External Affairs
The External Affairs team works on resource mobilisation, partnership building, event coordination and communications.
Resource mobilization
The year 2024 was very successful for the Crop Trust’s resource mobilization, with more than USD 60m provided by key donors for our vital work to secure the world’s food supply now and into the future. In light of current uncertainties regarding support for crop diversity, a key global good, the USD 37m contributed to our Endowment Fund by Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States this year represents a very significant investment in our mission, and a powerful message.
Crop diversity also received important global recognition in 2024. Executive Director Stefan Schmitz delivered a keynote address to open the Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, where our first two Executive Secretaries were honored with the 2025 World Food Prize. Moreover, as an observer organization at the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists, we deepened collaboration with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and contributed to the G7 Development Ministers’ statement recognizing the importance of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
Our engagement focused on global platforms showcasing the irreplaceable contribution crop diversity makes to achieving sustainable development. Highlights included a panel at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin and collaboration with the food industry at a Special Event with the International Plant Treaty. During the Borlaug Dialogue, we co-hosted a session on cryopreservation with CGIAR and CIP, joined the UK Science and Innovation Initiative to discuss protecting crop diversity and explored how to save vegetable biodiversity globally with the World Vegetable Center. We also held a Food Forever Experience in Des Moines spotlighting opportunity crops, a successful follow-up to a Food Forever tasting event during New York Climate Week.
United Nations Rio Convention Conferences
In addition, we contributed to the three United Nations Rio Convention Conferences:
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- At the COP16 UN Biodiversity Conference in Cali, we co-hosted a panel on intercultural approaches to mainstreaming agrobiodiversity in food systems, and a high-level breakfast and Financial Times Live event.
- For COP29 in Baku, we ran a digital campaign on resilient food systems with UN Climate Change.
- At the COP16 UN Desertification Conference in Riyadh, we announced that the Crop Trust will host the Secretariat of the new Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security, which will bring together governments, researchers, and private sector partners to support sustainable and diverse agri-food systems in drylands.
Alongside this global advocacy work, we also worked with key partners to amplify awareness and support for crop diversity as a food security solution at local and regional levels. This included a public lecture and press event at the Deutsches Museum in Munich and a Crop Diversity Day in Rabat, co-hosted with ICARDA. We also supported global date palm conservation through an MOU with the Khalifa Award and hosted a fireside chat with the OPEC Fund at the margins of the UNCCD COP16.
Always interested in supporting the conservation of neglected and underutilized crops, the Crop Trust became an official VACS Implementer alongside CGIAR, the FAO and IFAD. Building on the political momentum and interest around “opportunity crops”, we launched the African Vegetable Biodiversity Rescue Plan with the World Vegetable Center at the Africa Food Systems Forum, and the Power of Diversity Funding Facility with initial support from Germany and Ireland. We also advanced the BOLDER initiative in four African countries as part of our Norway-funded BOLD project. These activities reinforce the role that diversity of even crops that are not global commodity staples can and should play in securing our current and future nutrition.
We are deeply grateful to all our donors and partners. Your support ensures that our mission to safeguard crop diversity as a foundation of global food and nutritional security remains strong – and endures.
Communications
In 2024, the Crop Trust’s communications team amplified our thought leadership, worked with partnerships and events teams to expand global outreach and showcased the power of crop diversity across multiple platforms. Our efforts centered on compelling storytelling, strategic media engagement and content designed for today’s digital landscape.
The CropTrust.org website served as a primary hub for this, featuring 136 new stories, videos and other content during the year. Highlights included our Crop Chronicles and Seed Heroes campaigns – deep dives into the crops that nourish the world and the people safeguarding their diversity. Crop Chronicles featured podcasts and multimedia animations to engage diverse audiences, while Seed Heroes told powerful personal stories of global leaders in crop diversity conservation and use.
Social Media
On social media, these stories were adapted for key platforms. We worked hard to keep our partners in focus. This helped increase reach and engagement throughout the year:
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- LinkedIn – Nearly 1 million impressions, 47,000 clicks, and 5,903 new followers, reflecting strong interest from a professional audience.
- Facebook – Over 17 million impressions and 600,000 clicks, making it the top driver of traffic to our website. Gained 4,831 new fans, with high engagement—270,000+ reactions. Video posts performed best.
- X/Twitter – 500,000 impressions, strong engagement with likes and reposts, and 2,676 new followers, showing continued relevance and reach.
- Instagram – Reached 13.5 million impressions, nearly 12,000 likes, and added 2,432 new followers, maintaining steady growth and visual engagement.
- Dish Newsletter – This monthly engagement platform added 189 interested stakeholders in 2024.
Our media presence also grew, with significant coverage across leading international outlets. Highlights included:
- The New York Times, Bloomberg and Reuters spotlighted new seed deposits at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
- The Guardian, The Africa Report and Food Tank explored the latest developments in crop diversity conservation and use in Africa.
El País, Devex and Forbes covered broader aspects of our mission and impact.
Throughout the year, the communications team supported outreach by the Executive Director and senior leadership, elevated the work of our partners and donors, and opened new avenues for global engagement. We also welcomed a new Chief Communications Officer, who brings fresh vision and energy to strengthen the Crop Trust brand and further elevate our voice in the global food systems conversation.
As we continue to grow our visibility and partnerships, communications will remain central to our strategy to secure crop diversity for future generations.
Related news and resources
UNCCD COP16: Crop Diversity as a Path to Combat Desertification and Ensure Food Security
Desertification is the process of land degradation in dry areas caused by both human activities and climate change. This includes long periods of drought, rising temperatures and poor land management. Desertification leads to the...
17 Dec 2024
Africa Food Systems Forum 2024
Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering food systems transformation in a digital and climate era
27 Jun 2024
2 Sep 2024 - 6 Sep 2024
Swiss-Flavoured Food Forever Experience Puts Crop Diversity in the Spotlight at the World Economic Forum 2025
Davos, Switzerland, 23 January 2025 – The World Economic Forum’s 2025 meeting in Davos was the venue of the first Food Forever Experience of the year, underscoring the importance of the conservation and use of crop diversity for...
23 Jan 2025