Crop Trust

The Crop Trust is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and provision of plant diversity for global food security. Founded in October 2004 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Bioversity International on behalf of CGIAR, the Crop Trust has the unique mission of protecting the world's plant diversity for future generations.

The main mission of the Crop Trust is to conserve plant diversity and make it available worldwide to ensure food security and the well-being of all people. This is achieved by supporting gene banks around the world that preserve unique and valuable plant genetic resources for agriculture[2][3][5].

• Gene Bank Support: The Crop Trust funds and supports key international, regional, and national gene banks to ensure the conservation and availability of plant genetic resources.
• Svalbard Global Seed Vault: In collaboration with the Norwegian government and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen), the Crop Trust operates the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a safety reserve for seeds established on the island of Svalbard[3][4].
• Capacity Building: The Crop Trust promotes the development of national and regional capacities for gene bank staff and supports research, breeding programs, and the sustainable use of genetic resources[5].

• Crop Diversity Endowment Fund: The Crop Trust has established an Endowment Fund for crop diversity, which has raised over 300 million USD to finance the long-term conservation of plant diversity. The goal is set at 850 million USD[3][4].
• Global Initiatives: The Crop Trust launched a ten-year program in 2010 to find, collect, catalog, and rescue the wild relatives of 22 major food crops. These wild species contain untapped diversity that can address future challenges in agriculture[3].
• Seeds4Resilience Project: In collaboration with the German government, the Crop Trust initiated the Seeds4Resilience Project to strengthen five national gene banks in Sub-Saharan Africa[3].

• International Collaboration: The Crop Trust works closely with international organizations such as the FAO, Bioversity International, and CGIAR to protect and manage global plant diversity.
• Support for Countries: The Crop Trust supports countries like Ukraine in strengthening their national gene banks and preserving native plant varieties[3].
• BOLD Project: The Crop Trust is involved in the BOLD Project to support seed recovery for Amazon farmers in Ecuador and preserve agricultural heritage[3].

The Crop Trust is a key player in the global effort to protect plant diversity and ensure food security. Through its comprehensive initiatives and partnerships, the Crop Trust significantly contributes to sustainable agriculture and global food security.

• 1 - https://www.croptrust.org/about/
• 2 - https://www.croptrust.org/about/history/
• 3 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Crop_Diversity_Trust
• 4 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welttreuhandfonds_f%C3%BCr_Kulturpflanzenvielfalt
• 5 - https://www.croptrust.org/mission/