“We always say that crop wild relatives are important and that they’re threatened…what this (new) study does is takes those general statements and puts some good evidence and documentation behind them.”

Gap analysis results have been completed for CWR taxa related to 29 crops, including maps displaying distributions, patterns of richness, and areas worldwide where CWR are particularly in need of collecting for conservation.

We are happy to announce the launch of the Crop Wild Relatives and Climate Change website. The site is dedicated to compiling and providing information on the taxonomy, distribution, conservation status and breeding potential of the wild relatives of major crops. Developed under the project “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop
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Crop Wild Relatives (CWR), like many plant species worldwide, face increasing threats in many regions from habitat destruction, transitions in agricultural practices, and invasive species, among other factors.  Although the weedy nature of many CWR may make this group of plants more resilient to human impacts than more sensitive plant groups, a substantial proportion of
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