Wild seed collectors turn Indiana Jones in the search for resilient crops
Written by Phoebe Weston
More than 370 species were gathered during a six-year mission to widen the gene pool and ensure future food security
The seeds of more than 370 wild crop species have been collected as part of a six-year Indiana Jones-style mission to widen the gene pool of staple crops and ensure future global food security in increasingly unpredictable growing conditions.
A hundred scientists from 25 countries travelled by horse, canoe and even elephant to reach remote corners of the world in search of wild species of common agricultural crops such as rice, barley, beans and potatoes that billions of people rely on for basic nutrition.
Related: How Peru’s potato museum could stave off world food crisis
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