Vania Azevedo: A Fighter for Plant Genetic Resources

ICRISAT’s Head of Genebank discusses her past work and shares her thoughts on the role of CGIAR genebanks now and her vision for the future.

On International Women’s Day, we speak to a rising star in the CGIAR genebank community. Vania Azevedo recently took over as the Head of Genebank at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) after a rewarding career working in plant genetic resources with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). Vania has applied a fighter’s instinct – she trained for three years as a boxer! – to ensure the crop diversity entrusted to her is safeguarded. The Crop Trust’s Michael Major recently delved into Vania’s past work and picked her brain for her thoughts on the role of CGIAR genebanks now and her vision for the future.