applied research and helps to weave an effective and interactive community of crop researchers at both global and regional level. GCP is a programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
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Meet the People
Meet the people in GCP and the roles they play in governance, advisory capacity and administration & management. More information
Why is plant genetic diversity important?
Plant genetic diversity is obvious: for the same crop, some plants are tall and some short, some survive extreme climate, or are naturally resistant to pests. The full set of the plant’s genetic information—called the plant genome—tells us the cause of these differences. It is this variation that crop breeders use to generate better adapted offspring (progeny). Through the years, researchers have gathered select genetic material from crops and their wild relatives, thus safeguarding these natural resources for future generations. This material is preserved in ‘gene banks’—the custodians of genetic diversity.
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What is GCP’s core business?
We selectively characterise the diversity of the most important crop germplasm for agriculture, including collections stored in gene banks under the custody of the CGIAR as well as national research programmes. Using this diversity, GCP applies genomic tools and interdisciplinary approaches to better understand gene function and their interactions. This understanding of gene systems across crops helps to identify and tag genes which contribute desired agronomic traits. Selection of favourable alleles at those genes increases the efficiency, speed and scope of plant breeding.
GCP also integrates information components and analysis tools into a coherent information gateway and provides support for data storage and analysis. To ensure impact, GCP empowers scientists in developing country national programmes to use modern breeding. As GCP approaches the end of Phase I (2004–2008) and beginning of Phase II (2009–2013), our new strategy emphasises product management and delivery as crucial cornerstones of GCP’s work in the coming years: concepts and ideas at GCP founding are increasingly evolving into useful GCP products, and we remain committed to delivering practical and relevant products to boost breeding and, ultimately, have impact on crop productivity in farmers’ fields.
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Why GCP?
GCP’s network advances the frontiers of knowledge and develops practical tools such as molecular markers for desirable genes, for efficient field selection in plant breeding. Through our network of partners in the CGIAR, and in the public and private sector, GCP implements programmes that bring together plant scientists from different disciplines to improve crops for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. GCP works with cutting-edge plant biology research partners, and augments the efforts of the CGIAR and the broader agricultural research-for-development community.
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How does GCP operate?
GCP links basic science with applied research. The network generates knowledge and develops practical tools such as molecular markers for desirable genes to complement field selection in plant breeding. Through our network of partners in the CGIAR , and in the public and private sector, GCP implements programmes that bring together plant scientists from different disciplines to improve crops for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. GCP works with the most powerful and innovative plant biology research partners, and augments the efforts of the CGIAR and the broader agricultural research-for-development community.
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What is GCP's operational structure?
The Generation Challenge Programme has five subprogrammes that span the spectrum of research in germplasm, genomics, bioinformatics and molecular breeding for agricultural development:
- Subprogramme 1: Genetic Diversity of Global Genetic Resources
- Subprogramme 2: Genomics Towards Gene Discovery
- Subprogramme 3: Trait Capture for Crop Improvement
- Subprogramme 4: Bioinformatics and Crop Information Systems
- Subprogramme 5: Capacity-Building and Enabling Delivery
GCP represents a new approach to research-for-development by bringing the fruits of the genomics revolution to bear on the agricultural constraints of farmers in the world’s poorest countries. Critical to this approach is ensuring that the products of GCP research can and will be adopted, adapted and applied for the ultimate benefit of resource-poor farmers. A cornerstone of the programme is that its outputs are released as public goods, enabling scientists in developing countries to readily use elite genetic stocks and new marker technologies in their breeding programmes. A comprehensive and integrated Delivery Strategy is also in place to bridge the gap between advanced labs and user communities to ensure that the GCP’s research has long-term impact on resource-poor farmers.
GCP has a fairly flat organisational structure
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What's GCP's background and what are the CGIAR Challenge Programmes all about?
Created by the CGIAR in 2003 as a time-bound 10-year programme, GCP’s goal is to add value to crop breeding, targeting farmers in drought-prone marginal environments. Through capacity-building and by assisting national researchers to tap into a broader and richer pool of plant genetic diversity, GCP strives to ensure that crops improved by cutting-edge science will reach farmers in the developing world.
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GCP is one of four Challenge Programmes established by the CGIAR to make high impacts in the short term through thematic approaches involving a multitude of research, development, health and delivery organisations. The Challenge Programmes are time-bound, independently-governed programmes which address themes of overwhelming global importance and need: nutrition, water use efficiency and conservation, crop genetic diversity and the Sub-Saharan Africa region. The hallmarks of the Challenge Programmes are their collaborative approach, thematic orientation and a time limit – 10 years for each.
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Sub-Saharan African Challenge Program
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