The IVG is the world’s largest such bank, with over 65,000 genetic resources such as seeds, tissues, and DNA sequences from 155 countries
Taiwan’s Tainan City-based World Vegetable Center is working with global partners to increase food security by addressing the crises brought on by climate change, according to Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih.
The IVG is the world’s largest such bank, with over 65,000 genetic resources such as seeds, tissues, and DNA sequences from 155 countries. Additionally, the facility also possesses samples of over 12,000 green beans, and over 35,000 native Southeast Asian vegetables, the most complete collection assembled worldwide.
WVC’s International Vegetable Genebank, famous for its extensive collection of genes and outstanding research capacity, opened its renovated building on March 31. Chen delivered the remarks at the opening of the building. Stefan Schmitz, executive director of Crop Trust, and Gugu Shabangu, principal secretary for Eswatini’s Ministry of Agriculture, participated in the event.
Founded in May 1971 by the Asian Development Bank, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, and Taiwan with a mandate to work in tropical Asia, WVC, formerly known as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, established a seed bank in southern Taiwan’s Tainan County in the 1970s.
A lack of space and aging infrastructure plagued the facility after decades of use. In order to ensure the safety of seed samples, the MOA assisted the WVC in renovating the building and upgrading the IVG’s equipment in 2024.
The WVC has collaborated with the domestic public and private agricultural sectors on breeding over 40 new varieties of vegetables that can withstand disease, drought and heat, including tomatoes and pumpkins. WVC and ten MOA research institutes signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2024 to strengthen cooperation, according to the ministry.
