Contents -- Preface -- Part 1. The Issue -- Mega-crops and genetic erosion -- Why diversity matters -- Dynamic conservation and improvement -- A decade of research -- Part 2. The Approach -- A focus on community -- The right questions -- Seeking the answers -- Part 3. Experiences from the Field -- Participatory barley improvement in North Africa and the Middle East -- Local agricultural research committees in Latin America -- Reshaping agriculture in Cuba -- Enriching maize and rice in Nepal -- Maize improvement in southwest China -- The global program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis -- What has been accomplished? -- Part 4. Learning from Experience -- Participatory plant breeding -- Agrobiodiversity -- Successful spin-offs -- Seeking policy and legal alternatives -- Summing up -- Part 5. Recommendations -- 1. Increase relevance -- 2. Create new partnerships -- 3. Pay attention to quality interaction and reward cooperation -- 4. Ensure good practice -- 5. Assess results through participatory monitoring and evaluation -- 6. Nourish a new generation of practitioners -- The challenge -- Part 6. A Vision for the Future -- Increased relevance -- New partnerships -- Quality interaction and cooperation -- Good practice mainstreamed -- Quality participation -- An active new generation of practitioners -- Appendix 1. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms -- Appendix 2. Sources and Resources -- The Publisher.