Annual genebanks meeting 2025: Final report and action plan

The CGIAR Annual Genebanks Meetings (AGMs) have been organized every year in a
different part of the world since 2012, to allow interaction with NARS partners and
stakeholders. The 2025 AGM took place in Cusco, Peru, from 17 to 20 November. For the first
time, the meeting was held on a global, rather than regional scale, with countries from every
continent represented. The aim was to discuss the role of the CGIAR Genebanks in a Global
System of genetic resources conservation while also promoting interaction among regions, an
approach that was positively received by participants.
Over 80 participants from 43 countries took part in the 4-day meeting discussing key topics
such as Biodiversity Conservation, the Global System of Genetic Resources Conservation,
Capacity Strengthening, Cryopreservation, the conservation of vegetable diversity in Latin
America, Vegetable Biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa, Germplasm Health, as well as
fundraising strategies for the Global System including support to both CGIAR Genebanks and
more importantly, to National Partners. The fourth day of the meeting included a visit to the
Potato Park in Pisac, a sanctuary of cultural heritage and biodiversity in the Andes. Attendees
learned about and visited potato conservation facilities and the community seedbank managed
in the Park by the Quechua-speaking indigenous communities of the area.
The objective of this report is to register and operationalize the results of the AGM to generate
action points for the CGIAR Genebanks in collaboration with its partners. The AGMs have
proven to be extremely useful in bridging gaps between entities, systems and organizations
who would not otherwise meet and discuss goals, challenges and needs. Nonetheless, it is
important to track outcomes of such meetings to generate key actions and lead to positive
change in the field of PGRFA conservation.