Emile Frison,
Bioversity International Director General

We didn’t change our name simply for the sake of change. Our organization has evolved over the years and the old name, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, respected as it was, simply no longer adequately reflected the work we do.

We are a research organization dedicated to conserving and using biodiversity, but the scope of our work extends far beyond plant genetic resources. We are working with our research collaborators to conserve all types of biodiversity, including animal, aquatic and even microbial genetic resources.

What’s more, our research is about much more than genetic resources and genetics. It’s about people. People are at the centre of everything we do.

We don’t measure our success by calculating the amount of germplasm saved in genebanks and laboratories or the number of varieties and species conserved.  It is measured in the tangible benefits our research brings to the people of the world, especially those living in poverty and hunger in developing countries. We are committed to working with an international network of partners to produce research that helps conserve and harness biodiversity to secure dignified and sustainable livelihoods for the poor, provide better nutrition to the undernourished and protect threatened ecosystems.

So to better reflect the scope and nature of our work we chose a new name, Bioversity International.

In fact, more than selecting a new name, we have coined a whole new word. We believe ‘Bioversity’ evokes a constellation of ideas that unites biodiversity with other concepts that are central to our work. The name suggests ‘universe’ and ‘universality’, which evoke the immensity of the natural world and the belief in the value of working together for common good of humanity. Also, our new name conjures up the idea of a university, which is in keeping with our science and research activities. Like a university, we are a ‘collegial’ organization, one that derives it strength from collaborative activities among many different types of groups with expertise in many different disciplines and with research as an important component.

Although you will often see the Organization referred to simply as Bioversity, we have retained ‘international’ as part of our official name. This is not simply because our research activities are carried out all over the world and our members, donors and research partners come from many countries, but because we are committed to ensuring that our research contributes to international efforts to establish effective policies and plans of action for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

I would like to welcome you to the world of Bioversity International.