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<p> </p><p>Defra takes the lead for the UK's membership to the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological
Diversity. These require contracting parties to conserve the genetic diversity of
agricultural varieties, including heritage varieties. Defra sponsors three genetic
resource collections which maintain heritage varieties: the National Fruit Collection,
the John Innes Pea Collection, and the vegetable collection at Warwick University.
Defra is planning to follow up previous research assessing, conserving and encouraging
the further cultivation of locally adapted fruit and vegetable varieties (landraces).</p><p>
</p><p>Defra took a leading role in developing simpler EU registration requirements,
introduced in 2009, for heritage varieties of agricultural and vegetable species.
These allow marketing on the basis of a simplified, low cost description, with proportionate
controls to assure seed quality. Defra is now seeking further simplification in the
proposed new Plant Reproductive Material legislation currently under discussion at
European level.</p><p> </p>
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