Marking the 40th anniversary of its inception, Bioversity International has issued a press release and a video message that provide an overview of its work and the evolution of its mandate.
26 June 2014: Marking the 40th anniversary of its inception, Bioversity International has issued a press release and a video message that provide an overview of its work and the evolution of its mandate.
The press release describes how Bioversity International’s mandate has expanded from securing the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) to a wider purview that includes research to broaden understanding of the role of agricultural biodiversity in food systems. The release describes Bioversity International’s role within the CGIAR Consortium, key programmes and partner institutions around the world as well as several milestone achievements.
The video message, delivered by World Food Prize Laureate, Professor M.S. Swaminathan, lauds Bioversity International’s role as a catalyst for agricultural biodiversity conservation and the contribution of its research to improving food security.
Bioversity International was founded in 1974 under the name, International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR). In 1994 it was renamed the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and began operating as a member of the CGIAR Consortium. In 2006, IPGRI merged with the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) to become Bioversity International. [Bioversity International Press Release][Video Message]