Papua New Guinea: a much neglected hotpsot of crop wild relative diversity

The crop wild relatives (CWR) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) constitute an enormous and unique resource of genetic diversity which may be vital for future crop improvement and food security, particularly because they may harbour many valuable traits for agricultural adaptation to changing climate. Yet we know so little about the CWR in a country so biodiverse as PNG. While PNG has attracted much interest from international agencies and NGOs working in the area of biodiversity and conservation, most, if not all, have overlooked the role and importance of CWR. Sadly, we know so little about their numbers, their distribution or those species or populations most at risk. All this while habitats in PNG continue to be lost or degraded.