Farmers and scientists are now devising ways to increase food production in the midst of fast changing climate. Climate change affects all aspects of agriculture including water resources, variety of crops to use, and the timing of planting. Genetic conservation of crops also requires drastic and innovative strategies to meet the needs of agriculturists. Toby Hodgkin, Principal Scientist and Director of the Global Partnership Programme at Bioversity International, told the Climate Congress in Copenhagen that the four areas needed to be re-examined are:

• Ex-situ conservation in genebanks must expand dramatically.
• Diverse farming systems do adapt and help poor farmers to survive change; more use should be made of biodiversity as an adaptive strategy.
• The relationship between on-farm conservation and genebanks must change.
• Access to genetic diversity, by farmers and by breeders, becomes of paramount importance.

He further added that, "As climate change continues to change the geography of agriculture, we have to mimic natural systems ourselves and use a diversity of approaches to ensure that farmers and breeders have the ability to get hold of and make use of as much diversity as possible. That way, we might stand a chance of creating secure food systems."

See the press release for more details at:. http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news_and_events/news/news/article/the_use_and_conservation_of_
diversity_must_change_with_climate_change.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=323&cHash=45815b1e86