CGIAR – Feature Highlights: June 2017

To reach CGIAR’s ambitious global targets, CGIAR Centers and Research Programs will focus on eight research priorities where CGIAR has a comparative advantage to tackle these pressing global needs. One of these is the genetic improvement of crops, livestock, fish and trees, to increase productivity, resilience to stress, nutritional value and efficiency of resource use.

CGIAR characterizes, uses and shares these resources, while developing and supporting policies that facilitate the use and exchange of genetic resources. The international flow of genetic diversity critically depends on the CGIAR system. As much as 92% of all material shared across borders within the multilateral system of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture comes from CGIAR genebanks.

In the future, CGIAR will place more emphasis on the collection, characterization and use of species and breeds which are important for issues of human nutrition, agro-forestry and climate resilient agriculture, as well as resistance to emerging pests and diseases. The role of in-situ conservation (in farmers’ fields), alongside the collections held in genebanks, will also continue to grow.

What is next?

Figure: Credit: G. Smith, CIAT

CGIAR will continue its work on Genetic Improvement in the CGIAR 2017 – 2022 Research Portfolio which was just recently launched.

For example, the CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform will modernize breeding programs targeting the developing world for greater impact on food and nutrition security, climate change adaptation and development. Drawing from innovations in the public and private sector, the Platform will provide access to cutting-edge tools, services and best practices, application-oriented training and practical advice.

Find out what is next for the CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform 2017 – 2022.

Further, the CGIAR Genebank Platform enables the CGIAR Research Centers to fulfill their legal obligation to conserve and make available 750,000 accessions of crops and trees on behalf of the global community under the International Plant Treaty. It supports the core genebank operations, and activities to improve efficiency, enhance use and ensure compliance with international policy.

Find out what is next for the CGIAR Genebank Platform 2017 – 2022.

See https://www.cgiar.org/genetic-improvement/