The Importance of Crop Wild Relatives

The importance of Crop Wild Relatives Bioversity International What are crop wild relatives? Crop wild relatives are wild plant species that are related to a particular crop tertiary secondary primary secondary tertiary Like people, a crop can have many relatives that can be more or less closely related Wild relatives of banana 10 15 1 primary secondary tertiary Wild relatives of finger millet primary secondary tertiary Why are crop wild relatives important? They are a source of resistance against pests and diseases They can enhance the nutritional quality of crops Their traits can provide tolerance to: Extreme temperature Drought Salinity It has been estimated that the contribution of crop wild relatives to improving food production has an annual value of US$115-120 billion worldwide Crop wild relatives are under threat In Europe, 27-42% of crop wild relatives are predicted to be lost by 2080 due to climate change Bioversity International works to monitor, conserve and use crop wild relatives from the local to the global level. Find out more (bit.ly/1jOXish Source: Bioversity CGIAR International Maxted, N. and Kell, S.P. (2009) http://bit.ly/1NVHEEN Science for a food secure future Bioversity International is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food secure future. © Bioversity Intermational 2014 Maxted, N. et al (2013) http://bit.ly/1j11R1Q Bioversity International is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the US. Bioversity International (UK) is a Registered UK Charity No. 1131854. www.bioversityinternational.org