ABC News Australia: Interview with Dr. Stefan Schmitz
Different leaf shapes of jute mallow, produced by the community of Libga in Northern Ghana. Credit: Crop Trust/ Neil Palmer
13 April 2025
In an interview with ABC in Australia, Dr. Stefan Schmitz of the Crop Trust sat down with Kath Sullivan to discuss how the Crop Trust continues the vital work of safeguarding global crop diversity. Dr. Schmitz emphasized the importance of opportunity crops – crops that offer a wealth of opportunities to improve food security, but are often not used to their full potential. He argued that the genetic diversity of opportunity crops is the key to solving many of the world’s most pressing issues, such as better nutrition, economic opportunities for farmers, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Dr. Schmitz also spoke about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and how it offers a security backup to the global food supply.
Categories: For The Press, For Partners, Svalbard Global Seed Vault