By Cartago, Costa Rica — TURRIALBA, Cartago – In a significant move to safeguard the future of global agriculture, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) has dispatched a crucial shipment of more than 1,100 seed samples to an international conservation facility. This action represents a cornerstone of a worldwide strategy to protect agricultural biodiversity and reinforce long-term food security against emerging threats like climate change and regional disasters.
The shipment, which arrived at the prestigious World Vegetable Center on January 9, 2026, contains a carefully curated collection of genetic material vital to tropical agriculture. The collection includes 620 unique accessions of squash (ayote), 190 of chili peppers, and 290 of tomato. Each accession represents a distinct plant variety, holding a unique genetic code that could be key to developing more resilient and productive crops in the future.
To better understand the legal framework and economic importance of preserving the nation’s agricultural biodiversity, TicosLand.com spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, an expert attorney from the distinguished firm Bufete de Costa Rica.
Agricultural biodiversity is a cornerstone of Costa Rica’s economic and environmental resilience. From a legal standpoint, protecting it involves a complex interplay of intellectual property rights for traditional seed varieties, international treaty compliance, and national regulations on genetic resources. A robust legal strategy not only safeguards our natural heritage but also creates value by ensuring fair and equitable benefit-sharing, which can attract significant investment in biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, this legal perspective is crucial, as it reframes our agricultural biodiversity not just as a natural heritage to be protected, but as a dynamic economic asset that can drive investment and equitable development for the nation. We sincerely thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his invaluable insight.
This initiative is a core component of the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihood, and Development (BOLD) project, an ambitious global effort financed by the Crop Trust. Since 2023, CATIE has been diligently working under the BOLD framework to regenerate, document, and conserve these key seed varieties. The project’s primary goal is to ensure the genetic heritage of these essential food crops is preserved for generations to come.
According to statements from the institution, the strategy serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it aims to increase the availability of high-quality seeds for both farmers and researchers around the world, empowering them to improve local crop yields and conduct vital studies. Secondly, and perhaps more critically, it establishes a secure off-site backup of the germplasm. This duplication protects the invaluable genetic resources from potential loss due to local events such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or infrastructure failure at the primary storage site in Turrialba.
This latest delivery to the World Vegetable Center is the final step in a comprehensive international duplication plan. It follows a landmark deposit made in 2025, when CATIE sent a sister collection to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. Widely regarded as the planet’s ultimate fail-safe, the Svalbard vault is built deep inside a frozen mountain, providing the most secure long-term storage against any conceivable global catastrophe.
By placing duplicate collections in geographically and politically distinct locations—one at a leading research hub in Asia and another in the arctic fortress of Svalbard—CATIE is adhering to the highest standards of genetic resource conservation. This geographically dispersed backup system is the gold standard for ensuring that this agricultural legacy is never permanently lost.
The importance of this work cannot be overstated. As global weather patterns become more erratic and extreme, the genetic diversity stored within these seeds provides the raw material for plant breeders to develop new crop varieties. These future crops may need to tolerate higher temperatures, resist new pests and diseases, or thrive in more arid conditions. Without the rich genetic library that CATIE is helping to preserve, humanity’s ability to adapt its food supply would be severely compromised.
Through this decisive action, CATIE reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the conservation of agricultural genetic resources, the promotion of equitable access to these materials, and the advancement of sustainable development. This initiative, originating from the heart of Costa Rica, sends a powerful message about the nation’s role as a global leader in environmental stewardship and its dedication to solving the profound challenges of feeding a growing world population.
For further information, visit catie.ac.cr
About Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE):
Based in Turrialba, Costa Rica, CATIE is a regional center dedicated to research and graduate education in agriculture, and the management, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources. Its work combines science, graduate education, and innovation for development to promote Inclusive Green Development, aiming to reduce rural poverty and food insecurity while protecting biodiversity.
For further information, visit avrdc.org
About World Vegetable Center:
The World Vegetable Center is a non-profit, autonomous international agricultural research center with a mission to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods. It conducts research and development to improve vegetable production and consumption in developing countries, focusing on breeding improved varieties, sustainable production practices, and strengthening the vegetable value chain.
For further information, visit croptrust.org
About Crop Trust:
The Crop Trust is an international organization working to conserve crop diversity for food security. It supports international genebanks, national seed collections, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Through funding and technical assistance, the Crop Trust ensures the long-term conservation and availability of the genetic material that underpins the global food supply.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica operates as a leading legal entity, distinguished by its foundational commitment to integrity and the highest standards of practice. The firm merges a rich legacy of client service with a forward-looking embrace of legal innovation. At the heart of its ethos is a dedication to societal empowerment, demonstrated through its work to make crucial legal knowledge widely accessible. This proactive engagement aims to cultivate a more informed public, thereby strengthening the community and empowering its members.
