Enhancing the capacity of local communities to access crop genetic diversity for climate change adaptation

Benin is located on the Guinean coast of West Africa and has a mixed tropical and sub-equatorial climate with two rainy seasons. Beninoise farmers practice mixed rain-fed crop and livestock farming. Climate change puts the country at risk of food insecurity. Since the 1960s the mean average temperature has increased by 1.1ºC and that the average number of ‘hot’ days per year increased by 39 days between 1960 and 2003, from 38 days in the 1960s to 77 days in 2010, and the number of ‘hot’ nights by 73 nights from 53 nights in the 1960s (McSweeney et al, 2010). In contrast, the frequency of ‘cold’ days and nights annually has decreased significantly since 1960. There is a general decrease in annual precipitation of about 180 mm from a previous value of about 1480 mm in the 1960s to 1300 mm presently; and increased incidences of drought. There is erratic and intensified rainfall leading to floods and soil erosion. Climate models project an increase in annual temperature by 1.5 to 3°C by the 2060s and up to 5.1°C by the 2090s (Jalloh et al. 2013). As a result, farmers are already experiencing lower harvest yields, and food production is projected to decrease by 6% by the year 2025. Adaptive measures are necessary to avert further food insecurity. One adaptation strategy is to help farmers and plant breeders find and use genetically controlled plant traits that are suited to their changing climate conditions. Indeed, the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes the importance of strategies based on the use, conservation and management of genetic resources for climate change adaptation (IPPC, 2014). The report highlights the importance of improving crop tolerance to new conditions and improving access to genebanks to develop varieties with appropriate adaptive characteristics. It also notes the importance of using indigenous knowledge to identify adaptive strategies contributing to food security (ibid). CCAFS, with support from projects funded by the Darwin Initiative (Mutually support implementation of the ITPGRFA and the Nagoya Protocol), the Netherlands (Genetic Resources Policy Initiative) and GIZ (the ABS Capacity Development Initiative), supported the introduction in a group of communities called Tori-Bossito of participatory methods to identify potentially useful plant genetic resources for experimentation by farmers and plant breeders. The research teams focused on maize, CCAF S INFO NOTE 2 which was selected by the farmers as it is particularly important for their food security in Tori- Bossito.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Otieno, Gloria Atieno, N’Danikou, Sognigbe, Bossou, Bienvenu, Mikpon, Toussaint, Vodouhe, Raymond, Recha, John W.M., Halewood, Michael
Format:	Brief biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2018-07-09
Subjects:	climate change, agriculture, adaptation,
Online Access:	https://hdl.handle.net/10568/96090
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