Previous costing studies. An important study on the economics of conserving crop genetic resources in five of the CGIAR genebanks was undertaken in the early 2000s (Koo et al, 2004)3, but it became increasingly clear that an accurate costing of all the genebanks across the CGIAR was needed. A study was carried out in 2009 to cost selected key conservation and distribution activities in a study of the financial needs for sustaining the genebanks following the injection of funds made through the World Bank’s Global Public Goods One and Two projects (GPG1 and GPG2)4. However, it proved to be extremely difficult to arrive at costs that are truly comparable across the CGIAR system as a result of the different cost structures and accounting procedures that are used at the different Centres. It was apparent that further work was needed to try to arrive at costs that are more comparable. Since the study of Koo et al., many factors have changed, and in particular there has been a significant increase in the number of accessions held by the Centres. In addition they have experienced differential inflation and currency exchange rates. While the CGIAR Centres’ budget, and international research scientists are paid in US dollars, local salaries and wages as well as many supplies and services are paid for in the local currency. Large currency value changes have often impacted on the financial capacity of the genebanks. The costs of genebank operations have also increased as a result of additional international requirements for phytosanitary permits as well as the need to manage material transfer agreements and declarations on the presence of GMOs. Additional safety backups at other locations, including the recently constructed Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV), have also increased costs. New technologies for monitoring the genetic integrity and uniqueness of accessions, while important and having the potential to reduce costs in the future, have in many cases added to the immediate costs of conservation, and much more work is needed in this regard. For the conservation of clonal crops, cryopreservation offers a means to store genetic resources for extended periods of time with minimal losses of viability. However, the additional costs of achieving such security include not only getting the material into (the vapour phase of) liquid 3 Koo, B, XX Xxxxxx and XX Xxxxxx. 2004. Saving Seeds: the Economics of Conserving Crop Genetic Resources Ex Situ in the Future Harvest Centres of the CGIAR. CABI Pub...
