CROP WILD RELATIVES

Date: 25 October 2010

CWR takes a leading position in the  2nd State of the World’s PGR for Food and Agriculture report, FAO  [1] (21.4 MB). The report was launched today during the current International Year of Biodiversity, 12 years after the first edition was published in 1998.
One of the main topics in this report is the value, conservation and use of CWR. According to FAO there has been a 75 percent loss in crop diversity during the last century and for several of our most important crops there are predicted an additional 22 percent decline in wild relatives in our near future.
“There are thousands of crop wild relatives still to be collected, evaluated and documented. These species hold the genetic secrets that enable them to resist heat, drought, floods and pests. New and better-adapted crops derived from genetic diversity can offer more nutritious and healthier foods for rural and urban consumers, and provide opportunities to generate additional income and contribute to sustainable rural development.”
 Speech  [2] (25 KB) by Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations during the launch of the report.

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