P.J. Griekspoor
WHEAT RESEARCH: Hotter and drier weather threatens global wheat supplies. A $5 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will help the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center to develop climate-resilient wheat and help reduce losses from heat and drought like the damage shown here.
Wheat is a mainstay of the human diet; climate change threatens supplies.
Jan 21, 2021
Wheat constitutes 20% of all calories and protein consumed, making it a cornerstone of the human diet, according to the United Nations. However, hotter and drier weather, driven by a changing climate, threatens the global wheat supply.
To address this threat, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research awarded a $5 million grant to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center to develop climate-resilient wheat. The center leads global research programs on maize and wheat, sustainable crop systems and policies to improve farmers’ livelihoods. These activities have driven major gains in wheat variety improvement across the globe for decades; in the U.S. alone, for example, more than 50% of wheat acreage is sown with center-related varieties.