CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CONTENTS

4 Editorial: Tip of the iceberg, 40 A Haven of Diversity: by Marie Haga, of the Trust the genebank of the Centre for Pacific and Trees

Svalbard Global Seed Vault 46 The Plant Treaty: Q+A with Luigi Guarino, of the 6 Mythbusting 50 Cryopreservation and the 7 The Seed Vault in numbers future of crop conservation 8 Fascinating facts

10 A Three-way partnership Food Forever

12 A Day in the life: Q+A with 52 Food Forever: Åsmund Asdal of NordGen for resilience

16 Turning ten: Celebrating 54 The Food Forever Experience a decade of the Seed Vault 58 Food: The world’s most successful immigration story? 20 Crop Trust timeline

22 The Crop Trust: A Prehistory 60 The Crop Trust endowment fund

24 The big picture 62 Ensuring the world continues to wake up to Coffee 26 Back from the brink: The Bermuda bean 66 Compete to Conserve: Catan and the Crop Trust 30 Genebanks: An investment in the future of food 68 Crop Wild Relatives: Q&A with Hannes Dempewolf, 34 The CGIAR Genebank Platform of the Crop Trust 38 Safeguarding : 74 The Squashes of Autumn Nothing less than forever 80 Credits BY MARIE HAGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CROP TRUST

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is instantly recognizable. It contains seeds of around one million crop varieties, sent from all over the world. That’s as much as most people know. Then come the myths and misperceptions. One pervasive myth is that it’s a “doomsday vault” designed to help humanity restart agriculture after a global catastrophe. But here’s the truth about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault: it’s actually the tip of the iceberg. It’s the most northerly point in an enormous crop conservation effort that takes place every day and every night in genebanks across the globe. In this effort, conservation is only one part of the equation. Using is the other. Farmers and scientists need crop diversity so they can continue to innovate. They need it to develop crops that can outpace climate change and sustainably nourish a world population expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050. Genebanks provide them the seeds they need to do this. I trust this first edition of the Crop Trust Magazine will TIP OF THE give you a glimpse into this exciting and under-reported world. I hope it instills a similar sense of the awe that continues to inspire me, Crop Trust staff, and our partners and donors, every day. Seeds are miracles and this magazine is a chance ICEBERG to learn a little bit more about their magic.

TIP OF THE ICEBERG 5 U

The Seed Vault DOES NOT store crops forever UWhile some seeds can last for over 1,000 years U in the Seed Vault, others can only survive a few decades. All seeds stored in the Seed Vault need to be taken out

MYTHBUSTING intermittently and regrown to ensure they are still viable.

Replacement seeds are then sent to the Vault. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULTU

It’s NOT a “doomsday” vault The Seed Vault is NOT located The Seed Vault was not established in case of a global in an abandoned coalmine catastrophe that requires humanity to restart agriculture. The Seed Vault is actually a purpose-built cavern, Instead, it serves as backup for genebanks around the world with an access tunnel drilled into the side of a mountain. that contain important crop collections. Many of these genebanks face risks including mechanical failures,U uncertain funding, civil strife, extreme weather, and even earthquakes. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores duplicates of their seeds, just in case. U NOT all crops can be U stored in the Seed Vault It can store lots of different crops, but not all. Crops like coffee, tea, avocado, apples, sweetpotato There are NO GMOs in the Seed Vault and others are best conserved through methods Under Norwegian law, it is not permitted to import other than freezing. seeds of genetically modified crops into the country.U 6 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE MYTHBUSTING 7 THE SEED VAULT IN NUMBERS u FASCINATING FACTS -18 C THE SEED VAULT SVALBARD US$9 MILLION The temperature inside the • The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was opened • In the summer, the sun does not The cost of constructing seed rooms in the Seed Vault. in February 2008 by former Norwegian set on Svalbard for four months. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and the the Seed Vault This is the international standard Svalbard is considered a desert late Dr. Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel • for long-term seed conservation due to its low air humidity. Peace Prize recipient. The Svalbard archipelago has a The Seed Vault is a secure backup facility • • population of 2,700 people. There are for the genebanks of the world. For many twice as many polar bears as people. genebanks, it’s actually the second backup. OVER 1 MILLION The largest island of the Svalbard Depositors to the Seed Vault continue • • archipelago – and the one that’s home The number of seed samples 500 to own the samples they deposit and to the Seed Vault – is Spitsbergen, only they can retrieve the material. that have been deposited in the which means “rugged mountains.” Seed Vault, making it the world’s The Seed Portal is a publicly accessible list • In Svalbard, as much as 60% of the largest seed collection The average number of all seeds stored in the Svalbard Global • landmass is covered in ice, and less Seed Vault www.nordgen.org/sgsv/. of seeds in a sample than 10% has any vegetation. The artwork at the entrance of the • The island of Svalbard used to be located Seed Vault is a light installation by • on the equator, but millions of years Norwegian artist Dyveke Sanne. of continental drift has resulted in its 2.25 76 location 1,000km from the North Pole. BILLION The total number of institutions The total number of individual seeds that have deposited seeds in that can be stored in the Seed Vault othe Seed Vault o

8 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE FASCINATING FACTS 9 A THREE-WAY PARTNERSHIP

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) provides largest and most secure collection of crop technical support, coordinates seed deposits diversity in the world. It was established and maintains a public online database of and funded by Norway as a service to the samples stored in the Seed Vault. The Crop global community, and is managed and Trust provides financial support for the operated under a tri-party agreement. operations of the Seed Vault, as well as funding for the preparation and shipment of seeds It is owned and administered by the Norwegian from genebanks around the world, especially Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Nordic in developing countries.

10 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE A THREE-WAY PARTNERSHIP 11 How long have you been involved Can you describe a typical day when there with the Svalbard Global Seed Vault? are deposits to be made at the Seed Vault? I’ve been the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Normally, the seed boxes arrive some days Coordinator at NordGen since 2015. in advance of the opening day, as we call it. A DAY IN However, to some extent I was involved earlier, They are securely stored in as part of the Norwegian delegation to the FAO – the nearest town to the Seed Vault. On Commission for Genetic Resources for Food opening day, the seed boxes are brought to and Agriculture, where plans to establish the Longyearbyen airport for security scanning THE LIFE Seed Vault were launched. I was also involved – in the same way that passenger luggage is in preparations for the grand opening of the scanned. The airport staff kindly help ensure An Interview with Åsmund Asdal, Svalbard Global Seed Vault Seed Vault in February 2008. NordGen itself that there is nothing but seeds in the boxes. Coordinator, Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) has been involved since the beginning and is responsible for organizing seed deposits from genebanks and getting the seeds safely into the Seed Vault.

A DAY IN THE LIFE 13 At the airport we also check the seed boxes It’s peacefully quiet down there, and against the list of depositors from whom we’re while it’s minus 18 degrees Celsius, all expecting consignments. It’s always fascinating the heavy lifting tends to keep you warm – to see the different boxes and labels and know for a little while at least! The camaraderie that these seeds have traveled from far away is great and we all feel as though we are – sometimes from the other side of the world. doing something important for humanity. We never open the boxes and have After putting the seed boxes on the to take great care with them – the seeds inside shelves, we take photos of them. When remain the property of the depositors at all we’re back in the office, we send these times, plus they represent thousands of years to each depositor, confirming that their of agricultural history. Once the seed boxes boxes are safely inside the Seed Vault. clear airport security, we load them into a There are between four and six seed vehicle, and drive the 3km-or-so to the Seed deposit occasions a year, usually involving Vault. In winter, this drive is completely a total of 15–25 depositing institutes. The polar bears provide ‘an unusual element of security!

dark at almost any time of the day, and the Has there been a particularly special’ one time. It was great to see that a decade If ICARDA hadn’t backed up its seeds in landscape covered in snow. Occasionally I’ve moment for you in your work with the since it opened, there was continued, strong Svalbard, they might have been lost forever. been lucky enough to see the aurora borealis, Svalbard Global Seed Vault? support for the Seed Vault, and that it was Over time ICARDA has been restocking the or Northern Lights. During summer you get Every deposit is a special occasion for me! doing what the international community Seed Vault with the seeds it withdrew, as it to witness more of the stunning landscapes But there are a few moments that really intended it to do. builds up the capacity of its new genebank around Longyearbyen, which experiences stand out. In addition to the opening of Another special moment was when the operations in Morocco, and Lebanon. the “midnight sun” from the end of April the Seed Vault in 2008, the celebration International Center for Agricultural Research until the end of August. of the Seed Vault’s tenth anniversary in in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) made its first Svalbard is known for its polar bears. When we arrive at the Seed Vault we February 2018 was very special. In particular, withdrawal of seeds from the Seed Vault. Have you ever seen any? are met by representatives from Statsbygg, it was great to see all the happy faces and This happened in 2015, after ICARDA’s Yes! But not near the Seed Vault, fortunately. an agency of the Government of Norway. representatives from genebanks, many of genebank in Syria was unable to operate Sometimes we’ve seen polar bear paw prints They are keyholders for the Seed Vault, on whom had traveled almost halfway around properly due to the civil conflict. Up until near the Seed Vault, probably because they behalf of the government, and responsible the globe to be there. A choir of Svalbard then, we’d only taken seeds into the Seed had sensed human activity in the area and for the security of the Seed Vault. We load coal miners sang at the entrance to mark Vault, never out. Wheeling those trolleys of came to investigate. While I’d prefer not meet the boxes onto trolleys and take them 120m the occasion, and representatives of the seed boxes out of the Seed Vault was a strange one face-to-face, I’ve seen them from afar and into the mountain, accompanied all the way genebanks were invited to carry their boxes experience, but it proved that the Seed Vault they are beautiful, majestic animals. The Seed by Statsbygg. At the end of the tunnel, before through the front door of the Seed Vault. could fulfill one of its most essential functions Vault is one of the most secure places on Earth, we take the boxes into the seed room, we label That day we received seeds from – to serve as a backup for the world’s genebanks so I guess the polar bears provide an unusual them with unique identification numbers. 23 depositors – the largest number at any in case they ever experience any problems. additional element of security!

14 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE A DAY IN THE LIFE 15 TURNING

Celebrating a decade of the TEN Svalbard Global Seed Vault The Svalbard Global Seed Vault marked its tenth anniversary on 26th February 2018 by receiving shipments of over 70,000 crop varieties. These deposits took the total number of unique crop varieties received by the Seed Vault to over 1 million. world’s seed banks. It received deposits of over new, watertight access tunnel, as well as a new 300,000 different kinds of seeds in its first service building to house emergency power year and deliveries have continued several units, refrigeration units and other electrical times a year ever from countries far and wide, equipment. The work is expected to conclude including Australia, Burundi, Colombia, in 2019. Throughout the duration of the work, Germany, India, Japan, North Korea, Russia, the seeds continue to be secure, with new USA, and many others. deposits arriving as usual.

Legacy Awards As part of the tenth anniversary celebrations, the Crop Trust announced the recipients of its inaugural Legacy Awards. These recognize people who have dedicated their careers to THE CROP TRUST crop conservation. Several award recipients LEGACY AWARDS 2018 were retiring managers at the genebanks of CGIAR, which conserve and share hundreds of Daniel Debouck thousands of seeds of food and forage crops. International Center for Tropical Duplicates of seeds from CGIAR genebanks Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia make up the majority of varieties currently Jean Hanson backed up in the Seed Vault. International Livestock Research A Legacy Award was also presented to Cary Institute (ILRI), Ethiopia Depositors from seed banks around the world world, and around the clock – an effort to Fowler, one of the visionaries of the Svalbard delivered duplicate seeds of vital staples like conserve the seeds of our food crops,” said Global Seed Vault who worked tirelessly for its Ahmed Amri rice, , and to the Seed Vault. Other Marie Haga, Executive Director of the Crop creation. He is currently a special advisor to the International Center for Agricultural important crops like black-eyed pea (cowpea) Trust, in the lead-up to the anniversary event. Crop Trust after serving as the organization’s Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), – a major protein source in Africa and South “The tenth anniversary of the Seed Vault Executive Director from 2007–2012, a period Morocco Asia – were also deposited, along with samples comes at a time when agriculture is facing that saw the Seed Vault being designed and Hari D. Upadhyaya of , pearl millet and pigeonpea. multiple challenges from extreme weather and constructed, as well as receiving its first International Center for Research in Several lesser-known crops also made the the demands of a world population expected to shipments of seeds. the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India journey to the Seed Vault. These included reach 10 billion people by 2050. This means it is All recipients received a personalized award Bambara groundnut, which is being developed more important than ever to ensure that seeds featuring specially commissioned artwork by Dave Ellis as a drought-tolerant crop in parts of Africa, –the foundation of our food supply and the Sophie Munns. International Potato Center (CIP), Peru and the unusually-named Estonian onion future of our agriculture – are safely conserved.” Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton Preparing for the future potato, which was deposited together with The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and International Rice Research Institute varieties of beans unique to the country. Food, which jointly runs the facility with the Crop In 2017, refurbishment work began on the (IRRI), Philippines The event also marked the largest number of Trust and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center outer section of the Seed Vault’s access tunnel institutions (23) depositing seeds at one time. (NordGen), described the tenth anniversary to make it watertight, and prepare it for the Cary Fowler “The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an iconic as a major milestone for the Seed Vault. likelihood of a warmer, wetter future on Crop Trust special advisor reminder of the remarkable conservation The Seed Vault first opened its doors in Svalbard. Funded by the Government of effort that is taking place every day, around the February 2008, as a backup facility for the Norway, work includes the construction of a

18 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE TURNING TEN 19 The Crop Trust opens its new headquarters in Bonn, Germany. CROP TRUST TIMELINE 2012 The Crop Trust and CGIAR launch the CGIAR Research Program for Managing and Sustaining Crop Collections (the “Genebank CRP”). The five-year initiative involving the 11 international genebanks of CGIAR is led by the Crop Trust. The Crop Trust is established as the world’s only organization 2004 dedicated solely to conserving crop diversity in genebanks. Geoff Hawtin is appointed Interim Executive Director at its headquarters at Marie Haga becomes Crop Trust Executive Director. The Crop Trust the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, . 2013 sets a target of raising US$850 million for its endowment fund to finance a global system for the conservation of crop diversity, centered around key international, regional and national genebanks The Crop Trust signs its first long-term grant to support an – and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault as the world’s backup facility. 2006 international crop collection with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). This guarantees funding of a proportion of the costs of the genebank’s basic operations forever. Since then, the Crop HRH, The Prince of Wales becomes the Crop Trust’s Global Patron. Trust has entered into similar partnerships to support a range 2015 The first-ever withdrawals are made from the Svalbard Global of crop collections around the world. Seed Vault. Retrievals of faba beans, wheat, , lentil, chickpea, and others are made by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) after their genebank in Aleppo, Cary Fowler becomes Crop Trust Executive Director. The Crop Trust Syria was unable to function due to civil conflict. 2007 launches a major project in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with complementary funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation. The project aims to strengthen The six-year CGIAR Genebank Platform is launched, as the conservation efforts and secure at-risk crop diversity held in 2017 successor to the Genebank CRP. The Food Forever initiative is collections in developing countries. launched to raise awareness of efforts to achieve Target 2.5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault opens as a partnership between 2008 the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Government of Norway, The Svalbard Global Seed Vault celebrates its tenth anniversary. the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, and the Crop Trust. By the end 2018 The Government of Norway announces major plans to upgrade of the year, the Seed Vault will hold 320,553 unique accessions – the facility. The Crop Trust agrees to fully fund the essential 75% of which were deposited with assistance from the Crop Trust. operations of the genebank of IRRI in perpetuity, starting in 2019. Time Magazine names the Seed Vault the sixth best invention of 2008.

The Crop Trust celebrates its 15th birthday. Preparatory The Crop Trust begins a ten-year project on conserving and using 2019 work with the aim of upgrading several national genebanks 2011 crop wild relatives for climate change adaptation, funded by the sub-Saharan Africa begins. Government of Norway.

20 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CROP TRUST TIMELINE 21 THE CROP TRUST

A PREHISTORY of establishing such a fund, and to determine Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. a reasonable fundraising target. Based on The Crop Trust’s first website “Start with interviews with around 130 individuals from a Seed” was launched. governments, foundations and corporations Based on the recommendations of a in about 30 countries, the study concluded meeting of potential donors in London that it should be possible to raise up to in late 2002, IPGRI and FAO set up an In the late 1990s, the International Plant endorsed IPGRI’s recommendation to further US$260 million, providing there was strong expert panel, known as the Interim Panel Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)* received explore the establishment of an endowment endorsement from key developing countries, of Eminent Experts, under the Chairmanship an urgent request from an African national fund to help provide stable and sustainable FAO, CGIAR and the World Bank. of Ambassador Fernando Gerbasi, who genebank for support to help pay its financing for the crop collections in CGIAR The following year, at IPGRI’s request, the had earlier chaired the negotiations for electricity bill, because the government centers, specifically those held on behalf International Food Policy Reasearch Institute the International Treaty on Plant Genetic concerned was unable to provide the of the international community, known (IFPRI) and the University of California, Resources for Food and Agriculture. The necessary funds. Without this additional as “in trust” collections. Berkeley undertook a study on the costs of Panel was charged with establishing the money, which amounted to only a few The two ideas came together, and operating genebanks. Crop Trust as a legal entity and it appointed thousand dollars, the genebank risked throughout the spring and summer of 2000 Following further discussions, IPGRI, Geoff Hawtin as Executive Director to losing its entire crop collection. consultations were held with the Food and acting on behalf of CGIAR, and FAO agreed manage the establishment process. Agriculture Organization of the United to work together to jointly establish the At its meeting in October 2003, the Panel This was far from an isolated case and it became Nations (FAO), various OECD countries, Global Crop Diversity Trust (the Crop Trust), approved the Crop Trust’s Constitution and increasingly clear that reliability of funding developing countries, the Global Forum on and the idea was formally presented to the other legal documents. Over the next few was a more important constraint for many Agricultural Research and Innovation, or World Food Summit in Rome, June 2002, months, IPGRI and FAO secured the signatures genebanks, especially in developing countries, GFAR, and a number of NGOs regarding the where it was well received. In July, Imperial of 12 countries on the Establishment than the absolute amount available. IPGRI saw idea of establishing a dedicated fund to College, London, at IPGRI’s request, published Agreement (Cape Verde, Ecuador, Egypt, the creation of an international endowment support the conservation of plant genetic a report entitled “Crop Diversity at Risk: Ethiopia, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Samoa, fund as an ideal solution to this situation. resources. Broad support was expressed for the The Case for Sustaining Crop Collections”. Sweden, Syria, Togo, and Tonga) and on At the same time, it was proving idea, and in particular for IPGRI’s proposal to The report argued strongly for the establishment October 21st, 2004 the Crop Trust was increasingly difficult to secure the funding set up an endowment fund to help develop and of an endowment fund to support genebanks born. The following year, the Crop Trust needed to maintain CGIAR’s own genebanks, sustain a rational global genebank system, as around the world. And in the following set up its inaugural Executive Board and which contained some of the largest and called for in FAO’s Global Plan of Action in 1996. month, August 2002, IPGRI and FAO formally Donor Council, and began to operate as most important crop collections in the world. In October 2000, IPGRI commissioned and publicly committed to establishing an independent legal entity. In May 2000, the CGIAR Finance Committee an independent study to assess the feasibility the Crop Trust at the World Summit on *(a CGIAR center, and later renamed to )

22 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE A PREHISTORY 23 THE BIG PICTURE The Crop Trust’s Dr. Benjamin Kilian, right, with finger millet farmer Margaret Kubendepre and Crop Trust pre-breeding partner, Dr. Chrispus Oduori, of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), in Kisii, Kenya. BACK FROM THE BRINK THE BERMUDA BEAN

You might not think of Bermuda as a hotspot for wild beans, but the Atlantic archipelago 1,200km southeast of the United States is home to at least one very interesting specimen.

The endemic Bermuda bean is believed to have evolved in isolation for thousands of years. It developed special characteristics, including a vigorous rooting system, which scientists speculate could be the plant’s evolutionary response to strong winds. This means it could be useful for crop breeders developing bean varieties for areas affected by storms and hurricanes. But the bean was on the verge of extinction in the wild. In 2014, it appeared on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered, with just 29 mature plants left in its natural habitat. The expansion of the construction, tourism, and leisure industries, together with the spread of invasive plants, threatened that habitat.

26 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CROP TRUST MAGAZINE 27 BERMUDA BEAN FUN FACTS

But a rescue effort was already underway. 1 The Bermuda bean sends out stolons A small number of Bermuda bean seeds had from the lower parts of the plant, which been conserved at the Millennium spread horizontally along the ground (MSB), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the sprouting both new roots and new plants. UK. In 2012, MSB sent 15 seeds to bean experts at the International Center for Tropical 2 In a brutal proof of concept, a powerful Agriculture (CIAT) near Cali, in southwestern storm hit CIAT’s bean research station in Colombia. These were planted at the center’s Popayan in October 2017. It felled large headquarters, and at a field station it manages trees, cut off the power, and tore up near the city of Popayan, an area with good several screenhouses, damaging many of conditions for growing beans. These plants the bean plants being grown there. One produced around 6,000 seeds, 100 of which bean plant was unaffected by the storm: were sent to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault you can guess which one. in October 2017. The remainder were conserved at the CIAT genebank – the largest collection 3 The Bermuda bean is a perennial plant, of beans in the world – and a consignment meaning it lives for several years, rather of seeds were returned to MSB. than dying after shedding its seed. While While the natural habitat of the Bermuda this is not a unique trait in beans, it is one bean may still face serious challenges, the that is potentially of interest: in the seeds of this fascinating plant are safe. future, planting beans once and harvesting over several years might be preferable to farmers, rather than planting new seeds each season.

28 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE GENEBANKS An investment in the future of food wider range of plants. In both instances, this or diseases, or improve the nutritional quality will depend on a very special kind of “banking” of crops. Genebanks also send seeds directly to system, one which deals in seeds rather than farmers, for example formerly beloved Anyone working in the financial sector will be And if just one of these crops were to fail, money. varieties that have gone out of cultivation. familiar with the idea of spreading risk. even in a limited geographic area, the fallout Genebanks are storage facilities that As well as thousands of varieties of Investing too much in a limited portfolio could be felt globally, so interconnected and conserve seed samples over the long term. the big four, genebanks also contain many means you’re vulnerable to a crash in the interdependent is the world. Millions could go The United Nations Food and Agriculture others crops: those from the past that we’ve price of your stock. hungry, or be forced to move. The likelihood of Organization estimates there are around 1,750 neglected, and those of the future we’ve yet this happening increases due to climate of them worldwide. They range from tiny and to embrace. They contain not only lots of Our food system is a bit like that. There are change. That should be enough to send a shiver provincial, to large and international. different quinoas and kales, but the next around 30,000 edible plants out there, but just down the spine of even the most bullish Genebanks help keep seeds alive for quinoas and kales; the ones that will help a few big staples – wheat, maize, rice, and investor. decades, and send samples to researchers and diversify our food portfolio; the crops that potato – provide around 60% of our calories. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize crop breeders, who use them to develop thrive when others fail; those that provide That’s a very risky strategy: one dry year could the risks. hardier, more productive and nutritious a broader range of nutrients. cripple wheat production in one country; a On the one hand, we need to make the big varieties. They enable scientists to search It means we all depend on genebanks, pest or disease outbreak could quickly topple four crops more robust – they are vitally through the 150,000 types of rice or 140,000 whether we realize it or not. Some of the maize in another. Rice and potato are no less important now and will continue to be in the types of wheat, to see which ones could be used ancestors of the rice you’ll eat for dinner exposed to such risks. future. But we also need to grow and consume a to increase resistance to drought, heat, pests, tonight probably passed through a genebank

30 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE GENEBANKS 31 at some point: different samples would have of the scientific innovations of the Green return, this would generate the US$20 million always be available from genebanks. been used by scientists to develop improved Revolution several decades ago, they can per year they need to fund essential operations. The good news is that we’re already one- commercial varieties. The same goes for the provide the same for the cleaner, greener An additional US$250 million would be needed third of the way to achieving our target, with wheat in your lunchtime sandwich, the maize revolution we need today. to generate US$10 million per year to support close to US$300 million currently in the fund. in your tortilla and – unless you’re a keen the conservation of key collections held in This is made up of donations mainly from forager or consume only obscure heirloom Funding genebanks forever national genebanks. Finally, US$100 million governments but, increasingly, the private varieties – almost every other plant food you We’ve set up an endowment fund to support would be invested to generate the US$4 million sector too. ate today. key genebanks forever. Our calculations are required each year to fund the the Svalbard We’ve already been able to provide Genebanks provide the starting capital – that an investment of US$500 million is Global Seed Vault and the Crop Trust’s permanent funding to the world’s largest and literally, the seed capital – for the kinds of needed for the global collections of major operations, including the development of most important rice genebank, which should innovations that will ensure we have enough staples conserved in the international information systems bringing together data be the first of several international genebanks eggs in enough baskets in the future. Just as genebanks managed by CGIAR centres. from all these genebanks. That makes $850 that we support in this way. We’ve also they provided the raw materials for some Assuming a 4% average annual investment million in total to guarantee crop diversity will provided financial lifelines to other genebanks around the world, and of course, we support the ongoing operations of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. But smart investing alone is not enough to make our endowment fund effective. The Crop Trust also needs to walk the walk. That’s why the Crop Trust is a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment, and our investment strategy factors in environmental, social, and governance issues that align with our mission. For example, we invest in sectors that are expected to benefit from the shift to a low-carbon economy, including areas such as renewable energy, and improved energy efficiency. While we’re well on our way, there’s still a lot to do. Each year, genebanks around the world face the risk of earthquakes, power failures, and political instability. Many are in developing countries and face daily funding shortfalls. If one of these genebanks were to fail, we would risk losing thousands of years of agricultural history – and the foundation of our food supply for the future. By continuing to raise money for the Crop Trust endowment fund, we can help ensure the best for both people and the planet. That’s surely a portfolio worth its weight in gold.

