4 February 2010: The International Conference on Food Security and Climate Change in Dry Areas, organized by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan and others, met from 1-4 February 2010, in Amman, Jordan.

Over 200 scientists from 29 countries attended the meeting and produced the Amman Declaration, which calls for urgent action to buffer dryland agriculture. The Declaration seeks to spur international partnerships that will identify solutions to the impacts of climate change on food security. Participants highlighted the challenges facing dryland agriculture, including high temperatures, frequent droughts and land degradation. They also presented technical and policy solutions that will facilitate the development of tolerant crops, improved irrigation techniques and the implementation of diversified farming systems. [Conference Website] [Press Release]