Back to the future, from landraces to high-yielding, heat and drought-tolerant barley preferred by East African farmers

Dry lands constitute 40% of the world’s land surface, areas in which one third of the world’s population live and where poverty and food insecurity are widespread.

Around 820 million people suffer from starvation, where the situation is especially severe in several parts of Africa (FAO, 2019). One reason is drought, which can have a severe impact on food security.

This issue is further exacerbated for women who due to their traditional roles and limited mobility are left behind to maintain the family farm but with incommensurate access to decision-making power, resources or technologies. Barley is a main staple crop of East Africa and grown for multiple purposes such as grazing, feed, food and malt.

In Ethiopia, smallholder farmers are growing traditional landraces and have limited access to new improved cultivars. They are highly dependent on the annual harvest. Thus, severe growing conditions and low-yielding varieties makes them particularly vulnerable to climatic conditions.

The project aims to deliver high-yielding, climate change resilient, fit-for-purpose Ethiopian barley, meeting the demands of both men and women farmers.

For this purpose, state-of-the-art methods will be used to optimize genomic predictions coupled with multi-environmental trials in Morocco and Ethiopia and gender and age-based participatory selection.

A high and stable yield will lead to food security, higher market value, and thus more stable economy and improved living conditions.