Climate change is threatening food security in many tropical countries, where a large proportion of food is produced by vulnerable smallholder farmers. Interventions are available to offset many of the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, and they can be tailored to local conditions often through relative modest investments.

However, little quantitative information is available to guide investment or policy choices at a time when countries and development agencies are under pressure to implement
policies that can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals while coping with climate change. Among smallholder adaptation options, developing seeds resilient to current and
future climate shocks expected locally is one of the most important actions available now.