Putting the Global Crop Conservation Strategies into Action

Between 2004 and 2019, the Crop Trust facilitated the development of 26 global crop conservation strategies by experts around the world. But to stay relevant, these strategies need to be regularly updated.

In 2019, thanks to a grant from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Crop Trust began a project called “Breathing New Life into the Global Crop Conservation Strategies.” This aimed to update five existing strategies—for potato, yams, Vigna, millets and sorghum—and to develop 10 new ones—for brassica, citrus, cucurbits, eggplant, groundnut, pea, peppers, sunflower, temperate forages and vanilla. In May 2023, this project ended with the publication of global crop conservation strategies for citrus, sunflower and Vigna.

To transition to the next phase in the evolution of the strategies, a follow-up project entitled “Mainstreaming the Global Crop Conservation Strategies in Plant Treaty Processes” began in December 2022. This three-year initiative is also funded by BMEL and is led by the Crop Trust in collaboration with the International Plant Treaty. 

The data, results and recommendations of the global strategies can strengthen evidence-based decision-making in the International Plant Treaty processes. For example, data from the strategies can be used by the Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ACSU) to support the effective implementation of Articles 5 and 6 of the International Plant Treaty. In 2023, the strategies were included in the terms of reference of the ACSU.

The Crop Trust also published a “White Paper on Mainstreaming Global Crop Conservation Strategies in Plant Treaty Processes” for the 10th session of the Governing Body (GB10) of the International Plant Treaty.