Securing and utilising crop diversity is an essential part of ensuring food security for future generations. The DivSeek initiative will work with existing, emerging and future initiatives to characterize crop diversity and develop a unified, coordinated and cohesive information management platform to provide easy access to genotypic and phenotypic data associated with genebank germplasm. For further information on the DivSeek initiative, please see the website http://www.divseek.org/.
Ortiz R, Jarvis A, Fox P, Aggarwal PK & Campbell BM. 2014. Plant genetic engineering, climate change and food security. CCAFS Working Paper no. 72. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Copenhagen, Denmark. Available online at: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/publications/plant-genetic-engineering-climate-change-and-food-security#.U_tLGEuVi4Q
This paper explores whether crop genetic engineering can contribute to addressing food security, as well as enhancing human nutrition and farming under a changing climate. The review is based on peer-refereed literature, using results to determine the potential of this gene technology. It also provides a brief summary of issues surrounding this genetic enhancement approach to plant breeding, and the impacts on farming, livelihoods, and the environment achieved so far. The genetic engineering pipeline looks promising, particularly for adapting more nutritious, input-efficient crops in the development of the world's farming systems.
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