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During the years 1988 to 1991, a series of informal meetings took place under the title of the Keystone International Dialogue on Plant Genetic Resources. Its final plenary report (Keystone Center 1991) recommended sweeping changes and increased support for the conservation of plant genetic resources. Although widely applauded, the Keystone initiative fell short in addressing the critical policy concerns related to intellectual property over biomaterials. Thus, when a number of Keystone "veterans" met in Nairobi late in 1992, talk turned to their unfinished business and the notion of a "Crucible" Group to debate the intellectual property (IP) agenda.

In arcane English, a crucible is a boiling pot used to distill diverse elements. Those gathered in Nairobi (Jaap Hardon, Geoff Hawtin, Henk Hobbelink, Pat Mooney, and Andrew Mushita) thought the title appropriate for an informal group of diverse individuals who could be charged with the task of distilling viewpoints and recommendations on this issue under pressure of an urgent deadline. The proposal was to produce a nonconsensus document helpful to policy and opinion-makers within 12 months. The first informal meeting of the Group took place at the end of April 1993. One year later, and with the help of many, this "work in progress" has resulted. It does not entirely satisfy any member of the Crucible Group or of the Management Committee, but we all acknowledge that it represents an important contribution to the international debate and one which should be shared at this time.

Financial and programmatic support for the Project has come from many sources. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada generously agreed to provide both financial support and the invaluable advice of Chusa Gines as a member of the Management Committee. The Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC), provided the advice of Carl-Gustaf Thornstrom and also arranged with Sven Hamrell, then Director of the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, for the first full meeting of the Crucible Group in Uppsala. Likewise, Paul Egger and Jurg Benz of the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) joined the Management Committee and hosted the second full meeting in Bern. George Rothschild of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also provided financial support as a member of the Management Committee.

The Crucible Project does not end with this report. Given the changing global IP situation, in the wake of the recent GATT agreements and the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Group intends to continue to monitor trends and advise on IP as a service to countries and institutions that request support. The Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands is providing substantial additional support to allow this initial work to continue and Hans Wessels of DGIS has joined the Management Committee for this purpose.

The Management Committee wishes to thank all those mentioned above and the many individuals who contributed to this Project. To Beverly Cross of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) and Sheilah Ebel of the International Plant Genetics Resources Institute (IPGRI) for their invaluable liaison and administrative roles. To Don Duvick, Tewolde Berhan G. Egziabher, Henk Hobbelink, Camila Montecinos, and Tim Roberts, who did so much of the drafting, and to Kathy Kealey, who took on the task of the final technical edit.

The Project has indeed turned out to have justified the name "Crucible," and we hope the distilled essence will prove of value to those involved in the complex and politically charged process of developing appropriate systems for promoting innovation and protecting intellectual property as it relates to plant genetic resources.

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