CATIE completes international seed shipment for the global safeguarding of agricultural biodiversity

• More than 1,100 seed accessions were secured at one of the world’s leading plant conservation centers, strengthening food security and agricultural research.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) completed its second international shipment of orthodox seeds for safeguarding, as part of the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihood, and Development (BOLD), funded by Crop Trust. The material arrived on January 9, 2026, at the facilities of the World Vegetable Center, marking the successful completion of a process that began in 2023.

Within the framework of the project, CATIE achieved the regeneration of 1,100 seed accessions with the aim of increasing their availability for farmers and research centers. The material includes 620 accessions of squash (Cucurbita moschata), 190 of chili pepper (Capsicum spp.), and 290 of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).

In addition to increasing the quantity of seeds per accession, the project included the creation of safety duplicates to ensure the long-term conservation of germplasm. The first duplicate was sent in 2025 to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, while this second shipment to the World Vegetable Center completes the international safeguarding strategy.

“The importance of this process lies in the fact that the germplasm is protected against potential local losses and, at the same time, strengthens CATIE’s capacity to respond to future seed demands—both regionally and globally—for emergencies, research, or production needs,” said Daniel Fernandez, Specialist in orthodox seed conservation.

With this milestone, CATIE reaffirms its commitment to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity, food security, and equitable access to key genetic resources for sustainable development.