Ingår den biologiska mångfalden i museernas kollektiva minne?

Our old farm animal breeds and cultivated plants are products of human thought and action. Mankind and its domestic animals and plants live in a symbiotic relationship. Consequently, when dealing with agro biodiversity and conservation of plant and animal genetic resources, it is beneficial to involve knowledge derived from cultural history. Preserving and protecting biodiversity are important in many different ways – they provide working material for breeding and act as a buffer against changes in the environment, but also represent a part of our cultural history. For more than a hundred years, scientists and more recently politicians too, have discussed how to preserve biodiversity in the world. Domestic animals and plants are important parts of our heritage, hence the question: Can and should museums play a role in tackling this difficult task, and how?