Biodiversity International

Biodiversity International is an international research-for-development organization focused on agricultural biodiversity, plant genetic resources, and sustainable use of crop and tree diversity. Located in Rome, the organization engages with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research to support conservation, utilization, and equitable benefit-sharing. Its work intersects with global processes such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

History

The organization traces roots to the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources established amid debates at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization during the 1960s and 1970s, responding to concerns raised by events like the Green Revolution and the International Rice Research Institute’s efforts. In 1993 the body engaged with the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and later aligned with frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Rio Earth Summit. Renamed in 2006, it joined the CGIAR consortium and forged links with institutions including the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, the Bioversity International predecessor organizations, and the International Potato Center to expand mandates on crop wild relatives and genebank networks. Through the 2000s and 2010s it collaborated with World Agroforestry Centre, CIMMYT, ICRISAT, and the Global Crop Diversity Trust to respond to challenges from the International Plant Protection Convention and climate change documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Mandate and Governance

The mandate is shaped by international instruments such as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and guidance from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes. Governance mechanisms link the organization with entities like the CGIAR System Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and national ministries from countries such as India, Brazil, China, Kenya, and Italy. Oversight engages boards and donor councils modeled after governance at the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and the European Commission funding panels, while technical advisory ties extend to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Natural History Museum, London.

Research and Programs

Research portfolios encompass conservation of crop wild relatives, characterization of plant genetic resources, participatory breeding, and on-farm diversity under projects with CIMMYT, IRRI, ICARDA, CIAT, and CGIAR centers. Programs target staples and neglected crops including wheat work with CIMMYT partners, rice initiatives with IRRI networks, and root and tuber programs linked to the International Potato Center and CIAT; tree diversity projects involve collaborations with World Agroforestry Centre and CIFOR. Activities include genebank management, digital sequence information engagement under the Nagoya Protocol, community seed systems with Farmers’ Organizations, and climate-resilience breeding aligned with models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and methodologies used by FAO and the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

Partnerships and Funding

Partnerships span multilateral and bilateral actors such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Global Environment Facility, the European Union, and national agencies from Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. Research partnerships involve the CGIAR centers including CIMMYT, IRRI, CIAT, ICRISAT, and CIP, plus academic collaborators like University of California, Davis, University of Wageningen, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. Philanthropic and trust funders include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and multilateral funders such as the World Bank. Project-level collaborations extend to Conservation International, IUCN, WWF, and regional bodies including the African Union and the Regional Plant Protection Organizations.

Impact and Achievements

The organization has supported genebanks, seed systems, and policy instruments that contributed to global conservation priorities of the Convention on Biological Diversity and operationalized commitments under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Achievements include facilitating access and benefit-sharing mechanisms in dialogues with the Nagoya Protocol negotiators, improving conservation of crop wild relatives used by breeding programs such as those at CIMMYT and IRRI, and strengthening national seed systems in partnership with ministries from India, Ethiopia, Peru, and Kenya. Work has informed reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and supported implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by enhancing genetic diversity for food security used by projects funded by the Global Environment Facility and the European Commission. Through alliances with institutions like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Smithsonian Institution, and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, it has contributed to scientific publications, policy guidance, and capacity building recognized across the United Nations system.

Category:International organizations