Coping with water scarcity in developing countries

Resource Notification: FAO E-Conference Summary -- FAO (1/4/2008)

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released a summary document of its March 5 - April 1, 2007 e-mail conference on "Coping with water scarcity in developing countries: What role for agricultural biotechnologies". The main topic discussed during the conference was the application of biotechnology for the development of crops with improved drought resistance or water use efficiency. Most discussion on this topic was dedicated to marker-assisted selection and genetic modification. The two other main issues discussed were how to deliver real solutions to farmers and the role of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Seventy-eight emails were contributed during the four-week e-mail conference. These were from 50 people living in 24 different countries. Approximately 70 percent of the messages were from individuals working at universities and at national or international research organizations. The 11-page summary document is available on line

Related:

Syngenta announces Water Optimization Technology