Amid huge challenges for global food security, one crucial topic will be debated this month in Lima: How do we adapt our crops and seeds for an uncertain future?
The stakes could not be higher for the billions of human beings who are most vulnerable to the lack of sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food. From Nov. 24, governments from around the world will gather in Peru’s capital for five days for a critical meeting on the future of our food system. The gathering brings together 154 countries and the European Union to collaborate and cooperate on issues that affect what we eat and how we grow it.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, conflict, and economic instability are placing unprecedented pressure on agriculture. The geopolitical environment is undergoing rapid change, straining multilateral collaboration. At the heart of our response lies crop diversity — the wealth of seeds, varieties, and genes nurtured by Indigenous communities, farmers, and plant breeders across centuries.
About the authors
Alwin Kopse
Alwin Kopse is head of international affairs at the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, representing Switzerland in international fora. Kopse is the chair of the Governing Body of the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and of the International Advisory Panel of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
Kent Nnadozie
Kent Nnadozie is the secretary of the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. A lawyer by training, he has worked in intergovernmental processes, legal and policy matters at the United Nations FAO. Nnadozie had also been in private legal practice and academic research.
Stefan Schmitz
Stefan Schmitz has led the Crop Trust as executive director since 2020. Previously, he directed BMZ’s “One World – No Hunger” initiative and chaired the Steering Committee of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. With a background in food security, rural development, and international cooperation, he holds a doctorate in geosciences from the Free University of Berlin.
