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Notes from the Advisory Group meeting

Date: Monday, 23 June 2026
Time: 16:00 GMT
Chair: Vânia Azevedo

Attendance​

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

Technical teams​

  • Matija Obreza, Head, Genebank Information Systems, Crop Trust
  • Christelle Rabil, Genesys Assistant, Crop Trust

Meeting notes​

1. Welcome and adoption of the agenda​

Vânia Azevedo opened the meeting. The agenda was presented, reviewed, and adopted.

2. Review of action points from the October 2025 meeting​

a. Governance documents​

The group agreed that governance documentation is generally available. Including the full MOU between the Crop Trust and CGIAR on the website is not a priority. They suggested these improvements:

  • Add a clear narrative on GGCE long-term funding.
  • Improve sustainability messaging.
  • Showcase current users, including a list of genebanks using GGCE, testimonials, and adoption status, to promote uptake more effectively than through formal agreements.

b. Membership composition​

The group reviewed representation across several areas:

  • ITPGRFA: The group unanimously approved adding the ITPGRFA Secretariat to support policy alignment and broader adoption.
  • European representation: European representation (e.g., EURISCO) was deferred to avoid regional imbalance, unless representatives from Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also added.
  • NARS representation: Expansion was deferred for one year to allow the group to gain experience with current operations.
  • International collections: WorldVeg remains the representative due to its involvement and role in training. The category was renamed "Other A15 Genebanks".

c. Coordination between Crop Trust and CGIAR teams​

Coordination updates:

  • The first technical coordination meeting took place on 10 June 2026.
  • Monthly coordination meetings will resume to ensure alignment.
  • The group discussed different needs: NARS often transition from manual or Excel systems, while CGIAR centers require advanced features such as mobile integration and QMS compliance.
  • CGIAR emphasized the need for co-investment to ensure GGCE meets higher requirements, which benefits all users.
  • An Alliance Bioversity and CIAT representative is visiting the Crop Trust in Bonn to review functions and align technical requirements for six CGIAR genebanks.

3. Crop Trust update on GGCE activities​

The Crop Trust reported progress on GGCE activities:

  • Adoption: Global adoption grew significantly and the demand for training increased.
  • Capacity building: A certified FAO Academy course and the "Securing Our Seeds" digitization project for Latin America and West Africa have been launched.
  • Geographic reach: GGCE is used in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Success stories include ICBA UAE and INRA Morocco.
  • Technical progress: Several releases were completed in 2026, and further improvements are planned.
  • Sustainability: Endowment funds support core activities, but funds for significant further development are limited.

4. Potential rebranding and renaming of GGCE​

This item was postponed to the next meeting due to time constraints.

5. Next meeting​

  • Frequency: Every six months.
  • Date: Planned for December 2026 (coordinated by the Crop Trust).
  • Chair: Sarada Krishnan was proposed.
  • Duration: 1.5 hours.
  • Representation: Maarten Van Zonneveld will be the alternate CGIAR representative.

6. Any other business​

Members emphasized the importance of representing their constituencies by gathering input from their networks. Balancing stable operational funding with investment in system development remains a strategic issue.

Action points​

Governance​

  • Review GGCE governance pages and propose improvements to sustainability and long-term financing messaging.
  • Develop an action plan to align GGCE technical priorities, balancing immediate NARS support with long-term CGIAR requirements and co-investment.
  • Add GGCE users, adoption status, and testimonials to the website.

Membership composition​

  • Invite the new WorldVeg representative.
  • Invite the ITPGRFA Secretariat to nominate a representative.

Next meeting​

  • Circulate date options for the December 2026 meeting.
  • Schedule the next meeting for 1.5 hours.

Proposed agenda for next meeting​

  • Present outcomes from CGIAR and Crop Trust discussions on needs alignment.
  • Nominate a CGIAR technical representative to replace the previous representative and report on activities.