 Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I regret that I'm not able to join you at this first International Biodiversity Congress, but my ill-recallings will be doing so. I am pleased, however, to be able to record this message to you. The planet's biodiversity is amongst its most valuable resource. Those in crop agriculture have long progressed in conservation and use of this biodiversity to improve productivity and adapt plants to the environment in which they are produced. In animal agriculture, we lag with respect to conservation of animal biodiversity, but we are moving quickly ahead to catch up with our plant colleagues on the use of this biodiversity to improve productivity and to adapt animals to the environment in which farmers use them. Long generation intervals of certain livestock and inadequate tools have prevented us from making the same progress that has been made in the plant world on both conservation and use of biodiversity. We are starting to use more adequately the animal biodiversity which is available to improve production and productivity, and to adapt livestock to the environments in which they are produced, including resistance to disease, heat stress, and so on. In addition to the work on animals, we are also working very assiduously on forages and are hoping to replicate the successes that were achieved in Latin America in places like Africa and South and Southeast Asia. In that regard, I want to congratulate the Indian government for the initiative they have taken to ensure that animal agriculture is more strongly premised on the use of indigenous animals. I am sure that at this conference, knowledge would be shared and many ideas generated, so I am looking forward to the results so that Illry and all our partners can capitalise on the advances in these areas and use more adequately the animal and plant biodiversity that are available to enhance the lives and livelihoods of the producers we serve.