Global Crop Diversity Trust

The World Trust Fund for crop diversity (English: Global Crop Diversity Trust, GCDT ) is an independent international organization that has the goal of diversity of varieties of seeds of crops ( agro-biodiversity ) to preserve and keep available, to ensure the diet of the world's population.

History and Structure

The GCDT was founded in 2005 as a joint venture of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR ) in the form of a foundation. In 2006, the world Trust Fund concluded an agreement with the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (short: International Seed Treaty, International Seed Treaty ) in which this recognizes the Trust as an essential element of its strategy and as an independent scientific organization. GCDT has already deposited about 100 million U.S. dollars in funding for its goals by raising funds from many countries, organizations and companies.

The World Trust Fund has offices at the FAO and Bioversity International ( formerly known as the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, IPGRI ) in Rome. In the meantime ( 2013) it has its headquarters in Bonn.

Activities

First, the world Trust Fund is working to develop regional conservation strategies. The GCDT also works with the Norwegian government and the Nordic Gene Bank together in the construction of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a gene bank, the Reserve as collateral for existing seed gene banks on the island of Svalbard (Spitzbergen ) was built. The foundation stone was laid on 19 June 2006, the grand opening of the seed vault on 26 February 2008.