Message from the Secretary
As we move through 2026, it is both timely and important to reflect on the path we have travelled and renew our shared commitment to the future. For the International Treaty, 2025 was a year of reflection, resolve and renewed determination. It reminded us that safeguarding plant genetic resources for food and agriculture is both technically complex and shaped by collective aspirations, difficult negotiations, and a shared responsibility to present and future generations.
Last year was marked most prominently by the Eleventh Session of the Governing Body (GB-11), co-hosted in Lima by the governments of Peru and Switzerland. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to our co-hosts, whose leadership and cooperation provided the conditions for constructive dialogue and engagement.
The Session brought together Contracting Parties, farmers’ organizations, civil society, international organizations, researchers and partners from across the Treaty community. It demonstrated both the vitality of the Treaty and the diversity of voices shaping its evolution.
Discussions were intense and often challenging, particularly regarding the long-standing efforts to enhance the Multilateral System (MLS). Despite years of work, significant investment of time and resources, and the genuine commitment of many, we were not able to reach the outcome sought on this critical issue. While this was a moment of disappointment for many in our community, it also underscored a fundamental reality of multilateral processes: progress is rarely linear and meaningful outcomes are often forged through persistence, trust and continued engagement.
What emerged clearly from GB-11 was the resilience and determination of the Treaty community. Our shared commitment to conserving crop diversity, promoting the sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), and ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits remains strong. Advancing Farmers’ Rights and preserving agricultural heritage continue to lie at the core of our collective efforts.
The early months of 2026 have already brought important milestones for global crop diversity. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault welcomed new deposits from genebanks around the world, securing thousands of seed samples and reinforcing the safety net for the crops that feed humanity.
At the same time, the International Treaty marked a historic step by preserving key records and materials in the Arctic World Archive, safeguarding not only seeds but also the knowledge, agreements and institutional memory that underpin international cooperation on PGRFA. Together, these milestones highlight the growing recognition that both biodiversity and the knowledge that sustains it must be secured for the future.
Our work continues with clear sense of purpose. The challenges facing global food systems, biodiversity and farmers demand sustained cooperation, mutual trust and innovation. Advancing Farmers’ Rights, strengthening capacity development, further developing the Global Information System, and promoting the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA will remain central priorities for the Treaty community.
This year will also place a well-deserved spotlight on the people who steward agricultural biodiversity every day. The designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer offers an important opportunity to recognize the indispensable role of women in conserving seeds, sustaining agricultural knowledge, and strengthening resilient agrifood systems.
The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists will likewise highlight communities whose stewardship of landscapes contributes to sustainable agriculture across many regions of the world.
The International Treaty remains a cornerstone of global cooperation to safeguard the diversity of the crops that feed humanity. Our shared task is clear: to strengthen collaboration, support farmers and researchers, and ensure that plant genetic resources continue to serve present and future generations.
Every seed conserved, every partnership strengthened, and every act of cooperation brings us closer to more resilient and sustainable food systems. The diversity we protect today is the foundation upon which tomorrow’s agriculture will depend.
Together, we will continue to safeguard this shared heritage and translate it into opportunity for farmers, for communities and for the generations that will follow.
Because in the end, our collective future, our food, our resilience, and our hope, truly all begins with a seed.
I thank all members of the Treaty community for their dedication, resilience and unwavering commitment, and I look forward to the progress we will achieve together in the period ahead.
@PlantTreaty
#ItAllStartsWithTheSeed