Bioversity International was established in Italy in 1974 as the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) to coordinate an international plant genetic resources program, including emergency collecting missions, and building and expanding national, regional and international genebanks.

In 1991 it became the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and finally Bioversity International in 2006, reflecting an expanded vision of its role in agricultural and forest biodiversity and research-for-development activities.