News

Genebanks are generally safe. But they are not invulnerable.

More than a decade ago, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas’ (ICARDA) genebank got caught up in the civil war in Syria, and scientists...

NordGen hosted a meeting with the Ukrainian genebank and several international experts to find a way forward for securing Ukraine's plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, which are at risk due to the war. Focus of the...

Twenty years ago, ‘biodiversity’ was a niche term that was mainly used in scientific circles. Now, we – well, some of us – discuss the relative merits of heirloom apples and ancient cereals in supermarket check-out lines. This...

Ensuring food security and the resilience of agriculture against environmental challenges relies on the preservation and use of crop diversity. Genebanks are the ultimate guardians of this diversity. However, they face a myriad of...

In this installment of our Seed Heroes series, we salute the Irish scientist Erna Bennett, whose unheeded calls in the 1960s to halt the rapid decline of crop genetic diversity are echoed in today’s global drive to save plant...

In this installment of our Seed Heroes series, we celebrate the life and achievements of Moroccan scientist Ahmed Amri, a pioneer of seed conservation in the Fertile Crescent who helped rescue ICARDA’s genebank during Syria’s...

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Invitation to a press briefing with Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust on March 13, 2024 at 6 pm in the Auditorium of the Deutsches Museum, Museumsinsel 1, 80538 Munich,...

As the world celebrates International Women's Day, we highlight the invaluable contributions of women in agriculture in general and agricultural research in particular. In fields, laboratories, and genebanks around the globe,...

During the Winners' Honoring Ceremony of the 16th session of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KIADPAI), just held in Abu Dhabi, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust) and KIADPAI...

Longyearbyen, Norway - February 27, 2024 - The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a cornerstone of global food security, will open its doors for the first time this year to welcome 23 depositors, half from Africa. 

Nine depositors –...

With a pair of tweezers, Mary Aditiku picks up a tiny okra seed, turns it over, and puts it back in place. Her hand is steady; her movements are precise. She repeats this action dozens of times, moving quickly across the plastic...

In this second installment of our Seed Heroes series, we celebrate Jane Toll, the woman, the collector, and the influencer behind the creation of the Crop Trust, which this year celebrates 20 years since it was founded in 2004. 

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