Ukraine is joining the global system for the conservation of plant genetic resources. In August 2026, it will become the 156th Contracting Party to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This will open access to a global gene pool of 2 million samples of the world’s most important agricultural crops.
In October, Ukraine will also transfer its first 1,000 seed samples of grain and forage crops to the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard.
Gaining full membership status opens strategic opportunities for scientific and practical development. Ukrainian researchers will gain access to the Treaty’s Global Information System (GLIS) for rapid data exchange and best practices. The ability to use global resources will allow Ukrainian breeders to develop new plant varieties resistant to pests, diseases, and changing climate conditions. A strong national breeding system is also a matter of national security, ensuring that in critical moments the country will not depend on seed supplies from other countries (mainly neighboring ones).
According to Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi, joining the International Treaty will give Ukraine access to a global system of plant genetic resources, which is critically important for breeding and rebuilding the agricultural sector. It will enable the creation of new varieties resistant to climate change and disease. In conditions of war and the loss of part of its genetic resources, this is an important step toward strengthening food security and ensuring the long-term resilience of the agricultural sector.
At the same time, integration into the global gene pool will help preserve Ukraine’s own achievements. Due to the war, domestic scientific collections have suffered significant losses, with many genetic collections located in occupied territories, making it critically important to protect existing resources.
The Secretary of the International Treaty, Kent Nnadozie, emphasized that Ukrainian genetic material is of great importance for global breeding. Ukraine has rich collections of wheat, barley, oats, legumes, and forage crops that are a foundation for food security in many regions of the world. Ukraine’s national gene bank is among the world’s top ten, holding a unique collection of over 154,300 samples from 2,002 plant species, nearly 57,000 of which are of Ukrainian origin. As a result of the war, the infrastructure of the bank has been damaged and the collection is under threat.
Thanks to coordinated efforts of the international community — FAO, the European Commission, NordGen, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and other partners — a Duplicate Center was established in November 2025 to safely preserve Ukrainian seeds, and full membership in the Treaty will further strengthen legal protection and international integration of Ukraine’s agricultural sector.
Accession to the Treaty is a logical continuation of the implementation of Ukraine’s National Strategy for the Development of Plant Genetic Resources for 2024–2028, aimed at ensuring protection, preservation, and sustainable development of national agriculture for present and future generations.
