Abstract only

Recurrent food crises?combined with the global financial meltdown, volatile energy prices, natural resource depletion, and climate change?undercut and threaten the livelihoods of millions of poor people. Accounting for a fifth of humanity?s food, wheat is second only to rice as a source of calories in the diets of developing country consumers, and it is first as a source of protein. Wheat is an especially critical ?staff of life? for the approximately 1.2 billion ?wheat dependent? to 2.5 billion ?wheat consuming? poor?men, women and children who live on less than USD 2 per day?and approximately 30 million poor wheat producers and their families. Demand for wheat in the developing world is projected to increase 60% by 2050. At the same time, climate-change-induced temperature increases are likely to reduce wheat production in developing countries by 20?30%. As a result, prices will more than double in real terms, eroding the purchasing power of poor consumers and creating conditions for widespread social unrest. This scenario is worsened by stagnating yields, soil degradation, increasing irrigation and fertilizer costs, and virulent new disease and pest strains. The world wheat research community has to implement new, result-oriented strategies through a series of programs to fully exploit the potential of international agricultural research for development to enhance global food security and environmental sustainability.

Global Wheat Program

English

Lucia Segura

INT0599

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection