NZ gives $10 million for the conservation of Pacific crop seeds

Farmers can now expect to get improved access to seeds and planting materials that will maintain and hopefully increase their yields despite the impacts of climate change as the New Zealand Government has provided $10 million for the conservation of Pacific crop seeds.

The money will be allocated to the Fiji based Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees, which since 1998 has been conserving the region’s collections of 17 crops including yam, coconut and 70 percent of the world’s taro varieties.

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern says climate change is a major threat to Pacific agriculture, putting our region’s food security at risk and this investment will increase the Pacific’s resilience by ensuring the region’s seeds and plant materials are preserved and protected for future generations.

She says we are now seeing the knock on effect of climate change with more extreme weather events like cyclones and droughts leading to outbreaks of pests and diseases that can be devastating for food production.

Ardern further says climate change and extreme weather are impacting crop yields and reducing supply which exacerbates food insecurity and increases food prices.

She says this is an investment in the long-term food security of our region.

The New Zealand Prime Minister adds the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees plays a vital role in conserving and facilitating access to the region’s plant genetic resources.

She adds the investment will help the Centre to scale up its work, which also includes conducting research into developing new climate resilient varieties of crops that are resistant to drought, pests and diseases.

Ardern says another important function of the Centre is the distribution of seeds and plant materials to farmers across the region, and part of this additional funding will also be utilised to improve those distribution systems.

NZ Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says the CePaCT support is made possible through Aotearoa New Zealand’s $1.3 billion climate financing commitment for 2022–2025, half of which is dedicated to mitigation and adaptation measures in the Pacific” said.

Mahuta adds it will see $5 million provided to CePaCT directly and $5 million provided to the Global Crop Diversity Trust, for the world’s plant genebanks.

$5 million provided to the Global Crop Diversity Trust Endowment Fund (the funding mechanism for the world’s plant genebanks) will ensure ongoing funding to CePaCT from trust income in perpetuity.