Wild relatives of cultivated plants (CWRs) are often considered the "cousins" of domesticated crops due to their close kinship and their role as important sources of natural genetic variation. Crop diversification and improved varieties are important means for an urgently needed agroecological transition towards maintaining and stabilising yields with a reduced use of agrochemicals and under increasingly volatile climatic conditions. Such a transition will lead to more diverse, sustainable and nutritious food in line with the EU Green Deal policy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
The COUSIN project covers the entire path, from the identification of wild plants to market-ready crops. COUSIN has identified five crops as the main representatives of important food crop species: Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) as representatives of cereals, pea (Pisum sativum) as a legume, lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a leafy vegetable and cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and canola (Brassica napus) as oilseeds. These crop examples will be used to demonstrate how CWRs can be used in formalised and participatory breeding to address current challenges for different stakeholders, from producers to consumers.
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