GFFA 2026: Crop Trust Recognized for Critical Role
26 January 2026
The 18th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) brought together agriculture ministers from around the globe, international decision-makers, experts and practitioners in Berlin in late January. They discussed the role of agriculture in global water resilience and food security under the theme “Water. Harvests. Our Future.”
At the Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference during GFFA, Crop Trust Executive Director Dr Stefan Schmitz delivered a strong message about the importance of crop diversity for the future of water-smart agriculture and global food security. He stressed that crop diversity should be better recognized as a key global public good, and as such must be securely conserved, openly accessible and fairly shared. He specifically called for increased investment in global genebanks.
The Final Communique from GFFA reflects these priorities and reaffirms global commitments to advance the conservation and use of crop diversity under international agreements such as the International Plant Treaty. The Communique explicitly acknowledged the role of relevant international institutions, including the Crop Trust.