Board game seeks to save the world

ROME: A cult German board game whose fans include Hollywood actors Mila Kunis and Woody Harrelson may not seem the most obvious vehicle for raising awareness about the importance of preserving crop diversity.

But that is what the makers of “Catan” are seeking to do with a new version of the game in which players compete to settle an imaginary uncharted island, gaining points for building settlements, accumulating and trading resources.

“Catan—Crop Trust”, which launches on Thursday, requires players to balance the goal of farming and harvesting crops with the collective aim of preserving diversity by saving some of their seeds in a vault. “The unique thing is that you can’t win with only pursuing your own interest,” said Marie Haga, executive director of the Crop Trust.