CGN: 40 years for food security, and for safeguarding biodiversity and our bio-cultural heritage

At the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), we preserve thousands of seeds, genes from plants, animals, and trees. The building blocks of life on Earth. This genetic variation is of great value, because in a world changing due to climate, disease, and pressure on biodiversity, these genes are the key to adaptation and survival. They enable us to grow stronger crops, breed resilient animals, and keep our food and landscapes diverse.

To secure genetic diversity for the long term, make it more accessible to all users, and increase the impact of the genebank, significant growth of the CGN genebank collections is needed. That is why Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is investing in new genebank facilities on Wageningen Campus, bringing together the current and future collections of plant and animal genetic material - now still spread across different locations - into a single new building.