Crop Interdependence, Adaptation to Climate Change and the Multilateral Systems of Access and Benefi t Sharing: The Case of Nepal

Abstract

Improving farmers’ access to more plant diversity is expected to be an effective strategy to respond to climate
changes. Degrees of current crop interdependency were estimated based on the origin and pedigree analysis
of modern varieties of rice, wheat and potato cultivated in Nepal. Geographical information system (GIS) was
applied to identify germplasm from the global and national gene pools with respect to current and future climate
analogue sites. In Nepal, 76% of 275 released varieties originated outside Nepal. Forty seven landraces originating
in 12 countries were used to develop 20 mid- and high-hills rice cultivars and 35 landraces originating in 11
countries were used to develop 28 Tarai rice cultivars. Only exotic parents were used to develop 35 modern
wheat varieties; 89 ancestors originated in 22 countries, mostly from the United States (13%), India (13%),
France (12%), Argentina (6%), and Italy (6%). Only exotic parents were used to develop eight modern varieties
of potato. Nepal is 95–100% dependent on foreign germplasm for varietal development. Using the Climate
Analogue Tool (CAT), the analysis identifi ed current, future, and past analogue sites within and outside Nepal,
suggesting that there might be useful genetic materials that could be exchanged between such regions. To do
so, Nepal has to be capable to make better use of the MLS-ITPGRFA. Right now more than 2500 genotypes
of rice, wheat and potato are introduced annually for fi eld evaluation in Nepal. This number could be increased
with a fully operational MLS.