Taiwan News: World Vegetable Center Upgrades Genebank in Tainan
Ribbon-cutting at the renovated WorldVeg Genebank with Taiwan’s Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih, Crop Trust ED Stefan Schmitz, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-cher, and Ambassador Hsiao Jeffrey S. Chung. Photo: WorldVeg
31 March 2025
The World Vegetable Center’s genebank was recently renovated and officially inaugurated at a public ceremony in Tainan on Monday.
Originally funded in 2010 by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the facility was established as a professional genebank for conserving germplasm such as seeds, tissue, and DNA sequences. After decades of operation, ageing storage infrastructure began affecting seed preservation, prompting modernization efforts that also improved energy efficiency, per UDN.
Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said the genebank upgrade reflects Taiwan’s commitment to global food security and sustainable agriculture. Preserving and sharing vital vegetable seed resources will enable future generations to better respond to climate change and enhance nutritional value while reinforcing global seed system resilience.
Stefan Schmitz, executive director of the Crop Trust, said the genebank plays a vital role in safeguarding the future of vegetable diversity. With the completed modernization, these valuable seed resources can be provided to breeders, researchers, and farmers to help develop climate-resilient, high-yield vegetable crops.
Categories: For The Press, For Partners, Food Security, Nutritional Security