FOREWORD

FOREWORD

The International Society for Horticultural Science – ISHS – in conjunction with the Instituto Agronômico – IAC – promotes the fifth edition of the International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops. The meeting is held at Iguazu Falls, State of Paraná, in Brazil, which is at the juncture of three nations: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. This is the first time the Symposium occurs in a Tropical Country, and for this reason the organizers elected the tropical flora to be the focus.

The search for new floricultural crops has a strong basis in research on new or poorly known plant species. New germplasm collected from the wild may have potential for immediate horticultural exploitation, or can provide novel genetic material for the development of new crops through breeding programs. These days, the exploitation of genetic resources provokes a great deal of discussion at the international level. Attention to the Rio’92 Convention on Biodiversity has made it very clear that a large gap exists between the interests perceived by the Convention as the natural owners of novel plant germplasm (indigenous people within and/or an entire nation or nations encompassing the native range of a species), often in developing or third world countries, and those interested in the commercial exploitation of said germplasm (mostly from first world countries). In a sense, this is the 21st century conundrum of "sovereign rights" versus the "rights of all humanity".

The Consortium of National Networld of Botanic Gardens which is and advisory body to Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the International Association of Botanic Gardens (IABG) has developed a global system called Access and Benefit Sharing System for Botanic Gardens (ABS) focused on the exchange of plant material for non-commercial purposes. In the frame of this commercial exploration of the native exotic flora (plant genetic material), which is preserved in such places, could be mentioned the possibility of the application of this already existed way of exploration between possible 'users' and 'sources'. Developing countries such as Brazil, most of which lies in the tropics, have large and incompletely known floras. Infinite possibilities for new and useful germplasm are available, with multiple utilities. Many species considered ornamental can just as easily be found to have medicinal or culinary use, and vice-versa. Thus, our meeting at Iguazu Falls offers the opportunity for an overview of a poorly known tropical flora, and the complex political and social issues that surround its future exploitation for ornamental horticulture.

Antonio Fernando Caetano Tombolato
Convener of V-ISNFC – Brazil 2003