The theme of the 1993 World Food Day Teleconference on October 15 will be biological diversity, especially as it relates to the global erosion of plant genetic resources and the threat posed to future world food supply. The teleconference will explore what has been done over past decades to slow the loss of biological life forms and issues that stand in the way of the faster and much greater efforts that virtually all scientists believe are necessary.  Discussion will be led by a distinguished international panel of experts and will place special emphasis on the experiences and challenges of Western Hemisphere

Biological diversity refers to the ecosystems, species and genes that constitute the living world.  What is now recognized, with growing horror, is that this vast diversity of life —probably including about 10 million unique species but some scientists think many times that number — is imploding under the weight of human pressure.  Incredibly, mass extinction of life is now underway.  It is estimated, for example, that up to 50,000 species found in tropical rain forests are lost forever each year — animals, birds, insects, plants that will never return.  The world is waking up to the dangers of this crisis of extinction — at least on the level of scientific literature and international technical conferences — but reaction on the ground is totally inadequate to need.

* Protection of biodiversity starts with safeguarding the natural ecosystems where species diversity is richest.  Yet, despite years of outcry and inter- national "action plans", global deforestation is still running at more than 15 million hectares a year. most of it in tropical rain forests.  Mangrove swamps and wetlands of all kinds are disappearing all over the world, often with active government support. Yet these are the richest centers of natural diversity.  Huge amounts of land are held in national parks and other protected areas, but a closer look shows that most of this land is desert, mountaintops and frozen tundra, while the centers of diversity are under constant pressure of development.

* The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that food production in developing countries must increase by 65 over the next 25 years just to keep up with population growth.  Yet in two key ways agriculture is the main threat to biodiversity.  First, most deforestation is for new farmland and pasture.  And second, the constant need to increase production creates an ever greater reliance on modern high-yield varieties which are replacing the enormous crop species diversity that formerly existed in every country.  The resistance of the new varieties to plant pests and diseases lasts only a few years and then they must be replaced, yet the genetic traits the breeder must use are found in the varieties that are no longer there except in a world network of "genebanks".

* As if these problems weren't enough, agriculture also may dramatically affected by climate change, although nobody is certain of how much or in what ways.  It is widely predicted that higher levels of CO2 from global warming may stimulate plant growth, but in some plants more than others.  It  will also unpredictably alter the evolution of plant pests and disease -- a vast unknown to plant breeders. Climate change also is likely to increase cloud cover and rainfall patterns, another unknown as to crop response Plant breeders' are confident they can stay-ahead of -the climate changes, at least for the major food crops, but-they are far less certain about the impact-of change on trees and forests, which can't be moved as quickly and for which there is-much less breeding and cross-breeding skill. Trees take too long to grow so breeders won't have the time to respond in the same way that they would for an annual crop.

In one way or-another, we are rapidly reducing the biodiversity on which future.-.generations will depend; Genetic erosion threatens the building ' blocks we now use for food, fiber, shelter, medicine and other raw-materials.

With this as background, teleconference panelists will be asked to explore a number of problems-that hinder national and international response to the biodiversity challenge.

• Most plant breeding technology resides in the rich countries, but most genetic-resources' are found in poor countries, a division that is already causing strains and arguments over plant sovereignty patents and intellectual property rights and so-called "farmers- rights." How can these frictions be resolved?
• How can we resolve the problems of genetic vulnerability in light of the continuing need to increase production on a smaller land base? And what other research priorities are paramount, for example, at the international—research centers.
• To what extent can genebanks and in situ conservation maintain the world's genepool and what is the relationship between the two?
• What will be the role of advanced biotechnology based on DNA manipulation, and what safeguards are necessary in this emerging technology?
• To what extent does preservation of biodiversity conflict with development aspirations and economic interest (e.g., the Amazon Highway in Brazil or logging of old-growth forest in the United States) and how can these perceived national needs be harmonized?

In preparing "middle-hour" panels and discussions, teleconference sites are encouraged to consider how their local and state environment and economic interests are affected by the challenge of maintaining biodiversity