WHEAT INITIATIVE PRESENTS AT THE G20 AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP MEETING IN INDIA

THE WHEAT INITIATIVE PRESENTS PROGRESS AND OPPORTUNITIES AT THE FIRST G20 WORKING GROUP MEETING AND DISCUSSES ACTIONS CONSIDERING FOOD SECURITY

(Berlin, Feb. 15) A delegation from the Wheat Initiative (WI) including John Spink (Chair, Institution’s Coordinating Committee WI) and Teresa Saavedra (WI Programme Manager) is in Indore, India, at the first G20 Agriculture Working Group Meeting from February 13-15th as part of the G20 decision-making process under the presidency of India. The Working Group, comprising of experts and officials from relevant ministries, lead in-depth analysis and discussions on a range of issues internationally relevant to agriculture and food security. The WI presentation focused on its aims to encourage and support the development of a vibrant global wheat research community sharing resources, capabilities, data and ideas to improve wheat, to cope with challenges for food security.

The WI was established in 2011 to coordinate global wheat research to support global food security. To meet the challenges facing food production, the WI will continue to provide a network of highly active experts to tackle the threats to the G20 goal of achieving global food security. The ongoing climate crisis with the impact of an increasingly variable climate on crop production and the changes in pest and disease pressures is increasing the need for the global coordination of research and information exchange to ensure the continuity of wheat supply.

John Spink said, “The opportunity to present at the G20 Meeting was a good chance to demonstrate the success the Initiative has had in increasing knowledge sharing across 53 countries and in building capacity with its Early Career Researcher programme. We have also to emphasis that more help is needed from the G20 members in terms of supporting the initiative and the coordination of national research investment across countries.”

The Wheat Initiative was established by the G20 Agriculture Ministers to support the global wheat research community. The Wheat Initiative is based at the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Berlin-Dahlem (Germany) with strong support from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

CONTACT - WHEAT INITIATIVE

Programme Manager:           Teresa Saavedra

Twitter:                                   @Wheatinitiative