South Korea's forest agency said Thursday that a research project submitted by its affiliate, the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute, aimed at addressing the climate-driven food crisis through crop wild relatives, has been selected for a part of an R&D program promoting cooperation with the European Union.

Crop wild relatives, also known as CWRs, are recognized for their ability to adapt to extreme environments and their high genetic diversity, making them crucial for improving future food crops in response to the climate crisis. The Korea Forest Service has been conducting research since 2021, exploring solutions to the climate-driven food crisis by focusing on wild forest species, according to the agency.

This study is the only one related to the agricultural and forestry sector out of the 11 projects picked for the Korea-EU Cooperation Promotion Program, designed to encourage cooperation and exchanges in the research sector between Korea and the EU.

Under the project, the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum under the auspices of KoAGI will work with European partners to establish a research base by September of next year.

Upon the completion of the project, the institute plans to apply for participation in Horizon Europe, the European research and development funding initiative which supports scientific and technological innovation with a budget of over $105 billion for 2021-27.

If the project is selected for Horizon Europe, it will be the first forestry-related research for Korea to receive direct funding from the EU. Korea became an associate member of Horizon Europe in March, making it the third non-European country to join, following New Zealand and Canada, and the first in Asia.

The forest agency also added that it hopes this cooperation will foster deeper collaboration between the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault and Norway's Svalbard Seed Vault, as both are globally recognized facilities designed to preserve wild plant seeds in preparation for climate change and natural disasters.

“This Korea-EU Cooperation Promotion Program will serve as an important milestone for expanding forestry research in areas such as climate crisis response," said Lim Sang-seop, minister of the Korea Forest Service. "We will continue to globalize Korea’s advanced forestry science and technology to address global challenges and enhance industrial competitiveness.”

By Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com) and Hwang Joo-young (flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)