Welcome to GHI
Genetic Heritage Ireland (GHI) was established in 1993 as the Irish Genetic Resources Conservation Trust. It is a non-governmental organisation whose main objective is to promote the conservation and sustainable utilisation of Ireland's plant and animal genetic resources. Granted charitable status in 1994, within GHI special emphasis is placed on projects involving species, breeds and cultivars which are rare, in danger of extinction in Ireland, indigenous to Ireland and/or of cultural or historical importance. The name Genetic Heritage Ireland was adopted in 2001 as a working title, although the charity is still registered as the Irish Genetic Resources Conservation Trust.
What do we do?
A non-profit making charity, GHI aims to act as an umbrella organisation through which support, financial and otherwise, can be sought from national and international, governmental and non-governmental sources for active or future conservation projects. The promotion of Ireland's contribution to international genetic resource conservation efforts is also important to the IGRCT, particularly with reference to the European Community Programme for the Conservation of Genetic Resources ([EC] No 870/2004). GHI is represented on the National Advisory Committee on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Advisory Committee) and has made submissions relating to the Irish National Biodiversity Plan (NBP) and the Irish Country Report on Plant Genetic Resources.
