Ukraine Becomes 156th Member of Global Plant Genetic Resources Treaty

Ukraine has officially deposited its instrument of accession to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, making it the 156th member of the global pact. The historic agreement, overseen by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), establishes a legal framework for countries to exchange and conserve plant materials safely.

 International Treaty Secretary Kent Nnadozie welcomed Ukraine to the community, highlighting that the nation holds collections of wheat, barley, oats, and legumes that are of critical global importance to crop improvement and international food security. The move marks a crucial step toward protecting Ukraine's highly ranked national genebank, which preserves over 154,300 samples across roughly 2,000 plant species. Following infrastructure damage caused by the escalation of war in 2022, the international community partnered with the FAO to secure the at-risk collections, ultimately opening a dedicated Duplicate Center in late 2025. Joining the treaty grants Ukrainian researchers and plant breeders full access to the treaty's Multilateral System, a massive global pool of more than two million crop samples used to engineer varieties resistant to changing climates and diseases.

As part of its immediate commitment to the treaty and its national development strategy, Ukraine plans to deposit more than 1,000 seed samples of grain and forage crops at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in October 2026. This security backup will include key regional crops such as maize, buckwheat, rye, and legumes. Officials emphasize that the partnership will significantly bolster the long-term resilience and restoration of Ukraine's agricultural sector while expanding the international community's shared defense against global food shortages.

For more details, read the FAO news release.