PAPGREN is the Pacific’s country-led regional coordination platform for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Supported by SPC through the Genetic Resources Programme as Secretariat, it helps countries and partners coordinate regional priorities, technical exchange and collaborative action on the conservation and sustainable use of crop diversity.

Built through regional collaboration over time, PAPGREN was formally strengthened through the adoption of its Charter in 2023 and the endorsement of both the Charter and the Pacific Seed Systems Roadmap by the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (PHOAFS) in 2024.

PAPGREN is guided by the PAPGREN Charter and the Pacific Seed Systems Roadmap, which together provide the governance and regional framework for coordinated action on plant genetic resources and seed systems in the Pacific.

Governance

PAPGREN operates under a Charter that sets out its purpose, governance arrangements and roles. Its Steering Committee is elected at each biennial PAPGREN meeting and includes representatives from the three Pacific sub-regions, while SPC Land Resources Division serves as Secretariat and supports coordination, reporting and follow-up.

What PAPGREN does for the Pacific

PAPGREN helps connect regional work with national systems so that plant genetic resources are not only conserved, but also better coordinated, better understood and more effectively used across the Pacific. Through country-led collaboration, the network helps strengthen the enabling environment for long-term conservation, access, policy dialogue and seed systems development.

 

PAPGREN supports countries by:

  • coordinating regional priorities and country-led action
  • linking regional public goods and technical services with national institutions and systems
  • supporting national policies, institutions and technical capacity
  • promoting safe germplasm exchange and implementation of relevant standards
  • strengthening seed and planting material systems through regional coordination and shared learning; and
  • facilitating capacity building, information exchange and collaboration across Pacific countries and partners

 

PAPGREN Steering Committee

Elected at the 2025 PAPGREN Meeting in Nadi, Fiji, for the biennial period: 2025-2027

  1. Dr Birte Komolong, PAPGREN Chairperson: Programme Director, Agricultural Systems, National Agricultural Research Institute, Papua New Guinea. 
  2. Dr Maurice Wong, PAPGREN Vice-Chairperson: Head of Research, Innovation and Value Addition, Department of Agriculture, French Polynesia 
  3. Randon Jack, Steering Committee Micronesia Member, Chief of Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, Republic of Marshall Islands 
  4. Kinaai Kairo, Steering Committee Micronesia Member, Director, Agriculture and Livestock Division, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development, Kiribati 
  5. Savenaca Cuquma, Steering Committee Melanesia Member, Principal Research Officer, Ministry of Agriculture & Waterways, Fiji 
  6. Tanu Toomata, Steering member, Polynesian Member, Assistant CEO, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Samoa 

 

Get in Touch

Have questions about PAPGREN, its work, or how to engage? Reach out to the Secretariat or send us a message. We welcome collaboration from governments, research institutions, development partners, community organisations and other stakeholders working to strengthen plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in the Pacific.

Contact and Access: