The Crop Trust and IRRI renew their commitment to safeguarding rice diversity in perpetuity

IRRI was the first genebank to fulfill all the quality standards required to receive perpetual funding

Berlin, Germany, 15 November 2023 – The Crop Trust and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) renewed their shared commitment to the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources through the International Rice Genebank during a signing ceremony at the sidelines of the Global Crop Diversity Summit in Berlin.

The Crop Trust Executive Director, Dr. Stefan Schmitz, and IRRI Interim Director General, Dr. Ajay Kohli, signed a Statement of Collaboration which sets forth new plans for the International Rice Genebank for the next five years, in accordance with their Long-term Partnership Agreement originally signed in October 2018 .

Hosted in IRRI’s Los Baños Philippines headquarters, the International Rice Genebank is the world’s largest rice genebank which holds, in trust, over 132,000 varieties of cultivated and wild rice originating from 132 countries. It is one of 10 CGIAR global genebanks that manage diverse collections of agricultural crops for the common public good. It is also the first genebank to receive long-term support from the Crop Trust’s Endowment Fund , which provides a sustainable, long-term financing mechanism for the important work of protecting crop diversity.

Left: The Crop Trust Executive Director, Dr. Stefan Schmitz, and IRRI Interim Director General, Dr. Ajay Kohli, signed a Statement of Collaboration in Berlin. Dr. Venuprasad Ramaiah, head of the International Rice Genebank, was also present at the signing. Right: Dr. Ramaiah welcomes guests at the International Rice Genebank in IRRI’s HQ in Los Baños, Philippines.

“Crop diversity has never been more important. It underpins the productivity, resilience, and adaptive capacity of agriculture. It is the reason behind the existence and importance of genebanks. To…