A new book, entitled Gene flow between crops and their wild relatives, co-authored by GCP Subprogramme 5  Leader Carmen de Vicente, is set to be published by Johns Hopkins University Press and released for sale in November 2009. The book is a direct outcome of a three-year GTZ-funded project on The gene flow risk assessment of genetically-engineered crops.

The project, which came to a close in 2008, addressed the concern about the likelihood for gene flow and introgression from genetically-modified (GM) crop varieties to wild populations, particularly in centres of origin and diversity of crop plants. A major objective of the project was to provide support tools to assist in making well-informed and scientifically sound decisions about the ecological risk of releasing GM crops in or around areas with concentrated crop diversity, taking into account the facts that gene flow and introgression exist, and that the preservation of crop genetic resources in their habitat is a requisite for the sustainable development of modern crops.

For more details on the book, please visit the AllBookstores.com website.

More information on the project and its outcomes can be found on the Bioversity International website.

GCP congratulates Carmen for her key contribution to this important resource for researchers, as well as decision- and policy-makers.