How can genebanks support environmental and social justice in future agricultural systems?

Climate change and the degradation of natural habitats are forcing a fundamental re-evaluation of agricultural systems. As farming conditions shift, crops must deliver traits that were historically overlooked in breeding programs, such as nitrogen-use efficiency, drought tolerance, and contributions to soil and ecosystem health. These traits have been lost from modern, genetically narrow breeding pools but remain available in genebank collections. Interestingly, renewed interest in these traits is driven by government interests, rather than farmers, who increasingly shape each other’s agendas and, at times, funding streams.

We argue that meeting these emerging needs requires revisiting the governance, mission, and access structures of genebanks so they can serve a broader and more diverse stakeholder community. Genebanks are largely funded by governments and NGOs as a public-good investment aimed at improving livelihoods. Yet the pathway from public investment to societal impact is indirect: genebanks supply genetic diversity to breeders; breeders develop improved germplasm; seed companies distribute these; and farmers, also supported by government incentives, ultimately adopt varieties that aim to deliver both environmental and social benefits. In this model, breeders, the only private-sector actors in the chain, become the primary direct beneficiaries of public investment, while farmers, citizens, and ecosystems benefit only downstream.

To foster more just and equitable agricultural transitions, we propose that governments and genebanks collaboratively redefine genebank objectives with direct input from farmers and other marginalized stakeholders. This may include not only adjusted breeding priorities but also expanded opportunities for the direct use of genebank materials by farmers. Such an approach would better align public spending with societal expectations for sustainable landscapes and fair resource access. It would also benefit historically underused crop species that have low commercial value and are thus not bred directly, such as orphan crops.

In an increasingly digitalized world, genebanks must therefore rethink how they engage with stakeholders, dismantle historical barriers to equitable seed access, and develop access models that extend beyond professional breeders. Modernizing these systems will position genebanks to contribute more effectively to environmental and social justice in future agricultural systems.