What is the Opportunity Crops and Soils movement?

The Opportunity Crops and Soils movement – originally called Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) – is a global movement which was launched in February 2023 to build resilient agrifood systems grounded in diverse, nutritious, and climate adapted opportunity crops grown in healthy, fertile soils.

Why does it matter?

To meet the food and nutrition challenges of today and tomorrow, we need to grow nutritious crops that can withstand heat, drought, extreme weather and pest pressures, while also improving soil health. Expanding the use and consumption of often neglected or forgotten indigenous and traditional food crops can help tackle these threats. Most are nutrient-rich traditional and indigenous crops that have suffered historically from underinvestment.

A partnership for Opportunity Crops and Soils

In July 2024, FAO and CGIAR/CIMMYT launched the CGIAR/CIMMYT – FAO Partnership for Opportunity Crops and Soils to ensure robust implementation and secure further multilateral support. This partnership plays a pivotal role in leading efforts to coordinate, grow, and strengthen the broader VACS movement across a wide range of public and private stakeholders.

FAO and CIMMYT are bringing together stakeholders – including the private sector, academia, and farmers’ organizations – to translate VACS into policies and drive investments in soil health and climate-adapted crop varieties. The Partnership’s main pillars are the Implementers, the Community of Practice, and the Champions.

• Implementers: Key institutions including IFAD, CGIAR, FAO, and CropTrust with dedicated funding that work together to leverage each organization’s comparative strengths to maximize collective impact.
• Community of Practice: A diverse group of over 1,500 individuals from various sectors who serve as a dynamic space for innovative collaboration and idea exchange. With participants from the public sector, nonprofits, the private sector, and beyond, this community broadens input, leverages technical expertise, and strengthens the coalition working to propel the movement forward.
• Champions: Private sector and non-governmental organizations committed to advancing climate-adapted, nutritious crops and healthy soils by funding or undertaking projects that promote our objectives.

Additional reference material

These papers were developed by the Opportunity Crops and Soils Community of Practice working groups to inform the policy agenda and serve as discussion points for a breakout session at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue focused on the theme “Seeds of Opportunity: Bridging Generations and Cultivating Diplomacy.”

1. Empower producers and policymakers to maximize sustainable land management and enable long-term sustainable production of nutritious foods
2. Improving healthy diets in a changing climate: Policies for mainstreaming the inclusion of neglected ‘opportunity crops’ in seed systems
3. Managing soil health for food and nutrition security
4. Vision for Adapted Crops & Soils (VACS) Global Policy Agenda White Paper: Value Chain Development for Opportunity Crops