Crop wild relatives - actions needed to assure conservation of an important genetic resource

This policy brief recommends eight specific actions to assure conservation of important crop wild relatives (CWR) in Nordic region. CWRs are wild species closely related to crops and they can contain many important traits missing from modern cultivars. Because of this, they can be used in adaptation of crops to future challenges such as climate change and development of a sustainable environmentally friendly agriculture. It is therefore high time to move into action with planning and implementation of CWR conservation. Central for achieving this goal will be efficient coooperation between stakeholders in both environmental and agricultural sectors, as well as across the borders of the Nordic countries.