In 1974, Bioversity International was established as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) to coordinate an international plant genetic resources programme including emergency collecting missions, and building and expanding national, regional and international genebanks. In October 1993, IBPGR became the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and in 1994 IPGRI began independent operation as one of the centers of the CGIAR.

In 2019, Bioversity International joined with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, now the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, to “deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives”.