Different approaches to conserving biodiversity and different ways of using genetic resources are described here in more detail. One approach is on-farm management that involves maintaining crop species on farms or in home gardens; ICM may play an important role in this approach. Wild populations regenerate naturally and are dispersed naturally by wild animals and winds and in water courses. A second approach is the in situ conservation of forests and other wild plant species, often carried out through, but not limited to, designated protected areas such as national parks and nature reserves. In addition and depending on the type of species to be conserved, different ex situ conservation methods may be used. A complementary conservation strategy can be defined as “the combination of different conservation actions, which together lead to an optimum sustainable use of genetic diversity existing in a target gene pool, in the present and future” (Bioversity, 2007). It should not be forgotten that the main objective in any plant genetic resource conservation program is to maintain the highest possible level of genetic variability present across the gene pool of a given species or crop, both in its natural range and in a germplasm collection.

Plant genetic resource conservation and use may greatly benefit from applying modern developments in molecular genetics. CWANA countries could benefit from the program the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) has identified, which includes the following components (IPGRI, 2001):

• Capacity building, with an ultimate goal of providing the genetic resources community with tools in the molecular area, emphasizing development in the context of research, gene bank management and germplasm use.
• Research that includes information on genetic diversity and location of useful genes and alleles in germplasm collections.