Imagine preserving three million species in harmony for 100 years. Not even Noah could have achieved such a monumental feat, but it is essentially what the National Center for Genetic Resources in Tepatitlan, Jalisco will do.
“This is a modern Noah’s ark with a difference,” President Felipe Calderon said at its inauguration on Saturday, noting that the biblical ark “only held animals, but this will have plants, fish and microorganisms.”
Mexico is the fourth most biodiverse country on earth and the center is considered a strategic investment to protect its natural riches. Built at a cost of 400 million pesos, it is the only such center in Latin America and the most modern of the world’s 17 genetic banks.“This is one of the most important projects of this century, which will reduce the loss of biodiversity caused by unsustainable agricultural practices and reduce the risk of genetic erosion caused by environmental disasters and climate change, among other factors,” added the country’s Secretary of Agriculture.