Domesticated and wild relative species, threatened or not, belonging to our natural capital, due to anthropic pressure and climate change, may be drastically affected for their status of conservation in their ecosystems of origin. Thus, ex situ conservation is important to be taken into consideration for ensuring the proper conservation of native species. However, ex situ conservation is a tool which is in use for many activities for many years such as: research, trade, industry, medicine, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. We need to further develop a specific regulatory framework for ensuring in the end full access for benefit sharing under the Multilateral System. Also, for agriculture should be developed in situ conservation measures closely connected with breeding programmes dedicated to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (i.e., gene banks conservation, breeding programmes, on farm conservation). Only by harmonizing at the legal level, based on science, all these specific domains, extremely sensitive, dealing with ex situ conservation it will be possible in the future to secure food and ensuring the appropriate status of biodiversity conservation as a whole. As it is not possible to apply conservation measures to all species it is appropriate to further develop strategic tools for prioritizing our efforts in a cost-effective manner. For this reason, the model of red listing crops may further support our efforts to ensure for long term food security under climate change.
DR. MARIA MIHAELA ANTOFIE
Associate Professor & Director
Research Centre for Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Protection
Faculty for Agricultural Sciences, Food Industry and Environmental Protection
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
& National Focal Point
SBSTTA for Convention on Biological Diversity
5-7 Dr. Ioan Ratiu Str, Sibiu 550012
ROMANIA
In the past 13 years I was enrolled in the Lucian Blaga of Sibiu to teach genetics, biotechnology and biodiversity conservation. I have been involved mainly in surveying and describing crops varieties in rural areas of SE Transylvania – Romania. Also, I was devoted to understanding and develop starting with 2010 a tool for emphasizing the erosion process for crops varieties namely the red listing of crops varieties for Romania as a Member States of the European Union. Traditional knowledge (TK) analysis in the rural area is also a topic of my current research furthermore being interested in analysing and defining new innovative subjects that are required to act as tools to connect the access to genetic resources to food security in rural areas as well as to biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing for long term. Between 2006-2009 as a Chief officer into the Romanian Ministry of Environment and the Direction of biodiversity conservation (including protected areas and biosafety) I have been mainly involved in administrative management tasks: management, negotiations, developing and analysing regulatory frameworks and strategies in biodiversity conservation and connected subjects at national, European Union and international levels. My academic background is also grounded by the position I occupied as a researcher for 8 years into the Institute of Biology from Bucharest Romania, Romanian Academy in the laboratory for plant cytogenetics and biotechnology (1994-2006). Between 1994-1998 I run the industrial laboratory for plant biotechnology in Codlea Brasov county, Romania where I developed different in vitro micropropagation protocols for ornamentals (indoor and outdoor plant species) and potatoes. As a biologist graduated between 1993-1994 I was enrolled into an industrial laboratory for microbiology.
PhD, habil
Biological Sciences; Plant Biotechnology (Agrobiodiversity Conservation, Plant Genetic Resources, Access & Benefit Sharing, Biosafety); Food Security; Climate Change; Environmental Policy; Development of Strategies and Action Plans, Regulatory Framework Analysis