GENEBANKS 33 CGIAR Genebanks supported by the CGIAR Genebank Platform

Genebank Platform GENEBANK CROP

Rice C a en c t ri e f r A

C

e e n u t q AfricaRice Côte d’Ivoire Rice r i e r d f The CGIAR Genebank Platform: CASE STUDY Kasetsart 50 u l’A riz pour • is a six-year initiative involving the 11 Kasetsart 50 (sometimes known as KU 50) international genebanks of CGIAR – a global is an improved variety developed International Institute for Cowpea, , Cassava, Soybeans research network that works on a range of issues by the International Center for Tropical Tropical Agriculture and Bambara Groundnut including improving food and nutrition security. Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia, Kasetsart • is the successor to CGIAR Research Program University in Thailand, and Thailand’s Ministry Bioversity International Belgium for Managing and Sustaining Crop Collections of Agriculture and Cooperatives. It is grown which concluded in 2017. on over one million hectares in Thailand and • contributes to Targets 2.5 and 2.a of the United Vietnam and is expanding to other countries International Maize and Wheat Maize and Wheat Nations Sustainable Development Goals. in Southeast Asia. KU 50’s pedigree traces back Improvement Center Mexico to a traditional cassava variety from Venezuela known as CMC 76 that was collected in 1967 International Center for Barley, Chickpea, Faba Bean, Forages, and conserved in the CIAT genebank. Breeders Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas Lentil, Wheat and Grasspea crossed CMC 76 with a cassava variety from Morocco and Lebanon MAKING THE GRADE: CGIAR the Virgin Islands which had been introduced GENEBANK PLATFORM STANDARDS into Thailand. Breeders then crossed the offspring with a well-performing Thai variety. International Center for Bean, Cassava and Forages • 90% of accessions are healthy and available for immediate distribution. The resulting KU 50 is a vigorous, high- Tropical Agriculture Colombia yielding, cassava variety that is adapted to • 90% of accessions are safety duplicated. a range of growing conditions and produces • 90% of accessions are documented to International Crops Research Institute Chickpea, Groundnut, Minor Millet, roots with a high starch content. Adoption facilitate their use. for the Semi-Arid Tropics India Pearl Millet, Sorghum and Pigeonpea of KU 50 is believed to have generated in • Quality Management Systems are in place in all genebanks and germplasm excess USD 97 million. health units. International Livestock Forages VISIT www.genebanks.org Research Institute Kenya • All acquisitions and distributions comply with international policy. We would like to thank all funders who support the CGIAR Genebank Platform through their contributions to the • Genebanks that meet and maintain these International Potato Center Peru Andean Roots and Tubers, CGIAR Trust Fund: www..org/funders/ standards are eligible for permanent Potato and Sweetpotato funding of their essential operations from The following governments have directly supported the the Crop Trust endowment fund. CGIAR Genebank Platform: Switzerland, The Netherlands International Rice Research Institute Rice and the United Kingdom. Philippines The following governments have provided support for the Crop Trust’s contribution to the CGIAR Genebank Platform: Germany, Switzerland, Finland and the European Union. World Agroforestry Center Kenya Agroforestry Trees

34 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE FAST FACTS CGIAR GENEBANKS: 1 Conserve some of the world’s most important crops, trees and their wild relatives, including rice, wheat, maize, potato, cassava, bean, banana, and many others.

2 Distributed more than 700,000 samples of plants and seeds to requesters between 2012 and 2017. About two-thirds of all samples distributed outside CGIAR go to developing countries.

3 Are typically located in centers of crop diversity. For example, the maize genebank of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is located in Mexico, where maize is believed to have originated, and contains nearly 30,000 maize samples.

4 Monitor, test, germinate, multiply, characterize, clean, document, store, and distribute plant samples in accordance with agreed standards of operation.

5 Employ around 400 people. SAFEGUARDING RICE Nothing less than forever

October 2018 marked an important and IRRI. The Crop Trust’s coordination of milestone in the history of the Crop Trust. the CGIAR Genebank Platform supports the The organization took the decision to fully operation and upgrading of the 11 CGIAR fund a genebank with the longest possible genebanks – including that of IRRI – ensuring that time horizon – forever. they meet international standards, as published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture The partnership agreement with the Organization, and specific performance targets. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Over several years, the IRRI genebank a not-for-profit international agricultural has maintained these performance targets, research organization with its headquarters which include being able to make more than in the Philippines, was the first of its kind. 90% of its rice samples immediately available It guarantees permanent, full funding for to requesters, and ensuring they are safely the essential operations of IRRI’s genebank backed up and properly documented. which, with around 136,000 different kinds As well as great news for IRRI, the of rice, is the largest and most important agreement was also a proof of concept for rice collection in the world. the Crop Trust endowment fund, which Many samples from the genebank have was established in 2004 as a mechanism already been used to help rice producers to provide stable, long-term funding for crop respond to the challenges of climate change; conservation. Ensuring the other ten CGIAR others hold promise for improving rice genebanks and other international genebanks production in the coming decades. With are similarly supported will require US$500 around 3.5 billion people around the world million in the endowment fund. consuming rice each day – a number that is This is also an important contribution by the expected to rise – safeguarding IRRI’s rice Crop Trust and its partners to Target 2.5 of the collection is an important step towards ensuring United Nations Sustainable Development Goal a more sustainable and resilient food system. on Zero Hunger, which seeks to safeguard “seeds, The agreement was made possible only cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated through the combined efforts of Crop Trust animals and their wild species” by 2020.

38 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE A HAVEN OF DIVERSITY When we talk about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault being the tip of the iceberg of a global system of crop conservation, the tropical islands of Fiji might not immediately spring to mind. CePaCT collection: each and every accession Taro leaf blight requires painstaking attention to ensure they Taro is an important staple found all are safely conserved, free of pests and diseases, over the Pacific island countries, as well and available for use.” as parts of Asia, the Americas, and Africa. The plants in CePaCT’s collection could Nigeria is the largest producer, with a global help farmers and scientists respond to a range share of 32%, followed by China, Cameroon, of challenges facing the region and beyond, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea. including drought, salt water intrusion, Taro was the second largest export and unhealthy diets. earner for Samoa in 1993, when it was The Crop Trust provides long-term financial struck by an outbreak of taro leaf blight backing to CePaCT’s taro and yam collections, (TLB) – the most severe disease of taro, and has supported work to move material from causing huge yield losses and post-harvest the field to itsin vitro genebank. Past projects decay of the edible corms. The disease also include the evaluation of CePaCT’s core affected all 11 types of taro grown in the taro collection in Papua New Guinea to see how country. Work to collect taro diversity from the plants fare under drought conditions and the Pacific region and beyond resulted in in atoll environments, and the center’s work the establishment of a collection of 196 taro to put together a comprehensive collection accessions at CePaCT, and the discovery of Pacific . of a source of resistance to TLB.

This South Pacific nation around 1,000km are not best conserved by freezing their seeds. from New Zealand is located in a globally Instead, they are maintained as living plantlets important region of diversity for some key in test tubes and jars (called in vitro crops that can’t be backed up in the Arctic. conservation), or as mature plants and trees The Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees in special fields. (CePaCT), near the capital Suva, looks after This kind of permanent life support more than 2,000 unique samples of banana, system requires much more daily care and breadfruit, yam, sweetpotato, cassava, and the attention than dry, frozen seeds. Plants in world’s largest collection of the starchy staple, field collections are also more prone to the taro. It will soon expand its conservation work vagaries of the weather, as Cyclone Winston to include another iconic crop in the region: demonstrated when it struck the region coconut. CePaCT works mainly with countries in 2016. and territories in the region, but freely As CePaCT’s genebank manager and distributes thousands of samples to requestors head of genetic resources at SPC Michel all around the world, particularly in developing Ghanem says, “We may not be managing as countries, every year. many accessions as other genebanks, but All of the plants in the CePaCT genebank we are dealing with some quite challenging are vegetatively propagated, meaning they crops. There is no low-hanging fruit in the

42 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE Partners at the University of the South Pacific from Australia’s Department of Foreign in Samoa and elsewhere used TLB-tolerant Affairs and Trade, the Crop Trust was able varieties to breed new taro plants that were to help CePaCT recover from the cyclone. There is no low-hanging fruit in the CePaCT both tolerant and tasty. These new varieties This included restoring its breadfruit field ‘ are also conserved at CePaCT. collection and installing measures to protect collection: each and every accession Following more recent outbreaks of TLB them against extreme weather in the future. in West Africa, CePaCT provided 50 different The project also funded the purchase of requires painstaking attention to ensure kinds of taro to 15 countries in Africa (Burkina air conditioning units and dehumidifiers Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, to ensure optimal conditions for conservation and South Africa), Latin America (Costa Rica, inside the facility. In addition, a new they are safely conserved, free of pests Nicaragua), the Caribbean (Cuba, Trinidad building is under construction at the site, and Tobago), Asia (India, Indonesia, and the to house duplicate plant samples as part and diseases, and available for use. Philippines) and the Pacific (Papua New of a backup system. Guinea and Vanuatu). ’ CePaCT was established in 1998 with funding from Cyclone Winston the Australian Government and the European Union When Cyclone Winston made landfall in Fiji and is part of the Land Resources Division of the in February 2016, it caused significant damage Pacific Community (SPC). It aims to assist Pacific to homes, infrastructure, and agriculture. It also Island Communities and Territories in the process affected CePaCT’s genebank, uprooting many of conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic of the breadfruit trees in its field collection, resources. Its core aim is to assist Pacific Island and leaving leaking air-conditioning units, countries and territories (PICTs) to conserve the a buildup of moisture in the walls of the region’s genetic resources, and to provide access facility, and prolonged power cuts in its wake. to that diversity when they need it. SPC is keen to This put CePaCT’s globally-important crop transform CePaCT into a globally recognized Centre collections at risk. With financial support of Excellence within its Land Resources Division.

