Protecting our future food from climate change

The consumption and cultivation of rice is a major part of the economy. But climate change is threatening rice production. Finding crops that are resilient to changing weather patterns is key. Our projects enabled Kew scientists to travel to Nepal.

Along with local partners, we set off on a journey from the banks of the East Rapti River in Nepal. Our teams sailed on canoes to reach some remote areas. We managed to collect wild seeds that are now kept at the gene bank in Nepal and our Millennium Seed Bank. 

Cultivated chickpeas flower early and produce high yields. But cultivation also means crops like these can no longer adapt to climate change. In some areas, drought could lead to yield losses of 50%. The chickpea needs to be more resilient to water shortages.

We consume an estimated 500 billion cups each year. Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) originates from the cool tropical forests of Ethiopia and makes up around 65% of global production. 

Climate change is disrupting coffee production. Crops are failing. Some pests and diseases are becoming more prevalent because of rising temperatures. All of this is leading to lower revenues for farmers. A Kew study predicted the impact of climate change on wild coffee forests.

We embarked on a collaborative project called ‘Building a climate-resilient coffee economy for Ethiopia’. Years of research, travel and analysis are leading up to something exciting - a climate-resilient coffee economy strategy. 

We love bananas. 5 billion bananas are consumed every year in the UK alone. But Cavendish bananas (Musa acuminata), the most widely consumed variety, are vulnerable because of the lack of genetic diversity. A pest or disease could kill off the entire species. 

The Madagascar banana (Ensete perrieri) is a wild relative. Its large seeds make it commercially unviable. But genetic diversity held within the seed could help find genes to develop disease-resistant crops. We undertook an extinction risk assessment at Kew.