The John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich has been selected as the UK lead for the new UK-CGIAR Centre, which aims to strengthen ties with CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research). As part of the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network, the new virtual hub aims to harness the UK’s strengths in science and technology to tackle climate change and global food security by forming dynamic new collaborations.
JIC researchers are set to lead a project using genetic innovations to accelerate the breeding of climate-resilient and nutritious crops, working alongside national partners in Kenya, Egypt, and Pakistan. The focus is on developing wheat crops with enhanced resistance to diseases and elevated levels of iron, an essential micronutrient for human health. Higher wheat yields are crucial to meet the food demands of a growing global population, and the project aims to speed up the plant breeding process by adopting new techniques such as genome editing and developing data-driven approaches. Group leaders Prof Cristobal Uauy, Prof Janneke Balk, and Prof Diane Saunders will lead the JIC’s contribution to the project.
The new CGIAR project aims to accelerate the wheat breeding process by incorporating recent discoveries and embracing innovative breeding techniques, such as precision breeding (genome editing) and data-driven sequence-based discovery. It is about facilitating the adoption of technology, building on years of collaboration among partners, and focusing innovations on farmer-preferred wheat cultivars. Other research goals for the UK-CGIAR Centre include addressing climate change and environmental degradation through sustainable crop management and climate-smart agronomic practices, as well as enhancing nutrition and improving livestock health and welfare.
The UK-CGIAR Centre’s launch was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Global Food Security Summit in London on November 20. He highlighted the importance of the new center, stating that it will drive cutting-edge research on flood-tolerant rice, disease-resistant wheat, and other innovations. Sunak emphasized the broad impact of these innovations, noting that they will reach millions across the poorest countries, improve UK crop yields, and drive down food prices.
