Evolutionary Plant Breeding: A method to adopt crops to climate changes, increase on-farm biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods

A production system that produces healthy food, sustainable ecosystems and livelihoods for small farmers is achievable through the use of biodiversity, but one major challenge is that farmers' access to genetic resources is very limited. Farmers need greater access to the genetic material in research stations and gene banks. They also need the collaboration of sympathetic scientists who are willing and able to draw on their respective strengths to create knowledge together. The programme on Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) and Evolutionary Plant Breeding (EPB) in Iran is one example of what can be achieved when these challenges are overcome.