Maarten van Zonneveld
Head of Genetic Resources
Headquarters
PhD, Applied Biological Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
Conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, diversity analysis of crop genepools, geographic patterns of crop diversity and plant domestication, crop and diet diversification in food systems
Maarten van Zonneveld (The Netherlands) joined WorldVeg in November 2017 to manage the Center’s genebank operations. From 2006 – 2013 he worked on ex situ and in situ conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of crops and tree species in South America with Bioversity International, Colombia. From 2013 – 2017 he worked in Central America with Bioversity International, Costa Rica on conservation of plant genetic resources and in participatory research with farmers and forest communities for climate change adaptation, varietal selection, and seed testing. Maarten supported national institutions from Bolivia and Peru in expanding their national Capsicum pepper collections, and in the screening and regeneration to strengthen these important and diverse collections. He has experience with the International Treaty and the Nagoya protocol. Maarten has a background in GIS and in diversity analysis to screen plant genetic resources.