Coining the term

As far as I can tell, the term ``genetic resources'' dates to 1970, when O. H. Frankel and E. Bennett edited a book entitled Genetic Resources in Plants: Their Exploitation and Conservation (Cambridge University Press). It is used to denote the genetic variation present in the plant and animal species upon which humans depend for survival, and there are two related aspects:

1. the diversity of species used and

2. the diversity within species necessary for continued use.