44 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE THE PLANT TREATY Q&A with Luigi Guarino, Director of Science, Crop Trust

What is the International Treaty on Plant Which crops are included in Annex 1? Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture? Lots of our favorites, like rice, wheat, maize, The Plant Treaty, or Seed Treaty, as it is potato, oat, coconut, banana, millet, yam, sometimes known, aims to improve global food carrot, strawberry, and so on. security by making it easier for scientists and farmers to obtain and use seeds and other plant Why doesn’t Annex 1 cover all food crops? material for crop improvement, research, and That’s because everything in the Treaty was the training. It was adopted by the Food and subject of intense international negotiations Agriculture Organization of the United Nations among countries. Sometimes, not all countries (FAO) in 2001 after many years of negotiations agreed to various crops being included, so and came into force in 2004. As of September some had to be left out, most notably 2018, there were 144 contracting parties – groundnut (peanut) and soybean. 143 countries, plus the European Union. Why is it important to have a Multilateral What do parties to the Treaty commit to? System? Among other things, to sharing plant material Breeders and researchers typically need of 64 globally important food and forage crops material from many different sources to get as that is under the management and control of much crop diversity into their programs as the national government and in the public possible. This gives them a better chance of domain, in accordance with agreed rules. These developing new crop varieties that can crops are listed in Annex 1 of the Treaty. The eventually benefit farmers and consumers. rules ensure requestors can obtain the material Before the Treaty, they would have had to make and that, where appropriate, they share a separate, bilateral deals with different portion of any monetary benefits arising from providers to get those different samples. All their use of it. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but this is that takes time and money. Don’t forget: referred to as the “Multilateral System of lawyers need their cut. To avoid these Access and Benefit-sharing”. transaction costs as much as possible, the Treaty front-loaded the negotiations, with all parties agreeing to the rules from the outset. A system like this significantly speeds up the exchange of plant material, helping scientists and farmers make use of it more readily.

46 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE So can anyone, anywhere request plant conserved as living tissue. The Multilateral not make sure we can use all of them? Others in order to replenish or increase seed stocks for material from a genebank? System covers a global genepool of over 2.3 think we shouldn’t do that until there is conservation), duplication of seeds so they can Yes – if the provider is in one of the 144 million samples of crop seeds stored in stronger evidence that the Multilateral System be safely backed up, and collecting of crop wild contracting parties to the Plant Treaty. The genebanks around the world. is working with the crops currently included. It relatives. We’re all in this together. requestor would need to sign something called is too early to tell how this process will end, but a Standard Material Transfer Agreement, or Wow, that must have generated a lot of money we hope it will make the Multilateral System What is Genesys and why is it important to the SMTA. This ensures requestors abide by the for the BSF. even better! Plant Treaty? rules set out in the Plant Treaty, including Well, the Fund has actually been receiving Genesys is a free-to-use, publicly accessible, paying a portion of the monetary benefits millions of dollars in voluntary contributions What is the role of the Crop Trust in all this? online database of plant material held in arising from their use of that material. from a number of countries and others for In order for the Multilateral System to work genebanks. It tells you what’s in the several years, but in 2018 it received its first effectively, genebanks – which are key actors in Multilateral System and includes a simple Where does that money go? payment tied to use of plant material in the it – need stable, long-term funding. They also system for requestors to order samples. It Into something called the Benefit-sharing Multilateral System. A Dutch company used need a backup – a separate location to conserve supports the aims of the Plant Treaty by Fund, which is held by FAO on behalf of the crop samples requested from genebanks in the a copy of their crop collections, just to be safe. helping users find the plant material they need parties to the Treaty. If, for example, you Netherlands and Germany to develop ten new The Plant Treaty recognizes the Crop Trust as and streamlines requests to genebanks. When request wheat seeds from a genebank in the vegetable varieties. It paid US$119,083 into the Multilateral System, create a new, high- Benefit-sharing Fund, in accordance with the yielding wheat variety, and sell this for a profit, SMTA it signed when it requested the seeds. Breeders and researchers typically you must pay a portion of that profit into the Hopefully this is the first of many Benefit-sharing Fund. The Treaty then invests contributions to the Benefit-sharing Fund, as need material from many different this money in projects that support the products incorporating material accessed over ‘ improved management, conservation, and the years finally make their way to market – it sources to get as much crop diversity sustainable use of for can take a decade to release a new crop variety. food and agriculture around the world. So, To date, the Fund has supported over 60 into their programs as possible. monetary benefits are shared through projects in 55 developing countries, using USD ‚ multilateral mechanisms as well as seeds. 20 million in voluntary contributions. Understandably, there’s a lot of focus on money essential to this, by virtue of its endowment a requestor places an order via Genesys, it when people discuss the benefits of using Is it correct that Treaty negotiations are still fund. This fund – made up of donations from immediately alerts the relevant genebank, genetic resources. But let’s remember that not going on? governments, and to a lesser extent, the private which ships the material to the requestor, all of the benefits can be counted in dollars and Yes. A process has been launched under the sector – accrues interest, which is then used to subject to a signed SMTA. Since Genesys was euros. After all, what’s the price of food Treaty to see if the Multilateral System can be support genebanks around the world. In launched in 2008 it has become the preferred security? revised to get more money in faster from particular, the Crop Trust currently supports tool for exploring genetic diversity worldwide. commercial users, and also to potentially the international genebanks recognized under It is constantly expanding and currently How many seeds have been exchanged under increase the scope of coverage of Annex 1 Article 15 of the Treaty, and the ultimate contains data on almost 4 million plant the Multilateral System? beyond the current list of 64 food and forage failsafe for the whole system, the Svalbard samples. Genesys contributes to the Treaty’s The Treaty has facilitated the exchange of over crops. Some want to expand the list of crops, Global Seed Vault. The Crop Trust’s shorter- Global Information System, which will cover 4 million samples of plant genetic material at while others want to do away with it altogether term projects also further the aims of the not just material in genebanks, but also crop an average rate of 1,000 transfers per day. That so that all food and forage crops are included. Treaty, for example enhancing crop diversity conserved on farms and in the wild, includes seeds as most people think of them, After all, we don’t know which plants might conservation at the national level through and that’s in the process of being used by but also plantlets for crops that are best become important foods in the future, so why support to seed regeneration (growing plants breeders to make new varieties. Genesys is supported by the Crop Trust. VISIT www.genesys-pgr.org 48 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE THE PLANT TREATY 49 CRYOPRESERVATION AND THE FUTURE OF PLANT CONSERVATION

It might come as a surprise that there are many suspended above or plunged into the liquid crops that can’t be conserved in the Svalbard which, at minus 196 degrees Celsius, causes all Global Seed Vault. These include favorites biological and chemical processes in the plant to like: banana, cacao, cassava, coffee, potato, virtually stop. This results in the plants entering sweetpotato, coconut, tea, apples, and others. a deep state of quiescence. In theory, plant samples can be conserved almost indefinitely That’s because some of these crops don’t produce this way, but when taken out, they can be seeds at all (like banana). Others produce seeds, revived and carefully grown into full plants. but the resulting plants don’t always resemble There are a few challenges with what’s their parents (like apple). That’s a problem commonly known as “cryo”. The lack of because when you conserve something, you established protocols for some plants, and the want to be sure of what you’ll get if you ever sometimes-low revival rate of cryopreserved need it again. Other plants have seeds that plants can cause many genebank managers don’t react well to the conditions in genebanks. a headache. But if these and other challenges They’re called recalcitrant species, to distinguish can be overcome, cryopreservation is very them from the ones whose seeds can be dried likely to become routine in plant conservation and stored in the cold, which are called orthodox. efforts in the future. All these plants need alternative methods In 2017, the Crop Trust, Bioversity for conservation. International, and the International Potato This is usually done by growing seedlings Center commissioned an independent in jars or test tubes, known as in vitro report into the need for, and state of, conservation, or outdoors, in what are called plant cryopreservation around the world. field collections. These methods effectively It highlighted the challenges and benefits place the crops on permanent life support: of the technology, and called for an urgent they need regular human attention, and are global effort to accelerate its development and prone to natural disasters, pests, and diseases. implementation, along with the establishment But there is another way that is growing of a backup system for cryopreserved samples. in popularity: cryopreservation. This is the It could lead to the creation of a global crop process of conserving plant samples using conservation facility even colder than the liquid nitrogen. The samples are either Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

