Item name	Conference Paper
Bibliography	Wera, B.; Deros, M.; Ramakrishna, A. (2015) Addressing hunger and malnutrition with nutritious orange-fleshed sweet potato in Papua New Guinea, Waigani Seminar, Vol.2 (3), 17 pages, University of Papua New Guinea, Waigani
Associated conference	'Celebrating the Past, Understanding the Present, and Chartering the Future Through Effective Leadership and Good Governance', Waigani Seminar, UPNG, 19-21st August 2015
Abstract / Content summary	Climate change, through rising temperatures and greater variability of rainfall, is significantly affecting agricultural productivity and production in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with potentially far-reaching implications for food and nutrition security, and for the livelihoods of the rural poor. Sweetpotato is well adapted to wide production environments, and has great scope for further adaptation to changing climatic conditions through varietal development and improved agronomic practices. A sweetpotato breeding program was started at the Highlands Regional Centre, Aiyura to (i) improve vitamin A intake of rural and vulnerable groups, (ii) increase effective demand and develop fresh root marketing chains for orange fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and reduce fluctuations in overall sweetpotato supply to the fresh food market; (iii) increase the production and quality of sweetpotato in intensifying farming systems to ensure surplus production for sale and decrease the length of time hunger periods and (iv) produce pathogen tested clean tissue culture sweetpotato plantlets and design seed systems. In addition to the breeding, the program also develops improved agronomic practices to enhance resilience and productivity of local farming systems under changing climatic conditions.
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