Court Decision Goes Against Pavlovsk Experiment Station

The N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), the place where the globally important collection of fruit biodiversity at Pavlovsk, Russia is located, could be destroyed if the court order is approved by the Primer Minister or the President. Bioversity International Director General Emile Frison and Cary Fowler, the Executive Director at the Global Diversity Trust are still hopeful that the decision will be reversed in favor of the restoration of the fruit and berry variety collections which could play a vital role in the future of Russian global agriculture.

Scientists at the VIR and Luxembourg have also established that some of the berry varieties have very high levels of nutritious phytochemicals important in fighting dreaded diseases such as cancer and heart disease – the basis for important growth industries. "This makes it more important than ever that people register their views with President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin," said Emile Frison. The International Agency is calling for support through an online petition to the Russian government.

To see the news release and be a signatory to the petition check
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/announcements/court_decision_goes_against_pavlovsk_experiment_
station.html