February 2010: The International Potato Center, a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), has released a factsheet titled “Enhanced food and income security in Southwest and Central Asia through potato varieties with improved tolerance to abiotic stress.”

The factsheet describes a three-year project on boosting potato production that is expected to benefit over 200,000 farm families. It describes efforts to identify varieties of potato that are tolerant to heat, drought and salinity. The project also uses geographic information systems (GIS) to assess suitability of varieties for specific locations. The project seeks to provide farmers, researchers, regional governments, extension services and policy makers with tools to adapt to climate change. [Press Release] [The Factsheet]