BOLD News
If you are a journalist and would like to know more about BOLD, click here
Plan B for Backup: Sweetpotato Seeds Go to Svalbard
There’s a sweetpotato variety in Papua New Guinea called “Gimane.” But farmers prefer to call it “I don’t care.” Gimane earned this name because it doesn’t care – it grows well with almost no inputs, making it a hassle-free crop....
19 Feb 2025
Safeguarding Indonesian Crop Diversity: A Q&A with Standy Christianto
The Borneo Institute Foundation (BIT) was founded in 2007 to support the independence and culture of Indonesia’s Dayak community. Based in Central Kalimantan, a region rich in biodiversity, BIT works with farmers in the Manuhing...
12 Feb 2025
Alta Sierra Alfalfa Gives High Hopes to Farmers in the Atacama Desert and Beyond
“Alfalfa is what our livelihoods depend on, what our animals eat. It is important for my family now, and it was for former generations – double the value,” says Mauricio Moyo, a smallholder farmer in the Putre region of Chile’s At...
27 Nov 2024
The New York Times: The World’s Doomsday Plant Vault Gets Thousands of New Seeds
The world’s seed savers are racing to safeguard the world’s crop diversity in “the world’s doomsday garden shed,” writes Amelia Nierenberg in her The New York Times report of the final 2024 depositor event at the Svalbard Global...
29 Oct 2024
Svalbard Global Seed Vault Historic Deposit Bolsters Food Security Amid Crises
LONGYEARBYEN, SVALBARD, October 23, 2024 - The Svalbard Global Seed Vault received yesterday a deposit of more than 30,000 new seed samples from 23 depositors across 21 countries, including seven international genebanks. This...
23 Oct 2024
400-Year-Old Bolivian Newcomer Ships Seeds to Svalbard
A 400-year-old university in Bolivia is set to become the latest depositor to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, thanks to support from the Government of Norway, channeled through the Crop Trust.
Founded in 1624, the Universidad...
21 Oct 2024
Crop Chronicles Podcast: Barley - Beyond Bread and Beer
In this episode of Crop Chronicles podcast, we journey to Morocco to explore the fascinating story of barley—a resilient crop that has sustained civilizations for millennia. Host Conrad introduces us to scientists Anna...
11 Oct 2024
El País: Wild Wheat - The Key to Food Security in a Warming World
Farmers have saved a billion liters of fungicide through disease-resistant wheat varieties, which owe their resilience to genes from wild relatives. However, climate change and evolving pathogens require further research into...
30 Sep 2024
Crop Chronicles Podcast: The Unsung Hero of the Steppe - Alfalfa
In this episode of the Crop Chronicles podcast, we explore the history of Alfalfa, the ancient crop that transformed the vast steppes of Central Asia. Journey with us through the windswept plains and discover how alfalfa spread...
5 Sep 2024
Kauke Alfalfa Gives Farmers’ Livelihoods a Boost in Chile’s Central Valley
“It produced tremendous amounts, beyond my expectations, especially during the summer months, when nothing else grows. So, I cut the alfalfa and stored it away to feed my horses during those harsh months.”
Juan Luis Acuña...
23 Aug 2024
Pre-breeding Explained: A Project by Minerva University Students
The Crop Trust partnered with Minerva University through its Civic Projects initiative, bringing together the creative energies of undergraduate students with the expertise of scientists to enhance global crop diversity. Over the...
12 Aug 2024
Crop Chronicles Podcast: Durum Wheat - The Battle Against Drought
In this episode of the Crop Chronicles podcast, we delve into the world of Durum Wheat, a staple in Mediterranean diets, and its fight for survival amidst Morocco's severe drought. Join us as we traverse the arid landscapes of...
29 Jul 2024
Pre-Breeding For Dummies With Anna Backhaus
It's April. Night is falling in Agadir, a coastal Moroccan city bordering the southern Atlantic coast, and Anna is talking about her pre-breeding work and the day's experiences, which included visiting farmers in an isolated rural...
23 Jul 2024
Crop Trust Joins VACS Implementer's Group to Strengthen Response to Global Hunger and Malnutrition With Opportunity Crops
Texcoco, Mexico, July 11, 2024 – The Crop Trust, a global organization dedicated to the conservation of crop diversity, is proud to announce its membership in the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Implementer's Group. The...
11 Jul 2024
Crop Diversity Meets Climate Policy in Bangkok
Climate and food security policy merged lanes at an international workshop in Bangkok to explore their untapped synergies.
More than 20 participants from Bhutan, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam attended...
8 Jul 2024