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Notes from the Advisory Group meeting

Date: Monday, 20 October 2025
Time: 16:00 CEST (Bonn time)
Chair: Sarada Krishnan

Attendance​

  • Sarada Krishnan, Director of Programs, Crop Trust (Chair)
  • Vânia Azevedo, Interim Director, Genebank Accelerator, CGIAR
  • César Tapia, Head of INIAP-DENAREF, Ecuador

Apologies​

  • Maarten van Zonneveld, Head of Genetic Resources, World Vegetable Center

Technical Teams​

  • Ana Oliveira, Coordinator, Genebank Information Management, CGIAR
  • Matija Obreza, Head, Genebank Information Systems, Crop Trust
  • Christelle Rabil, Genesys Assistant, Crop Trust

Meeting Notes​

1. Welcome and Adoption of Agenda​

The meeting opened with a welcome from Sarada Krishnan. The agenda was adopted without additional items.

2. Role and Rotation of Chairperson​

The group agreed to rotate chairing responsibilities. Decision: Vânia Azevedo will chair the next meeting.

3. Action Points from Previous Meeting​

Governance Pages: Governance section added to GGCE website, including June meeting notes and draft agenda for October. Tutorials and guides are now online.

Terms of Reference: Updated to reflect current names and roles. Discussion on transparency: Ana suggested including both the 2023 MOU and 2025 operational framework on the site, with versioning for clarity. Group agreed to mention both documents and improve background context.

Composition of Advisory Group: Membership review deferred; current members will decide on expansion later.

4. Updates on GGCE Implementation​

Adoption Status​

Morocco is close to production, Australian Grains Genebank and Agrosavia (Colombia) making significant progress.

Capacity Building and Support​

Data management workshops held in Southern Africa; next workshop scheduled in Rabat, Morocco. Monthly Community of Practice meetings continue in English, Spanish, and French.

On-site visits in Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Pakistan; remote support for others.

Technical Progress​

New GGCE features include improved workflows, image upload integration with Genesys, and enhanced security. Online course under development with FAO Academy and Treaty, including GGCE module.

Funding​

The new Digitize Genebanks project at the Crop Trust will start in 2026 and will support 10 genebanks in West Africa and Latin America with GGCE adoption for 3 years, including IT infrastructure and training.

Updates from CGIAR genebanks​

Genebanks are at different stages and there is need for harmonized definitions of GGCE being “operational” vs. “implemented.”

  • Full adoption: WorldVeg, CIAT, AfricaRice, CIMMYT.
  • Ongoing adoption: IITA, ILRI, ICRISAT.
  • Dual systems/testing: ICARDA, CIP, Bioversity.
  • No report: IRRI.

Good progress is noted in clonal crops and Genesys integration. Closer collaboration among centers (e.g., CIP with CIAT and IITA on using GGCE for managing clonal collections) would be beneficial.

5. Planning for 2026 and Beyond​

Meeting Frequency: Agreed on two meetings per year (April and October), with extra calls if needed.

Priority Topics: GGCE implementation efficiency, coordination between CGIAR and Crop Trust for NARS support, and funding allocation based on center commitment and progress.

CGIAR Plans: Vânia shared survey results: prioritization for 2026 will focus on centers committed to full adoption (CIAT, CIMMYT, AfricaRice, IITA). Funding will be concentrated on centers with clear implementation plans.

6. Next Meeting​

  • Chairperson: Vânia Azevedo.
  • Date: To be confirmed via Doodle poll (likely April 2026).
  • Agenda: To be finalized closer to the meeting.

7. Any Other Business​

Ana announced departure from CGIAR, moving to a new position. CGIAR exploring options to fill Ana’s role.

Action Points​

  • Update GGCE website with October meeting summary and governance documents.
  • Send Doodle poll for next meeting dates.
  • CGIAR to finalize internal plan for GGCE implementation and funding priorities; share with Advisory Group after AGM.
  • Advisory Group to review membership and governance updates.