50 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CRYOPRESERVATION 51 The United Nations SDG 2 is commonly known population in spite of challenges like Food Forever website, the Food Origins as the goal for Zero Hunger. But there’s much climate change. Genetic diversity can infographic series, and more. more to it than feeding the world: It identifies help make agriculture better, stronger, Food Forever comprises Champions and a range of issues affecting our food systems, and more resilient; it can help ensure Partner Organizations. Champions are experts with specific targets to address them. that we don’t just survive, but thrive. and leaders from all walks of life who are Target 2.5 calls for the international The Food Forever Initiative aims to driven to speak out about the importance community to safeguard and share the “genetic raise awareness of the exciting work going of food diversity. Partner Organizations are diversity” of both crops and livestock by 2020. on around the world in support of SDG groups whose work contributes to achieving But what does it mean? Genetic diversity Target 2.5. It’s doing this in a number of ways: SDG Target 2.5. Food Forever is is the foundation of our food supply. It includes by rallying a range of stakeholders – be they Food Forever is an initiative of The Crop all our food crops and their wild relatives, politicians, farmers, chefs, or business people Trust, the Government of the Netherlands and here to show you and all the different types of livestock. – to lend their voices to help drive positive the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Farmers and scientists need this diversity changes in the way we conserve, grow, sell, United Nations. Financial support is provided to develop new crops and livestock breeds and consume crop and livestock diversity. by the Governments of Germany, Norway, that biodiversity that can tolerate heat, drought and disease. Food Forever does this through a range of Switzerland, and The Netherlands. They need it to sustainably produce enough creative projects such as the Food Forever is key nutritious food for a growing world Experience, regular opinion articles on the VISIT www.food4ever.org THE FOOD FOREVER EXPERIENCE The international event series coming to a city near you

The Food Forever Experience was created York City, in September 2018. We challenged to give the public a glimpse of the future ten chefs to work with fascinating foods of food if chefs and consumers embrace currently on the margins of the US culinary more diverse ingredients. mainstream. These included the African grain teff, Bambara groundnut, tepary bean, Just four crops account for over half of our breadfruit, jackfruit, and even crickets. calories. It means we’re missing out on thousands The results were sumptuous and of tasty, nutritious plants that could become spectacular, and the event was featured on more popular and which need to be conserved national TV news. if we are to have a more sustainable food system. The event was organized by the Food Forever By working with innovative chefs to cook up Initiative and the Crop Trust in partnership with delicious dishes using some of these lesser- Google, Tender Greens co-founder and Food known ingredients, the Food Forever Forever Champion Erik Oberholtzer, and the Experience aims to plant the seed for Rediscovered Food Initiative. TheFood Forever important conversations about a more diverse, Experience NYC was also an official event of the sustainable, and exciting food future. It’s all United Nations Global Day of Action on the SDGs. about serving up UN SDG 2.5 on a plate. Look out for forthcoming Food Forever The inaugural event – theFood Forever Experiences in Chicago, USA; Cusco, Peru; Experience NYC – was hosted by Google in New London, UK; and Bonn, Germany.

54 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE 10 CHEFS SUZANNE CUPPS ERIK OBERHOLTZER FLOYD CARDOZ 19 INGREDIENTS 1 DIVERSE MISSION We challenged leading chefs to cook up the food of the future, using diverse ingredients. UMBER AHMAD MATTHEW DELISLE DAN KLUGER

OCA SALTWORT CHAYOTE AMARANTH

BREADFRUIT SALSIFY

ARROWROOT MORINGA

SUGAR KELP DATE

TIGERNUT 56 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE THE FOOD FOREVER EXPERIENCE 57 PIZZA The world’s TOMATO most successful ORIGIN South America FUN FACT A member of the FOOD immigration story? deadly nightshade family. It’s common to associate different countries For example, there are a handful of WHEAT with different cuisines. Many people commercially available potatoes in the ORIGIN Middle East associate pizza with Italy, for example, world but in Peru, where potato originated, FUN FACT Wheat is grown on or a cheeseburger with the USA. indigenous farmers still grow maybe 4,500 more land than any other food crop. different kinds: purple ones; others with But the ingredients that went into making striped skin; some so knobbly they require these foods often originated – in an an expert to peel them. Through conservation PARSLEY evolutionary sense – far away, in other parts and research, some of those potatoes from ORIGIN Central Mediterranean of the world. For example, wheat – used in Peru might help potato farmers in Africa or FUN FACT Used in ancient Rome pizza dough – though widely grown these Europe respond to climate change. Similarly, as an ingredient in salads, for days, originated thousands of years ago rice conserved on farms and in genebanks garlands and to treat hangovers. in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. in Asia might help growers in South America The tomatoes in the pizza topping originated produce more stable yields; coffee conserved in in the Andes of South America; the onions Ethiopia might help producers in Asia or Central ONION and garlic in Central Asia. and South America beat pests and diseases. ORIGIN Central Asia So, if you go back long enough, there’s Multiply that across all crops and all the regions FUN FACT Close relatives not much that’s Italian about a pizza. of the world and the inescapable conclusion include garlic, leek, and chive. The same applies to many of the foods we is that everybody needs everybody else. consume: they originated in certain parts This means we all benefit from efforts to of the world, were assimilated by countries conserve crop diversity, no matter where we are GARLIC and cultures elsewhere, often far away, and in the world. The same goes for animal breeds. ORIGIN Debated. Central Asia, eventually treated as if they were native. And it’s through conservation and research that South Asia, or Southwestern Siberia. It makes food, perhaps, the world’s we have a better chance of developing more FUN FACT One of the world's oldest greatest immigration success story. sustainable farming practices, more nutritious cultivated crops. Taking a long-term, evolutionary diets, and more resilient food systems. perspective helps us understand why, Food Forever’s Food Origins series gives when it comes to food, the different regions a glimpse of where the ingredients in some CHEESE (COW) of the world still need each other. They of the world’s most recognizable dishes come ORIGIN Indian subcontinent and Europe. remain interdependent because the areas from, taking the long, evolutionary view. FUN FACT Cows originated about 10,000 where crops originated are typically still Here, we give you pizza, but you can follow years ago and were domesticated from home to the widest range of diversity – the Food Forever website to see the full range wild aurochs, bovines that were up to and to the genebanks that conserve it. of deliciousness as it unfolds. twice the size of domestic cattle.

58 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE FOOD 59 THE CROP TRUST ENDOWMENT FUND Mercer is one of the Crop Trust’s investment partners, helping ensure we continue to support crop conservation efforts around the world by providing strategic asset allocation advice, most secure backup system for protecting ESG integration, and investment management. crops important to global . As of 2019, it is providing US$1.4 million The Crop Trust and its fund managers are signatories per year to fully fund the essential operations to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. of the genebank of the International Rice Research Institute in perpetuity. We estimate that a Crop Trust endowment fund worth US$850 million would generate sufficient income to safely conserve all INVESTING IN THE unique crop varieties important for food and agriculture, forever. The Crop Trust is a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment FUTURE OF FOOD and implements a Responsible Investment Policy approved by its Executive Board.

The Crop Trust endowment fund generates investment income that is used to support crop conservation activities around the world. It was established in 2004 and is currently THANK YOU close to US$300 million. Around 95% of Crop Trust donors include developed contributions received have come from and developing country governments, national governments. The rest has come civil society (foundations), the private from the private sector and individuals. sector, farmers’ organizations and individuals. We are deeply grateful Since 2004, the Crop Trust has provided to all our supporters, who have helped over US$36 million in long-term grants make the work we do possible. to international research centers that help conserve collections of vitally important food www.croptrust.org/about-us/donors/ crops. It has also contributed approximately US$1.4 million to support the operations of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world’s WWW.MERCER.COM Mercer has supported the production of the Crop Trust Magazine 60 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE F

ENSURING THE WORLD CONTINUES TO WAKE UP TO COFFEE Coffee is the world’s second-most traded commodity after oil. Produced in 80 countries, an estimated 125 million people in Latin America, Africa and Asia depend on the crop, ensuring over 2 billion cups are served globally, each day. F Of the 125 coffee species in the world, Some need more stable financial support; global coffee production is based on only others need assistance to comprehensively two: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora document their collections and make them (commonly referred to as robusta coffee). available to researchers. We depend on just a few varieties of each. The Crop Trust’s Conservation Strategy for But coffee faces a range of challenges: Coffee Genetic Resources shows what needs to A fast-spreading disease could wipe out be done to safely conserve and share coffee production entirely. What’s more, arabica diversity. It was developed in collaboration coffee – which accounts for the majority of with World Coffee Research, a non-profit coffee production – is very sensitive to changes organization funded by more than 30 coffee in climate. According to the Climate Institute, industry groups. around 75% of the land currently dedicated The Strategy estimates that a contribution to growing arabica coffee is expected to of US$25 million to the Crop Trust endowment become unsuitable within the next 50 years fund would be enough to generate the US$1 due to shifts in temperature and rainfall. million needed each year to conserve these Moving coffee production isn’t an option coffee collections forever. It seems like a small in many places as it could put important price to pay to ensure the world continues to ecosystems and protected areas at risk. wake up to coffee – and to protect the livelihoods Fortunately, the coffee plant could contain of those who grow it now and in the future. the source of its own salvation: There are VISIT www.croptrust.org/our-work/supporting-crop- many coffee varieties and even species that conservation/conservation-strategies/ are not commercially grown that could have useful characteristics. If safely conserved and made available for research and breeding, these OTHER CROP could enable coffee to cope with warmer, wetter weather, CONSERVATION STRATEGIES and new pests and diseases. FROM THE CROP TRUST This wealth of diversity Banana, Barley, Cassava, Chickpea, is principally conserved in genebanks in four Coconut, Cowpea, Edible aroids, countries in well-known Faba bean, Finger millet, Forages, areas of coffee diversity and production – Ethiopia, Grasspea, Lentil, Maize, Oats, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Pearl millet, Potato, Rice, Sorghum, and Madagascar. The challenge is that these Strawberry, Sweetpotato, coffee collections – important as Tea, Wheat they are – face their own issues.

