December 11, 2024, NordGen arranged a conference titled ‘Nordic Conference on Genetic Resources: Possibilities and Urgency’ in Malmö, Sweden. The conference was also streamed worldwide. This report contains summaries of the conference findings and recommendations. The conference was opened by the Swedish Minister of Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren, and the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Karen Ellemann and featured 12 speakers from a wide range of areas connected to different fields of genetic resources. About 140 participants attended the conference on-site in Malmö and almost 160 registered for the online streaming. 

The conference’s morning session provided reports from the recent COP16 deliberations in Cali, Colombia followed by lectures and discussions on how climate change affects the Nordic region and how NordGen and genetic resource sin general can contribute to climate adaptation and the green transition. The afternoon sessions included insights from the business side, plant breeders, researchers etc. and provided several examples of how genetic resources contribute to a more sustainable, resilient and efficient society.

The key takeaways from the conference were that genetic resources are excellent tools for the green transition. However, the Nordic collaboration needs to be maintained and communication accelerated to reach viable change.