PRO-GRACE: Promoting a Plant Genetic Resource Community for Europe

Europe is rich in plant genetic resources (PGRs), which occur on farms, in gardens and in nature (in situ), and are conserved in gene banks (ex situ). In fact, more than 2 million plant accessions are preserved ex situ in more than 400 institutes in Europe and associated countries, and even more in situ in European farmlands and wild habitats. All these play a central role in ensuring Europe’s green transition, food security and climate change mitigation. However, accurate information about both is lacking. In this context, the EU-funded PRO-GRACE project will develop the concept of a novel research infrastructure dedicated to the conservation and study of PGRs that will describe the proposed distributed structure, governance, economic plan and scientific services.