Crop Trust

Ensuring the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide

07/06/2026

Smallholder farmers in East Africa are caught in a costly cycle, spraying pesticides up to 15 times a season to fight late blight, one of the world’s most destructive potato diseases. This cuts into profits and threatens livelihoods.

But a solution is emerging from the past. Wild potato relatives, rich in natural resilience, are helping scientists develop stronger, disease-resistant varieties.

With support from the Crop Trust, breeders at the International Potato Center are working with farmers in Kenya to develop potato varieties that reduce pesticide use, lower costs and improve yields.

Watch how Andean diversity is shaping the future of farming.

06/06/2026

For many farmers in East Africa, growing potatoes is becoming increasingly costly. Rising diseases mean more pesticides each season, yet lower returns at harvest. Spending hundreds of dollars on chemicals can be the difference between profit and loss.

Scientists from the International Potato Center, with support from the Crop Trust, are working to change this. By using genetic traits from wild potatoes in the Andes, they are developing more resilient varieties that require less spraying, helping improve livelihoods and strengthen food security.

Read more via the link in the comments.

05/06/2026

This week, the Tropical Vegetable Research Center ศูนย์วิจัยและพัฒนาพืชผักเขตร้อน at Kasetsart University in Thailand hosted a hands-on workshop on the GGCE genebank management system, bringing together 26 participants from universities, research agencies and conservation organizations across the country.

The training combined theory and practice, covering germplasm data management, testing, distribution and integration with global platforms like Genesys. Experts from the Crop Trust and the World Vegetable Center supported participants in building practical skills and strengthening their knowledge of plant genetic resource management.

The workshop highlighted Thailand's commitment to strengthening international collaboration, improving data standards and expanding the use of plant genetic resources to support research, plant breeding and long-term food security.

04/06/2026

Harvested fresh each morning and sold within hours, sweetpotato leaves move quickly from field to market before becoming nourishing meals at home. Yet this important value chain remains fragile. How can we support healthier diets and better livelihoods while ensuring this opportunity crop gets the recognition it deserves?

The Crop Trust and the World Vegetable Center are working to strengthen this system and its impact. Read the full story via the link in the comments.

03/06/2026

Through the International Plant Treaty, countries share plant genetic diversity that farmers, scientists and breeders use to develop improved crops and adapt to changing conditions.

Global partnerships, including the Crop Trust and CGIAR Genebanks, help ensure that this crop diversity is actively used to build more resilient food systems. Discover more via the link in the comments.

02/06/2026

The SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre is conserving local and regional plant genetic resources for Southern Africa’s agricultural future. Food security in the region depends heavily on crop diversity, which is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and loss of traditional crop varieties.

The work of national genebanks and regional collaboration is key to using this diversity to support agricultural resilience, healthy diets and sustainable livelihoods. Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz4qfThEyR8

01/06/2026

The Crop Trust is hiring an Information Technology Specialist to help strengthen our data and reporting capabilities.

The role combines data engineering, business intelligence and strategy, turning complex data into clear insights. With strong experience in Salesforce, data architecture and Power BI, you can help support a mission to secure crop diversity for the future.

Learn more and apply: https://tinyurl.com/ynjcj9fe

01/06/2026

From a genebank near Aleppo to the frozen vaults of Svalbard, the journey of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas - ICARDA spans four decades of safeguarding crop diversity through conflict, climate stress and displacement.

The Crop Trust supports ICARDA’s genebanks through its Endowment Fund, helping ensure that future generations can feed growing populations, withstand climate shocks and maintain nutritional security - turning local crop diversity into a global foundation for food security.
Read more via the link in the comments.

31/05/2026

Discover the fascinating world of biodiversity at the Tag der Artenvielfalt -Market of Opportunities today at the Bonn Botanical Gardens!

Meet local institutions and organizations from Bonn and the surrounding region that are working to protect and promote biodiversity. Explore interactive exhibits, learn how species conservation is being put into practice and engage in meaningful conversations with experts and enthusiasts.

📍 Bonn Botanical Gardens
📅 10:00-17:00
🌱 Free and open to all

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the incredible diversity of life that surrounds us!

30/05/2026

Modern potatoes rely on limited genetic diversity that puts food security at risk. In East Africa, farmers need locally adapted varieties of this important crop.

The first episode of our new series UNTAMED shows how scientists are tapping into Andean potato diversity to breed new, resilient varieties. With nearly 5,000 types conserved in the International Potato Center's genebank, this genetic memory is shaping the future of farming.

With support from the Crop Trust, this diversity is already changing farmers' livelihoods in Kenya and Uganda.

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Platz Der Vereinten Nationen 7
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53113

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+4922885427122

Webseite

http://www.croptrust.org/

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