Bio

Bettina Heider is a genetic resources specialist at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru. Her research revolves around agrobiodiversity conservation, its utilization and the importance of socio-cultural aspects on plant genetic resources conservation in Latin America, Southeast-Asia, and Africa. Her work involves screening sweet potato germplasm and crop wild relative species in search of priority traits useful for plant breeding. In her role as leader of the in situ research initiative at CIP she coordinates the monitoring of in situ potato and sweetpotato diversity, investigates socio-cultural impacts on in situ diversity conservation, and promotes the establishment of benefit sharing schemes for custodian farmers. She has carried out several plant collecting missions for subsequent ex situ conservation including American yam bean – one of the Andean Root and Tuber Crops maintained at CIP. Bettina holds a doctorate degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Hohenheim, Germany. Email: B.Heider(at)cgiar.org