This is a CTP of initiative: ProSpecieRara (Switzerland)
This CTP describes the process how PSR shifted from conserving to developing. In the beginning of its operation, PSR defined itself as a conservation organization. Although they never considered themselves as a gene bank, they have started to collect and conserve plant genetic resources and animal resources. Pro Specie Rara did inventories. The first step was to collect and safeguard the resources for long-term conservation. As a second step they had to be aware what they have; they had to learn the characteristic of the collected genetic resources. As a third step, which happens nowadays, they make recommendations to consumers, to farmers. However PSR need to do more examinations and research on the quality of different varieties in order to bring the varieties to a bigger market. Pro Specie Rara needs to focus on the future challenges, thus this change of paradigm of the organization was a necessary. "We had to do this step. We tried to introduce our varieties in an organic context of farming. Unfortunately it caused more problems. We cannot really use pesticides and the old varieties have no resistance against diseases. If we want to go to the big market context, we have to improve the variety. These varieties are worthwhile to improve. We have to adapt our plants to the situation. We shift from only conserving to developing the variety." This is a shift from purely conservation to development of plant genetic resources. As regards the animals the situation is different. They have adapted to the area and they are very robust.
In the 1980s the National Gene Bank wanted to establish a Swiss coordination group for the conservation of cultivated plants. This was before the Rio convention. PSR became a founder of this commission. Gene banks, research institutions, and NGOs were involved. "We had already a group where we coordinated the plan genetic resources at the national level." The government decided to establish the National Action Plan. "They were looking for organizations for a network which could bring it into practice; they chose Swiss commission. We were immediately in the centre of this programme." In the Action Plan, the Swiss government decided to provide money only to NGOs not to institutions. Therefore several little associations together with Pro Specie Rara and Fruktoz could bring ideas and projects. Moreover their partners, the agricultural institutions could join. "We are the one who coordinated it, not the gene bank. […] It gave us more power in this network. The project was led by NGOs."
The following events were crucial to the CTP to happen: There were two big steps. The first one was when Switzerland signed the Rio convention in 1996. The second big step was when the Department of Agriculture adapted the National Action Plan from the Global Action Plan. "We implemented the global action plan. We develop the national action plan; we support the safeguarding of plan genetic resources […]."
First time when PSR realized the problem of having special species in the market, they have presented this idea in the Swiss Commission for the conservation of cultivated plants. That was a big success. Lot of people attended from the Agriculture Department and they were absolutely enthusiastic about this idea. They created even a directive which is implemented this year. Now the Government supports those projects which go this direction. "When we read this directive, we said that we could have written that. It was perfect." There is the National Action Plan where Pro Specie Rara can do conservation work. Moreover between the breeding and the conservation they have this niche to breed in this direction of diversity breeding. The varieties have certain plasticity and they are not developed for the big market. "We are able to develop new niche varieties."
Some people around the organization do not understand this change in PSR's attitude: "Is it really a work that PSR has to do?" For PSR it is very important to keep diversity on the market. "Pro Specie Rara is interested in having special species in the market. This is quite different what people usually have on the market. You pay more for it, because we will never get to the big market. It will stay in the niche because it is special." That is why there is a niche for PSR in the breeding field. Nobody else will do it or nobody else can afford it. "Because if you are a commercial player, it is not worth to do it. We are collaborating now with commercial enterprise. We give some money in this breeding work; also we do work in the practical field as well."
Many people do not understand this shift of PSR from conservation, breeding to marketing: "the broader public do not really understand this shift. If you are working with us, you know that we are not sticking to paradigm, we are changing because the context is changing completely. When we started, nobody talked about these issues, now a lot of people and different stakeholders are interested in this field. If you want to respond to these, then you have to move. In a lot of cases, an organization cannot react well to the needs of the society as they just stick to their questions, to their issues and do not look outside of the organization. We are approaching the market and there are other rules, it needs different attitude from us. We are talking about gastronomy as a marketing partner."
The shift from conservation to marketing and developing was part of a conscious process: "on farm conservation you cannot freeze, there is always a change, you choose a strategy and 15 years ago we say we want to do it consciously. We cannot say that those old varieties are really fit to our modern technological environment, we have to adapt, we came to the point when we had marketing partners... This shift from purely conservation to develope and to alter the plant genetic resources and animals."
"We are always fighting for the possibility in the law for an open field where we can do our marketing work within the context of the seed law." The seed law was developed to improve the quality of the varieties on the market. There were these criteria like uniformity, stability and difference. PSR had problems with uniformity. "That is why the old varieties are not allowed to be sold on the market. So you have to fight against this. We create some area where uniformity is even not wished. We want diversity. […] We give you this area where we call these varieties niche varieties. You have to describe them, so you have a little bit of control what you can find on the market." The description is about transparency. There is a geographical restriction; PSR is restricted to the Swiss market. They are confronted with the EU law; that is why they cannot cross the borders with their varieties. They are not accepted in the European Union. The other restriction is related to the question of quantity. If a niche variety becomes very popular, it won’t be niche anymore, it will be conventional variety. "At the moment we have the second biggest supermarket chain and we see that we can fulfil the need of this supermarket chain in this niche variety criterion. It is sufficient for us."
Pro Specie Rara is still learning. They have learnt, that they need to adapt for future challenges, therefore the change of paradigm was necessary. Nowadays PSR’s task is to support financially the breeders, who are working with special species. PSR also learnt that they should integrate more stakeholders in the diversity product producing process. "In the future PSR will focus on the marketing. If PSR becomes a label, there are a lot of marketing partner who would like to use this label and they will tend to pay for it. Later we maybe create an enterprise as the form of foundation has limits."
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