In 2025, the Crop Trust strengthened its global presence, positioning crop diversity at the center of major conversations shaping the future of food systems. From AI to climate adaptation and global security, the organization worked to ensure that crop diversity is recognized as a solution.

• The Crop Trust deepened engagement with climate practitioners and policymakers, hosting a high-level side event at the UN Bonn Climate Meetings and contributing to global discussions on crop diversity and climate-resilient food systems.
• Crop diversity entered the security dialogue. Through collaboration with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Crop Trust convened cross-sector dialogues, contributed to discussions at the Munich Security Conference and supported a new report framing agrobiodiversity as a strategic asset.
• New alliances, including the Global Conservation Consortium for Food Plants and the Google AI Collaborative: Food Security, expanded partnerships in crucial areas of science, policy and public engagement.

Across regions, the Crop Trust expanded its donor and partner base. Engagements with governments and stakeholders opened new pathways for funding and collaboration. We strengthened our connection with the private sector, with a Food Forever Experience alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos and a talk at the International Seed Federation World Seed Congress, showing interest from non-traditional partners.

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New partnerships extended beyond policy circles. At New York Climate Week, the Crop Trust and the New York Botanical Garden and Botanic Gardens Conservation International launched the Global Conservation Consortium for Food Plants, linking genebanks and botanical gardens while engaging the public more directly. The inaugural member meeting of Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security in Bonn advanced a shared agenda for scaling innovation in dryland regions. 

Later in the year, Crop Diversity Day 2025 in Lima brought together global stakeholders ahead of the 11th Session of the Governing Body (GB-11) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Like much of our engagement throughout the year, the Day focused on a simple truth – innovation, partnership and investment are essential to building a strong global genebank system.