At the heart of the Trust is an endowment fund, which exists to provide long-term security to the world’s most important collections of our most important crops. Despite being the foundation of our food supply, most collections lurch from one funding arrangement to the next without ever having any meaningful long-term security. Although the conservation of crop diversity is inexpensive, relative to the massive benefits it brings, the reliability of funding is absolutely crucial – a shortfall of just a few months can lead to the permanent loss of unique varieties.

The Trust is therefore creating an endowment fund, the proceeds from which will provide real financial security to collections of crop diversity – by guaranteeing funding year on year, with no end date to the funding agreement. As the Trust’s endowment grows, so the Trust will be able to secure more and more crops. Currently the Trust has signed agreements to provide ‘in perpetuity’ funds, totalling some $2million annually, to the world’s most important collections of:

• Banana


• Barley


• Bean


• Cassava


• Chickpea


• Faba bean


• Forages


• Grass pea


• Lentil


• Pearl millet


• Rice


• Sorghum


• Wheat


• Yam