The study focuses on the knowledge which could help overcome threats to agriculture and food security, exploring new ways of helping vulnerable rural communities adjust to global changes in climate. Its particular focus is tropical fruit.

It reviews status, potential threats and new opportunities in tropical fruit production and diversity conservation. It also aims to help both researchers and farmers identify and fill key underlying knowledge gaps in tropical fruit tree research.

The book highlights the importance of human induced climate change, which is occurring more rapidly than in the past. It argues that tropical fruit tree conservation may have a role in adapting to the effects of climate changes, and this needs to be explored. The question is raised as to whether plants, especially perennial species like tropical fruit tree species, will have time to adapt and withstand the newer demands placed on their efforts to survive.

The book argues that the nexus of climate change and growing demand for fruits, there are both opportunities to seek and challenges to deal with. Current producers who rely on fruits want to know how they can adapt to impending changes and continue producing. New opportunity seekers want to know what fruits are now becoming suitable for production in their countries. However, very little work has been done so far to examine the effects of climate change on fruits in terms of threats, adaptation options and opportunities in new locations.

The focus is on what can be done for better management of tropical fruit genetic resource conservation practices in the event that climate change drastically impacts the environment. The authors have provided some assessment of available information and have indicated future needs of information on some specific aspects of impacts of climate change.

[Adapted from source]