Crop Trust Power of Diversity Grants: Boost Crop Awareness in 2026

The Crop Trust Power of Diversity Grants Programme offers a valuable opportunity for organizations and individuals dedicated to promoting crop diversity and sustainable food systems. This initiative provides funding for projects that aim to increase public awareness about the importance of agricultural biodiversity and its role in ensuring food security, nutrition, and resilience against climate change. As global challenges to food systems grow, supporting initiatives that protect and promote diverse crops becomes increasingly critical.

About the Crop Trust

The Crop Trust is an international organization focused on conserving crop diversity for future generations. They collaborate with gene banks, governments, and research institutions worldwide to safeguard plant genetic resources essential for global food security and sustainable agriculture. Crop diversity is key to making food systems robust against environmental changes, pests, diseases, and extreme weather. The Power of Diversity campaign, including these grants, aims to boost public understanding and engagement in protecting agricultural biodiversity.

Purpose of the Power of Diversity Grants Programme

The primary goal of the Power of Diversity Grants Programme is to support activities that effectively communicate the significance of crop diversity to a wide audience. The program believes that public awareness and education are fundamental to conserving biodiversity and advancing sustainable agriculture. The grants are intended to fund projects that:

• Raise public awareness about crop diversity.
• Emphasize the importance of conserving crop genetic resources.
• Promote sustainable food systems.
• Spark conversations about food security and nutrition.
• Illustrate the link between crop diversity and climate resilience.
• Involve communities in agricultural biodiversity efforts.
• Support creative educational and outreach activities.

The program actively seeks innovative ideas that can clearly convey these vital themes to various groups.

Funding Available

Projects selected for the Power of Diversity Grants Programme will receive financial backing to carry out activities aligned with the program’s objectives. These grants are designed for relatively small but impactful initiatives that can reach communities, educational bodies, farmers, policymakers, and consumers interested in food systems and biodiversity. Funding can be used for project expenses, outreach, awareness campaigns, educational materials, events, workshops, exhibitions, and other related activities that support the program’s goals.

Types of Projects Encouraged

The Crop Trust welcomes a broad spectrum of innovative proposals. Some examples of encouraged project types include:

Educational Initiatives

This category includes programs for schools and universities, educational campaigns, the creation of learning materials and toolkits, and public awareness workshops focused on crop diversity. These projects aim to educate and inform through structured learning experiences.

Community Engagement Activities

Projects that involve community exhibitions, agricultural fairs, awareness events, public dialogues, and farmer engagement activities fall under this category. The focus here is on direct interaction and participation within local communities.

Media and Communication Projects

This includes the production of documentaries, podcasts, digital storytelling, social media campaigns, photography projects, and multimedia awareness campaigns. These projects use various media platforms to spread information and engage the public.

Creative and Cultural Activities

Proposals for art exhibitions, theatre performances, storytelling initiatives, cultural events that highlight agricultural biodiversity, and interactive public engagement projects are encouraged. These projects use creative and cultural avenues to communicate the importance of crop diversity.

Research Communication Projects

This area supports the public dissemination of research findings, science communication efforts, the development of knowledge-sharing platforms, and outreach activities that connect researchers with communities. The goal is to make research accessible and relevant to broader audiences.

The program particularly values creativity, innovation, and effective public engagement in its project selections.

Why Crop Diversity Matters

Crop diversity is a cornerstone of global food security. A wide range of crops ensures communities have access to nutritious food and helps agricultural systems adapt to environmental and economic challenges. The benefits of crop diversity are substantial:

1. Improved Food Security

A diverse agricultural system reduces reliance on a few staple crops, making it more resilient to crop failures and ensuring a more stable food supply.

2. Enhanced Nutrition

Different crops offer varied nutrients, contributing to healthier and more balanced diets for individuals and communities.

3. Climate Change Adaptation

Crop diversity allows farmers to choose varieties that can better withstand environmental stresses like drought, floods, and heat, making agriculture more adaptable to changing climates.

4. Biodiversity Conservation

Preserving the genetic resources of various crops protects valuable traits that could be essential for future agricultural advancements and adaptations.

5. Sustainable Agriculture

Farming systems that incorporate diverse crops often lead to healthier ecosystems and more sustainable food production methods.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on several key factors:

• Relevance: How well the project relates to crop diversity and agricultural biodiversity.
• Impact and Reach: The potential for the project to make a significant difference and reach a broad audience.
• Innovation and Creativity: The originality and novelty of the proposed approach.
• Feasibility: The practicality and likelihood of successfully implementing the project.
• Quality: The overall standard and thoroughness of the proposed activities.
• Engagement: The project’s ability to effectively connect with and involve target audiences.

Projects that show a strong capacity for public engagement and awareness-raising are expected to be highly competitive.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should thoroughly review the official grant guidelines and application requirements available on the Crop Trust website. It is recommended to develop clear project plans that detail how the proposed activities will contribute to increasing awareness about crop diversity and promoting sustainable food systems. Strong applications will clearly outline project objectives, target audiences, planned activities, expected outcomes, the proposed budget, and the timeline for implementation.

Application Timeline

The Crop Trust has set the following timeline for the Power of Diversity Grants Programme:

• Application Deadline: July 3, 2026
• Notification of Successful Grantees: August 10, 2026
• Project Kick-off: October 1, 2026
• Project Completion Deadline: Before March 31, 2029

Applicants are advised to submit their proposals well in advance of the deadline. Successful grantees will be notified in August 2026 and will have about two months to prepare for project activities, which will officially begin in October 2026. All funded projects must be completed by March 31, 2029.

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