AGES contributes to the conservation of biodiversity in numerous thematic areas:

• Safeguarding and protecting soil, promoting soil fertility (e.g., increasing the humus content and thus increasing the soil's storage of CO2).
• Testing climate-smart varieties (e.g. biostress, disease resistance)
• Integrated pest management
• Promotion of organic farming, maintenance of an organic seed database
• Measures against introduction of invasive species and monitoring
• Public relations, knowledge transfer
• Research on climate protection measures
• Conservation of plant genetic resources

AGES Genebank

All over the world, so-called "gene banks" serve to safeguard and use the diversity of species and varieties so that this diversity will continue to be available in the future in a wide variety of areas, such as breeding, research (e.g. at universities), agriculture and, finally, private individuals. The Information System of Plant Genetic Resources in Austria(www.genbank.at) of AGES provides further information of genetic resources for food and agriculture. In Austria, a total of 14 institutes are involved in the conservation of about 11,000 different samples of plant genetic resources. In addition, rare wild plants are conserved in cooperation with nature conservation departments.