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

This brief describes work by a CCAFS team to lead a participatory capacity building initiative comprising farmers and local leaders from Tori-Bossito, scientists from Benin’s national agricultural research organizations, including the national genebank, plant breeders, agronomists, climate specialists, and local civil society organizations. The objective was to analyze the impacts of climate change on food security crops in Tori-Bossito, Benin, and to identify potentially adapted maize genetic resources from local farmers, the Benin national genebank, other countries’ genebanks and genebanks hosted by international organizations.

This brief highlights the importance of improving crop tolerance to new conditions and improving access to gene banks to develop varieties with appropriate adaptive characteristics.