ENSURING THE WORLD CONTINUES TO WAKE UP TO COFFEE 65 COMPETE TO CONSERVE Announcing the charitable board game Catan: Crop Trust

Makers of the award-winning board game, Catan will donate 100% of the proceeds Catan have come up with a fun new way to from the game to the Crop Trust endowment learn about the importance of crop conservation, fund, which supports crop conservation while also raising money for the Crop Trust. efforts around the world, including the work of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. In the standard Catan game, players compete Catan: Crop Trust is the first offering in for natural resources and, ultimately, control Catan’s new charitable games program aimed of the fictional island of Catan. at supporting organizations devoted to the Catan regularly releases themed “scenario conservation and stewardship of nature. boards” that complement the standard Catan “This is in recognition of the fact that base game. TheCatan: Crop Trust scenario – conserving crop diversity is essential for developed in collaboration with the Crop Trust the survival of all on Catan – and of course, – encourages players to cooperate to save seeds in the real world too,” said Benjamin Teuber, from their harvests of rice, wheat, maize, and Managing Director of Catan GmbH and beans in a seed vault. The game is accompanied co-creator of the Catan: Crop Trust scenario. by a booklet that describes the role of the “This is a completely new element for Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the importance Catan players to navigate. The focus during of conserving crop diversity, and information harvesting is on cooperation as well as on the role of crop improvement in responding competition. Of course, the Svalbard Global to the challenges facing agriculture around Seed Vault is one of the world’s most iconic the world. examples of international cooperation, so the Crop Trust was a logical partner for developing this new Catan scenario.” Already available in English and German, Catan: Crop Trust will be launched in additional countries and languages soon.

Genebank managers, Catan staff and more play a prototype of the Catan: Crop Trust board game scenario in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. PHOTO Neil Palmer/Crop Trust.

66 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE COMPETE TO CONSERVE 67 CROP WILD RELATIVES

A Q&A with Hannes Dempewolf, Senior Scientist – Head of Global Initiatives, Crop Trust What are crop wild relatives? virus. Scientists screened thousands of wild They are the wild and weedy cousins of our samples of rice held in genebanks and found agricultural crops. They’re not farmed, and only one with resistance to the virus – a species sometimes they look quite different from the called Oryza nivara. But one was all they crops they’re related to. For example, some needed. This wild rice was crossbred with wild eggplants are green and have leaves with domesticated rice to produce a new, resistant enormous prickles; some wild bananas have variety that farmers quickly adopted. seeds so large and hard they could break your Currently, our partners at the International teeth. Potato Center in Peru are using wild relatives to develop new potatoes that are resistant to a Why are they of interest to scientists? disease called late blight – the fungus-like Crop wild relatives occupy a fascinating world pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in of plants that have been subject to little or no the 19th century. This is still a serious potato human influence, evolving in step with their disease, particularly in developing countries, environments for hundreds of thousands of and it’s likely to become more of a problem as a years. They’ve repelled pests and diseases, result of climate change. overcome extreme weather, and endured poor Other projects we’re coordinating are looking soils. That means they’re sturdy and resilient, at resistance to high temperatures and drought. even if they don’t produce much in the way of food. Nevertheless, our food crops originate Where can you find crop wild relatives? from wild species like these and humans have It varies. Some grow off the beaten track: on changed their evolutionary trajectories over the edges of deserts or remote areas that have urbanization, deforestation, roadbuilding, and experts – the people who know how to read thousands of years. That’s resulted in crops that rarely seen a human footprint. Some are found agriculture itself have all had an impact on the landscapes and look for clues – can help us find give bumper yields of tasty, edible grains, for on top of mountains or in dense tropical forests special habitats they occupy. Once a crop wild them in those environments. example, but sometimes it’s been at the expense that are hard to access. Others hide in plain relative is lost, it’s lost forever – that’s hundreds We’ve had a lot of success with this of other characteristics that might also be useful sight, on the edges of towns and cities, or in of thousands of years of evolution wiped out in approach. Luck also plays a role sometimes: – especially now – like tolerance to heat, and around farmers’ fields, growing as weeds, an instant. We support efforts to collect them to one of our collecting partners in Italy spotted a drought, or flooding. Some crop wild relatives for want of a better term. Our partners have ensure that their survival is not left to chance. wild relative of sweet pea (Lathyrus tuberosus) contain these traits, so they’re potentially very been collecting seeds of crop wild relatives in It’s the first step in conserving them and making while looking out of a train window. For the 25 useful for crop breeders looking to make our all sorts of places all over the world. them available to farmers and crop breeders. national partners we have been supporting for domesticated crops more hardy and productive. the past few years, the thrill of the chase can be Why is it important to collect seeds of crop How do you know exactly where to collect both exhausting and exhilarating. I’ve joined a Have crop wild relatives already been used to wild relatives? them? couple of these expeditions and these women improve our food crops? On the one hand, the fact that these plants still It’s usually a combination of advanced and men are extremely passionate about their Yes, they have been used extensively, with the exist in the wild means they are inherently computer modelling and good old human work. They have crossed alligator-infested main focus being disease resistance. A great “survivors”, and potentially a useful resource expertise. Computer models and information swamps in search of wild rice in Costa Rica, example comes from the 1970s, when Asian for crop improvement. But the big question is from past collecting efforts can help us and ridden elephants through tiger territory in rice farmers were experiencing huge crop how long they can continue to survive. Many pinpoint areas with the environmental Nepal. And when they find what they’re losses due to the brown planthopper – a bug crop wild relatives have become extinct as their conditions that we think might favor different looking for, it’s an incredible feeling of that spreads a rice virus called grassy stunt habitats come under threat: war, pollution, species. Next, plant specialists – including local excitement, but also relief.

70 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CROP WILD RELATIVES 71 Once the seeds are collected, what happens with breeders and farmers newly developed next? materials that have some “wildness” in them. After collecting, the seeds are conserved They will test these new plants in everyday in national genebanks in the country where conditions, to see if indeed they are more they were collected, and duplicates are sent to resilient, though still digestible and tasty for the Millennium Seed Bank and other important livestock. genebanks, which can make them available internationally and will ultimately back them What has surprised you the most about up in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Once working on the project? conserved, they can be researched. The process To just catch a glimpse of the sheer magnitude of testing, selecting, and crossing crop wild of biological diversity – and natural beauty – relatives with their domesticated counterparts that is encompassed by the wild relatives of our is called pre-breeding. As part of this process, crops is amazing. To then see how many under the Crop Wild Relatives Project, populations of these wild species teeter on the scientists are, for example, crossbreeding wild brink of extinction – often as a result of human carrots with domesticated varieties to make influence – is deeply troubling. And when the farmed types more tolerant to drought. considering the potential benefit of these This can be more difficult than it sounds: some species to our ability to feed ourselves, the idea crop wild relatives are so distant from their of losing them is simply terrifying. The irony of domesticated cousins that crossbreeding them how we actively destroy what could save us, is can be quite complicated. But it’s through not lost on us – it underscores the crucial All these activities are part of a single with an incredible group of partners in more pre-breeding and evaluating the results that importance of this project. project? than 40 countries and have been managing the we hope to see which crop wild relatives hold Some of the locations where our partners Yes, we call it the Crop Wild Relatives Project, collecting component jointly with our partners the most promise for improving our have collected have also been absolutely stunning but it has a longer name: Adapting Agriculture to from the Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal domesticated crops. Then they can enter into – from the lush forests of southern Nepal to the Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting and Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK. formal crop breeding programmes. deserts of Chile, the range of environments Preparing Crop Wild Relatives. It’s a ten-year where these wild species are found has been initiative – which is uncommon in today’s Which crop wild relatives is the project Is this already happening with any of the crop mind-blowing. It is really humbling to think of world of short project cycles – funded by the focusing on? wild relatives the project has collected? the thousands of years of evolution that have Government of Norway. It’s unique in that it It’s a big list! Alfalfa, apple, Asian and African It’s happening for example with eggplant in shaped these plants, and the results of which includes a wide range of activities ranging from rice, Bambara groundnut, banana/plantain, Spain, CÔte d’Ivoire, and Sri Lanka; with you’re witnessing when you find a crop wild identifying places where wild relatives still grow, barley, bean, carrot, chickpea, cowpea, durum potatoes in Peru and Kenya; and pearl millet in relative thriving in its natural habitat. It also collecting and conserving them, to preparing wheat/bread wheat, eggplant, faba bean, finger India and Niger. Another example is the wild gives you a lot of optimism that with each find, them for use by breeders and farmers. As the millet, grasspea, lentil, oat, pea, pearl millet, alfalfa being used in Kazakhstan, China, Chile, you could be helping to change the course of project name suggests, we’re looking for traits pigeon pea, potato, rye, sorghum, sunflower, and Australia. Alfalfa isn’t as widely known as agriculture for the better. from crop wild relatives that – once we have sweet potato, and vetch. Some are better a crop as eggplants or potatoes, but it’s a really crossed them with domesticated crops – allow known than others, but they’re all important in important livestock feed. Some of the wild Learn more about the project, the crops to grow in tougher environments, their own way, and all are listed under Annex 1 relatives came from desert-like areas, and Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, which many crops will likely face as a result of of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic these plants show good drought tolerance. In Protecting and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives, climate change. Through the project we work Resources for Food and Agriculture. the next few years our partners will be sharing VISIT www.cwrdiversity.org

