CATIE contributes to genomics and regional cooperation to strengthen genebanks in Latin America

• Publication in Global Food Security highlights the work of the Community of Practice for Genebanks in Latin America and the Caribbean.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) is part of regional efforts to strengthen national genebanks through the use of genomic tools and interinstitutional collaboration, as documented in the scientific article “Strengthening national genebanks through genomics and regional collaboration: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean,” recently published in the journal Global Food Security.

The study presents the progress and initial results of the Community of Practice (CoP) for Genebanks in Latin America and the Caribbean, an initiative launched in 2022 by CGIAR centers and strategic partners. The CoP brings together national genebanks, research institutions, and international organizations to strengthen capacities for generating, analyzing, and using digital sequence information (DSI), in support of the conservation and use of plant genetic resources.

Through its institutional contribution, CATIE manages a genebank that conserves collections of high food relevance for the region, such as beans, maize, tomato, and squash. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of these collections makes it possible to add value to conserved germplasm and expand its potential use in research and breeding programs.

“Enhancing knowledge of the genetic diversity safeguarded by genebanks is essential to transform conservation into concrete solutions for producers and food systems in the region,” explains William Solano, researcher in CATIE’s Agroforestry and Genetic Improvement of Coffee and Cacao Unit.

Within the framework of the Community of Practice, of which CATIE is a member, digital sequence information for common bean, maize, and potato was developed and analyzed, and gaps were identified in data sharing and policy frameworks for access to genetic resources. Looking ahead, the initiative proposes conducting diversity analyses, establishing regional core collections, integrating existing global data portals, and promoting policy harmonization to support genomic characterization and access to diversity.

The publication underscores the strategic role of genebanks as bridges between conservation and use, contributing to crop improvement, climate change adaptation, and food and nutritional security at national, regional, and global levels.

You can read the full publication at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912425000744