Similar to numerous other plant species, vanilla genetic resources are threatened with extinction or genetic erosion in many areas of origin and diversifi cation. Any in situ initiatives for conserving species must therefore be encouraged, but the cre-ation of ex situ collections is essential for protecting the diversity. This conservcre-ation method means resources are more secure, thanks to in vitro or cryopreservation mechanisms, and also makes it easier to promote resources and to acquire scientifi c data. Indeed, despite many research studies that have been made possible particu-larly by the widespread use of molecular biology tools, knowledge of vanilla genet-ics, in terms of the taxonomy of the genus and the properties of different species, is still incomplete. This knowledge gap is even more striking when it comes to usage and customs linked to the vanilla that are grown by local communities in regions where the genetic resources are found.
The creation of a global network of in situ and ex situ collections of genetic resources, based on branches on the three continents (America, Africa, and Asia) that hold most of these resources, could result in considerable progress in terms of the conservation and the scientifi c and economic improvement of vanilla. The development of increasingly effective genomics, associated with biotechnology techniques, means plant breeding programs can be set up. Exploiting the specifi c
40 Vanilla characteristics of wild species, such as resistance to drought in aphyllous vanilla, could provide a means of diversifying vanilla production areas and anticipating future climate change. The creation and development of vanilla plants that are more disease resistant, more productive, and richer in vanillin and other aromatic compounds could improve the living conditions of small-scale growers in vanilla production areas.
To ensure that these research studies and conservation network initiatives are more effective, plant material exchanges between collections and research programs should be facilitated, especially by relaxing the rules of the CBD in line with the existing exemption in the CITES convention.
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