72 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE CROP WILD RELATIVES 73 In a field at dawn, Petra Page-Mann is picking Here, in a chilly upstate New York squash squash. Although collectively known as patch early in the morning, is a good place to “winter squash” for their thick-skinned reflect – on appearances, on flavors, and on a ability to last right through a long continental harvest that is far older than Thanksgiving. The winter, here in the United States these prized name squash itself comes from a word used by vegetables of the harvest season are the northeastern Narragansett People: inseparable from autumn – and that most askutasquash. Petra’s butternut squash is a type culinary of holidays, Thanksgiving. of Cucurbita moschata, a species domesticated in Mexico more than 6,000 years ago and THE Ancient Americans, both North and South, planted across North America by the time domesticated five viny species of the genus Europeans arrived. Cucurbita into edible winter and summer All of this history leads up to the autumn’s squashes that, through thousands of years of harvest. Yet harvest is also a beginning. Petra, selection, have come to show some of the most the co-founder of Fruition Seeds in Naples, SQUASHES visible diversity of any global crop. Pumpkins New York, dedicates these fields to reproducing blend so closely into this diversity that they are and selling organic seeds of less-common often hard to classify apart from other varieties so current and future generations can squashes; many a so-called pumpkin pie is grow and cook with them. She is harvesting to really made from a near relative that is neither keep these varieties alive, and with them the OF round nor orange. traditions of organic farming and gardening. AUTUMN From domestication to dessert many other farms, now produces the Honeynut Zaid loves to grow something of everything squash, and its fame has spread among chefs. and is quick to try out new and different seeds At the same time, the effort has brought about a when he hears about them, either from breeders re-appraisal of the significance of old varieties like Mazourek or from the chefs he supplies. conserved in the Geneva collection and He’ll also pick a variety out of a catalog, “just to elsewhere. These old varieties may be grown by try it out”, and come harvest season, share a few, if any, gardeners and farmers today, but few samples with his customers. Now the they hold uncommon traits that can tempt rewards of the season lay spread out inside palates and inspire growers. high tunnels, ready for the market. In the lab, Shane Sullivan is slicing squashes Seeking diversity well beyond that found on down the middle to photograph their specific supermarket shelves, New York City chefs tend attributes – “to analyze the quality of their to buy these varieties straight from farmers – interior, for color, flavor and nutrition,” says sometimes ordering a whole season’s worth of Mazourik. Every variation is a piece of the squash and other vegetables with payment up breeding puzzle, unlocking idiosyncrasies and surprises. The old varieties may not suit the tight specifications of the modern supply chain – but a focus on flavor and diversity has brought them back to the cutting edge of squash experimentation. Small-town America is experimenting along in places like the Hazelnut Kitchen on Main Just 30 miles away in Geneva, New York, the But where do the seeds go from here? Some Street of Trumansburg, New York, which United States Department of Agriculture of them go to plant breeder Michael Mazourek offers an ever-changing menu based on locally (USDA) is participating in the same mission on at nearby Cornell University, where he and his sourced seasonal ingredients. Hazelnut a massive scale. Here in the Plant Genetic team develop new vegetable varieties for the Kitchen’s Sous-chef prepares a flavourful Resources Unit they have collected the seeds of Northeast through conventional breeding starter dubbed the “Plow Break Farm grown some 200 vegetable species, from squashes to techniques. Modern vegetable breeders tend to Row7Seeds Robin’s Koginut Squash”. Here a asparagus, radishes, and tomatillos. This apply these techniques to traits like high yield little pumpkin called the Koginut – bred by nationally important collection is a linchpin in and long shelf life for the needs of the Mazourek, sold by Row7Seeds – is offered three the long-term conservation and study of industrial food system. Mazourek, on the other different ways: roasted, toasted, and pureed, in squash diversity. Nancy Consolie, Biological hand, has been breeding for the greater a dragon tongue arugula salad, accompanied by Science Lab Technician, keeps the collection in resilience and lesser environmental impact of an apple cinnamon compote and cinnamon order while sending and receiving shipments crops in organic systems. And for something vinaigrette. of seeds from around the country. This else: flavor. Mazourek and his team work directly with morning, a shipment has arrived from USDA This all began with an attempt to breed a farmers to put the Honeynut, Koginut and Curator Dr. Claire Heinitz in Palier, California, more delicious butternut squash. The effort other varieties in the field. At Norwich Meadows who has recently been multiplying warm- was a triumph: dubbed the Honeynut, it is a Farm in Norwich, New York, Zaid Kurdieh has weather varieties that do not grow well in the small but flavor-packed butternut variant with harvested Honeynuts alongside a seemingly New York climate. ten times the sweetness. Fruition Seeds, among endless variety of other shapes and colors.

76 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE THE SQUASHES OF AUTUMN 77 actors in our food systems – from consumer to farmer to front, but more often seeking out the varieties Marlene Wilks grows a long list of vegetables a fire – the colonial precursor to the seed bank – who are doing their part in safeguarding, they want at farmers’ markets. Like most of in community garden lots and in her own Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. making available, and using crop diversity. these, Union Square Green Market springs up backyard. Though she and her husband hold Today’s pumpkin pies are just as often baked on a weekly schedule between apartments and other, non-agricultural jobs, they spend long from pre-processed pumpkins or brought For their unconditional support during our recent office blocks. hours in their urban gardens. As her customers home from the store. But experimentation #SquashInColor trip to the northeast region of the In the city, the season of harvest can be a are neighbors hailing from all over the world, with, and appreciation for, local squash United States, we would like to thank the following: East distant concept, diffused into whiffs of through the years she has grown an unusual diversity is back in a big way. New York Farms!; Fellenz Family Farm; Frerichs Farm; pumpkin spice coffee and tiny decorative diversity of international vegetables and herbs Fruition Seeds; Gramercy Tavern; Hazlenut Kitchen; gourds. But the real, edible truth arrives with on her small urban plots. But close to her own #CropsInColor is made possible by the generous MazLab Seed Farm, Cornell University; Norwich Meadows greater substance. Here, like strange living Caribbean heart are Jamaican squashes, close support of Corteva Agriscience. Farm; Row7Seeds; Stony Brook WholeHeartedFoods; artifacts sent from New York’s periphery and yet distinct relatives of the butternut. Untitled at the Whitney Museum; and USDA ARS. #CropsInColor celebrates the critical importance of its past, fabulous winter squashes have a Marlene’s style of urban agriculture is one crop diversity and its beauty and cultural relevance VISIT www.croptrust.org/our-mission/cropsincolor/ special power to turn heads. of many individual efforts that have grown into across different landscapes. It highlights many key Zaid is here with his squashes, introducing an organized movement all over New York City We all depend on seed banks ‘whether we realise it or not.

and far beyond. She is’ part of East New York the newest ones to Jenny Jones, purchasing manager from the restaurant Untitled at the Farms!, one of the pioneering programs for Whitney Museum of American Art. For many food justice, community building, and food urban shoppers, these forms can be as access. Beginning in 1998 with a single vacant intimidating as they are intriguing – but the lot and folding table, the program is now a focal professionals see something different when point for residents young and old to engage in they look at them. Jenny and Untitled’s gardening and food issues – and to get ahold of Executive Chef, Suzanne Cupps, are well versed just the right vegetables for their family recipes, in the demands and possibilities of winter whether for daily meals or a holiday spread. squash. Their job, as they see it, is to amaze In the kitchen of Untitled at the Whitney, their diners with the tastes, smells, colors, and Suzanne Cupps reveals one of the secrets of textures of the season, thereby connecting winter squash: how easy it really is to cook. them with farmers and the land. They achieve Taking a knife to a rock-hard butternut or this through their interpretations of pumpkin is a daunting start to any recipe, but unfamiliar produce – whether the varieties are it doesn’t have to be. For many uses, in fact, a brand new or very old. squash can be baked or roasted whole until it’s Meanwhile in Brooklyn, some squashes buttery soft. This preparation hearkens back to have been city-dwellers from the first sprout. the oldest American roots of this crop, and to In the neighborhood of East New York, stuffed, spiced pumpkins baked in the coals of

78 CROP TRUST MAGAZINE PICTURE CREDITS ACKS etc

DESIGN Design: Jim Smith Design Ltd PHOTO (@jimsmith_design www.jimsmithdesign. PRINT co.uk) Photo: see credits spreadsheet COPYRIGHT INFO Print: please insert Taylor Bros etc Copyright info: TBD FSC INFO THE CROP TRUST, Platz Der Vereinten Nationen 7, 53113 Bonn, Germany CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CT DATE OF PUBLICATION? +49 (0) 228 85427 122 [email protected]” LOGO Media Contact: +49 (0) 228 85427 141 media@ croptrust.org Date of Publication: Feb 2019