In 1977, the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) having inherited from the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Crop Ecology Unit the project to develop a standardized computer system for germplasm, the IBPGR decided that the project was too costly and backed out.

Eventually, the International Network of Ex Situ Collections became a reality in October 1994, when 12 CGIAR centres signed agreements with the FAO, placing most of their collections (approximately 450,000 accessions) under the auspices of the FAO as part of this international network.