" Using rice genetic diversity to support farmers’ adaptation to climate change for sustainable production & improved livelihoods in India" is one of the projects supported by the Benefit-Sharing Fund of the International Treaty for Food and Agriculture (Second Cycle).
The Indo-Gangetic plains of India are expected to be severely affected by drastic weather conditions, such as drought and heat as confirmed by the study that Gene Campaign has conducted in the frame of this project. In order to successfully meet food requirements in an era of climate change, conservation and sustainable utilization of genetic diversity of crop plants have become crucial. This BSF project focuses on addressing these needs within the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. The objective is to ensure that rural communities are able to maintain and adapt traditional rice genetic diversity to climate change, and to combine this with the provision of desirable genes for plant breeding and the introduction of new varieties. The entire Indian rice collection is expected to be mapped and analyzed by the end of this BSF project.