Daniel Debouck

Citizen of Belgium, he holds a degree of Engineer, a Certificate in Tropical Agronomy and a PhD in plant sciences from the Agronomical University of Gembloux, Belgium. Has worked for the Ministry of Agriculture of Belgium in crop physiology. Has worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in genetic resources of grain legumes. Has worked for the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) together with thirteen national programs of the Americas in bean genetic resources (over 3,400 new samples, 20 new species of Phaseolus described, 44 germplasm explorations in 1978-2024). With support of the Interamerican Development Bank has coordinated for the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources two regional projects in neotropical fruits (Passifloraceae and Sapotaceae). Has worked as adviser to the Consultative Group for International 
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) for the preparation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development of 1992 and the Convention on Biological Diversity (1990-1992), and of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (1996-2001). Head of the CIAT genebank in 1996-2017 (over 67,000 accessions of beans, cassava and tropical forages, 74 Staff, five stations, three labs). He provided technical information for the building of CIAT new genebank (2013-2020). Did the changes to upgrade the genebank up to international standards, an outcome of which is the long-term partnership agreement with the Global Crop Diversity Trust signed in April 2023. Has been instrumental for the revision and rebuttal of the patent on a yellow bean (USPTO 5,894,079). He has presented 175 conferences on topics related to crop genetic resources in conferences held in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Contributed to the establishment of the master’s degree in neotropical plant genetic resources at Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Palmira in 1994. Scientific adviser and contributor to the first distance education course held in the CGIAR in 2004-2005. Referee for 18 scientific international journals. Currently author and co-author of 26 book chapters and 117 research papers (including one monograph). Has evaluated the technical quality of agrobiodiversity projects for funding agencies in the USA, Belgium, Colombia, Mexico, Kenya and Panama. With students and colleagues, his research has been seminal for the definition of six races in common bean, the double domestication in Lima bean, the fifth case of domestication, the early Quaternary trans isthmic migrations and the taxonomy of Phaseolus. Awardee of the 2010 Frank N. Meyer Medal for plant genetic resources, Officer of the Order of Léopold, Belgium, in 2017, the Legacy Award of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in 2018. CIAT Emeritus in September 2020. As Visiting Researcher at CIAT, he continues writing and providing advice to students and colleagues on Neotropical plant genetic resources.