Securing Our Seeds
Start year: 2026
The Securing Our Seeds (SOS) project advances digital innovation in global crop diversity conservation with support from the Google.org AI Collaborative on Food Security. Two distinct initiatives strengthen information management and use in the global genebank system.
- Initiative 1 – Digitizing Genebanks
- Initiative 2 – Detecting Risks to Crop Diversity with AI
Digitizing Genebanks
The SOS project will accelerate the digital transformation of ten national genebanks in developing countries by:
- Helping them implement the GRIN-Global Community Edition (GGCE) genebank information management system
- Upgrading their IT infrastructure upgrades
- Assisting with data migration and validation
- Providing hands-on training.
This will improve data quality, transparency and reliability in national genebanks and help them manage their collections better. By integrating with Genesys, a key component of the International Plant Treaty’s Global Information System, the crop diversity in these genebanks will be easier to find, access and use worldwide.
Detecting Risks to Crop Diversity with AI
The SOS project will also assess the feasibility of anticipating risks to crop diversity, including using AI. There is currently no system for tracking threats to crop diversity in farmers’ fields and natural ecosystems over time, but AI may be able to help genebanks respond before valuable, irreplaceable diversity is lost forever. This initiative will:
- Define and test indicators of crop diversity loss
- Evaluate and obtain diverse data sources, including genebank records, remote sensing and socioeconomic datasets
- Use selected datasets to inform the design of an early warning system
- Develop a prototype geospatial interface – the Crop Diversity Atlas – that visualizes crop diversity hotspots, conservation gaps and emerging threats.
This exploratory work will inform investment decisions and enable proactive, risk-informed conservation action before diversity is lost.
Crop diversity is disappearing – silently – just when the world needs it most. With Google.org’s support, we are taking critical steps to protect the diversity held in genebanks and in the field. Without access to reliable data, promising diversity remains hidden; digitizing collections unlocks the full potential of genebanks to support climate adaptation and strengthen global food security.
Artificial intelligence can give humanity a much-needed boost in the fight against food insecurity. The AI Collaborative for Food Security will enhance the resilience of global food systems by leveraging innovative AI technologies, collaborative research and data-sharing, and coordinated action to improve the pace and efficacy of hunger prediction and intervention. Led by the Crop Trust, this work will better connect the global genebank system, enabling the conservation and use of the seeds we need to future-proof our food systems.