Genetic resources for food and agriculture, including crops, livestock and forestry, are vital components to sustain food and nutritional security, healthy agro-ecosystems and build resilience against climate change and pests and diseases. Countries interdependency on these resources requires collective, coordinated action.

The Genetic Resources pillar works with governments, communities and other agencies throughout the Pacific and globally to respond to the increasing need for high quality, resilient and nutritious crop and tree diversity as well as facilitating sufficient supply of planting materials particularly in support of research and development and emergency recovery efforts. This pillar houses the Pacific’s Regional Genebank, the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) which acts as the cornerstone for improved coordination on plant genetic resources management including conservation, development and utilization. In addition, this pillar works across the other pillars of LRD to strengthen seed systems and seed and planting material supply networks.