Page 63 - 41st Summit Brochure

E€OFISH Programme Steering Committee. The E€OFISH The SPGRC is mandated to coordinate sustainable
Programme, funded by EU aims to enhance equitable economic utilization of plant genetic resources in order to sustain food
growth by promoting sustainable fisheries in the Eastern Africa, and nutrition security in the region, through the priority areas
Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (EA-SA-IO) cross-region. outlined in the RISDP 2020-30. Through its activities, the
Under the result area supporting small-scale fisheries, concrete SPGRC therefore contributes to achievement of the goals of the
fisheries management and governance initiatives in small-scale RISDP in the following areas.
inland and marine fisheries were supported with the
possibilities of replication at the regional level and across partner Guaranteeing Sustainable Regional Food and
regions in EA-SA-IO cross-region. Six projects included the Nutrition Security
following: The SPGRC and its network of National Plant Genetic Resource
• Mwambao Coastal Community Network in Tanzania Centres focuses on the conservation of diverse traditional crops
focusing on improving management of Octopus of the region. Through its On-Farm Conservation activities,
fisheries and promoting equitable governance of tenure the SPGRC promotes maintenance of crop diversity with
in small-scale fishing communities in Zanzibar and the increased production and utilization at the farmer and
north-eastern Tanzanian coast; community levels. This includes documentation and
• ADPP in Mozambique promoting sustainable small- preservation of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) on farming
scale fisheries in Cahora Bassa and Mogoé Districts, Tete practices and utilization of conserved material at farmer level.
Province; Establishment of community seed-banks helps in
• ActionAid supporting sustainable small-scale fisheries alleviating perpetual problems of seed shortages for resource-
in 140 fishing communities in Zambia; poor farmers making viable planting material available during
• Namibia Nature Foundation Trust strengthening planting times. Where crops are lost, the re-
community fisheries in Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier introductions/restorations are carried out through seed
Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA); multiplication and distribution by NPGRCs.
• UNDP supporting the economic empowerment of the Access to seed and diversified crop production systems are
artisanal fishing communities in Mauritius. key to ensuring food and nutrition security. The SPGRC 61
network works in collaboration with relevant institutions in
SADC PLANT GENETIC Member States to enhance crop improvement thereby
RESOURCES CENTRE contributing to improved seed production systems.

Environment Management and Sustainable Development
The SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC) was
The SPGRC programmes contribute to the realization of the
established in 1989. The Centre, located in Zambia, has been
RISDP 2020-30 goals by creating the requisite harmonized
entrusted and mandated with the conservation and evaluation
policy environment, as well as legal and regulatory frameworks
for sustainable utilization of SADC plant genetic resources for
to promote regional cooperation on all issues relating to the
the present and future generations and coordination of all
environment and natural resources management, including
activities through the network of National Plant Genetic
trans-boundary ecosystem management. In addition, SPGRC
Resource Centres (NPGRCs) established in each of the 16
promotes identification, in situ conservation of threatened wild
SADC Member States.
useful species including wild crop relatives, fodder species,
The SPGRC is a unit under the FANR Directorate of the
medicinal plants, wild fruits and wild leafy vegetables.
SADC Secretariat, and is guided by a Technical Sub-Committee
on Plant Genetic Resources Conservation comprising of
Streamlining the Use of Information
chairpersons of the National Plant Genetic Resources
Communication Technology
Committees (NPGRCom).
Compliant to streamlining in the use of ICTs, the SPGRC
SPGRC operates a regional gene bank where at least
developed and maintains the SPGRC Documentation &
18,662 accessions of germplasm from SADC Member States is
Information System (SDIS) that is installed and operational at
conserved ex situ under low temperature conditions of minus
all NPGRCs to help scientists in the management of gene banks.
̊
18 degrees Celsius (-18 C).
It is also involved in the promotion and facilitation of
As of March 2021, over 10,000 accessions of the 18,662
information dissemination and exchange on technologies,
accessions have been duplicated at the Svalbard Global Seed
innovations, and experiences related to plant genetic recourses
Vault in the North Pole together with germplasm from the rest
conservation and use among NPGRCs and other stakeholders
of the world for long term conservation.
in the region.