14/11/2012

More than 70 experts and scientists have gathered this week in Guatemala City to discuss on climate change and its impact on ten important food crops in the Mesoamerican region and on eventual coordination strategies for the development and conservation of the genetic diversity of these crops.

The workshop is part of the project "Scientific and participatory development of an Strategic Action Plan (SAP) to strengthen the conservation and use of plant genetic resources of Mesoamerica, as an alternative of climate change adaptation." This project, implemented by Bioversity International, is financed by the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources.

Mesoamerica, the region encompassing southern Mexico and the seven Central American countries, is home to the world's key crops such as corn and beans, and will be one of the areas most affected by climate change in the coming decades, according to forecasts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Therefore, the project aims to develop an action and funding plan reliant on scientific studies and on detailed and updated knowledge on plant genetic resources in the region.

"The workshop provided participants with the opportunity to discuss for three days and to exchange views among stakeholders from different countries of the region, so that the Strategic Action Plan will be agreed upon and will be implemented more easily," said Ms Marleni Ramirez, project coordinator.

On the occasion of the workshop, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Costa Rica Ms Tania Lopez said his ministry was "very much in agreement with the systematic evaluation of the potential of plant genetic resources for adaptation to climate change."

Diversification against climate change

"Scientific studies show us that the most diversified farms are the most resilient to adverse weather and climate, including hurricanes too," says Mr Jacob van Etten, researcher at Bioversity International, adding that in order to promote on-farm diversity is important that seed and crop varieties are available to farmers. "Central America is an extremely rich region in agricultural biodiversity, but has not yet fully exploited the opportunities that diversity provides to improve agricultural production and to reduce hunger," said the researcher.

The experts discussed the ten working areas of the project, ranging from issues related to local climate monitoring to selective identification and evaluation of local varieties and breeds with potential for adaptation to climate change. Experts also identified areas for capacity building and analyzed the enabling research framework provided by the International Treaty with the exchange of crops.

The Strategic Action Plan provides project interventions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, and is part of a broader package of projects funded by the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA).

Besides this project, at present the International Treaty is funding six other similar projects in 26 countries. In only a few months they will result in a set of strategic action plans and in the development of local and international alliances to meet the challenges that climate change poses on our food crops.