The escalating impacts of climate change, including water scarcity, pose a critical threat to global agricultural sustainability. As part of the initiatives aimed at addressing this challenge, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed the Value Adding Impact Area (VAIA) “Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture and the Environment” (AWSAMe) initiative. AWSAMe is specifically supporting one of the four betters of the FAO strategic framework for 2022–2031, namely “Better Environment”. 

One of the objectives of AWSAMe is to enhance agricultural productivity by promoting indigenous crops that are drought-resilient, nutritious and with the potential to improve biodiversity. In this regard, AWSAMe is collaborating with the Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement, CIRAD) for the development of four global project proposals for the wider adoption of such crops. 

As a first step, a comprehensive compendium has been prepared and was presented to stakeholders during a webinar which took place on 18 July 2023. Following this, a two-day consultative workshop was organized in Ben Guerir, Morocco on 20–21 February 2024 to discuss a first pilot phase using identified crops in four pilot countries, namely Cabo Verde, Malawi, Morocco and South Sudan. During the workshop, participants from the respective countries engaged in discussions regarding optimal agronomic practices to cope with drought and enhance biodiversity. They endorsed some proposed crops, while suggesting an additional one, suitable for their regions.  

The next step is to identify and prioritize crops that have potential for broader adoption across different regions of the world. It is against this background that FAO and CIRAD are organizing a global consultative virtual workshop on AWSAMe focusing on the indigenous, drought-resilient nutritious crops.