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Global climate change is likely to cause the most damage in regions that are already experiencing a number of political, social and economic problems. The changing weather patterns will compound the present difficulties unless responses to the changes are planned prior to their taking place.

Food security is a major cause of concern in many countries where yeras of war, bad weather and other man made and natural disaster have taken their toll.

Drought is already a major threat around the world and global climate change will increase the negative affect that this threat poses to farmers and the people who rely on the farmers for their food supply.

Agriculture relies heavily on water and water scarcity can casue much hardship and is a potential source of regional conflicts. If global climate change increases the water shortages then the problems associated with those shortages will increase.

One way that farmers and countries can work to offset the impact of global climate change on crops is to develop drought tolerant crops.

There are efforts being made to do just that develop drought resistant crops; if these are successful then an important step towards offsetting the effects of global climate change will have been taken.

Uganda is among the four countries that will participate in a $47m (sh80b) project that will develop drought-resistant maize for Africa. The other countries are Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

The project in question is the five-year Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project which is focused on developing maize varieties that can withstand the semi-arid conditions that characterize the greatest part of Africa.

WEMA is a public-private partnership that was initiated by The African Agricultural Technology Foundation.

The objective of this five year partnership is to develop new African drought-tolerant maize varieties, incorporating the best technology available internationally. The long-term goal is to make drought-tolerant maize available royalty-free to small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Besides the AATF, the partners in this project are the non-profit International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the private agricultural company Monsanto, and the agricultural research systems in eastern and southern Africa.

AATF's contribution will include its leadership, unique experience in public-private partnership management, technology stewardship and project management expertise.

CIMMYT are providing the high-yielding maize varieties that are adapted to African conditions and expertise in conventional breeding and testing for drought tolerance.

Monsanto is going to contribute the proprietary germplasm, advanced breeding tools and expertise, and drought-tolerance transgenes developed in collaboration with BASF.

The project is planning to distribute the varieties that are developed through the project African seed companies through AATF without royalty and made available to smallholder farmers as part of their seed business.

If this project is successful and drought tolerant maize is developed the project will have taken an important step towards enhancing food security in a region that could face the brunt of global climate change and the resulting problems that are associated with a diminishing food supply.

Learn more about this author, Bob Ewing.
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