BSF project "On-farm conservation & mining of local durum wheat & barley landraces of Tunisia for biotic & abiotic stresses, enhanced food security & adaptation to climate change"

" On-farm conservation & mining of local durum wheat & barley landraces of Tunisia for biotic & abiotic stresses, enhanced food security & adaptation to climate change" is one of the projects supported by the Benefit-Sharing Fund of the International Treaty for Food and Agriculture (Second Cycle). Durum wheat and barley are the major staple food crops of Tunisia, occupying one-third of Tunisian cereals’ cultivated area. Therefore, there is a need to collect, conserve and sustainably use these precious resources, particularly in the face of recurrent droughts, pests and diseases affecting the country. This BSF project aims to collect, conserve and mine wheat and barley landraces, as well as multiply the landraces with drought and disease resistance to positively impact income, food security and resilience of poor farming communities.