GPGR4 was organised by an enthusiastic committee of international scientists representing academic, governmental and charitable organisations with an interest in preservation of plant genetic diversity. The scientific committee included the organisers of the first three GPGR4 symposia in China, Italy and Korea. Our aim was to organise another highly successful and stimulating meeting which provided delegates the opportunity to catch up on the latest developments in this fast-moving field and network with experts for crop diversity and genomics from all over the world.