Crop Trust Charts Course Forward with New Leadership
9 October 2026
BONN, Germany, 9 October 2026 – The Executive Board of the Crop Trust will see some changes in the coming months, including a new Chair and two new Board members. The leadership transition comes as the organization prepares for the next chapter in its mission to safeguard crop diversity for the future of food.
Dagfinn Høybråten will succeed Catherine Bertini as Chair of the Executive Board on 1 January 2028. A planned handover throughout 2027 will ensure continuity in the Board’s leadership. Catherine Bertini, former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme and 2003 World Food Prize Laureate, has chaired the Board since January 2022.
Dagfinn Høybråten, a current Board member, brings extensive experience in international cooperation and governance. He is a former member of the Norwegian Parliament and has served three terms as a Norwegian government minister, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The October meeting marked the final Board meeting for longtime member Joachim von Braun, whose vision and guidance have been instrumental to shaping the Crop Trust's strategic direction and governance.
During his six years on the Board, Joachim von Braun has championed crop diversity as a foundation for more resilient food systems. He brought decades of experience in food security research and a longstanding commitment to Africa to the Crop Trust’s work. As President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, he also helped bring experts together with the Crop Trust to explore how new technologies can advance the conservation and use of crop diversity.
“Joachim has been a critically important contributor to every single topic and an advisor to anyone who needs his counsel,” said Catherine Bertini, Chair of the Crop Trust’s Executive Board.
Dr Julius Ecuru will join the Executive Board on 1 January 2027, following his appointment by the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. A chemist specializing in innovation systems and bioeconomy strategies, Ecuru brings expertise in connecting research and innovation with societal goals and industry needs.
Following his election by Board members, Professor Johannes Vogel will also join the Executive Board on 1 January 2027, succeeding Joachim von Braun. Director General of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and Professor of Biodiversity and Public Science at Humboldt University of Berlin, Vogel brings extensive experience in biodiversity research, international scientific cooperation and public engagement.
The Board also approved the Crop Trust 2027 budget, providing the financial framework for the organization's work in the year ahead.
“We are grateful to Catherine and Joachim for their leadership and commitment,” said Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust. “Dagfinn, Johannes and Julius bring experience and new energy to our Board. Together with our donors and partners, we will keep investing in crop diversity as a vital global public good for the future of food security and humanity.”
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