In pursuit of developing resilient food systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been tasked with forging formidable ties with research and development institutions. This was highlighted Tuesday during a panel discussion set alongside the high-level FAO stakeholder engagement workshop held in Gaborone. National Agricultural Research and Development Institution (NARDI), Director of Animal Production and Health, Dr Kethusegile Raphaka, said one of the major challenges was climate change which threatens efforts to ensure global food security and poverty eradication. Dr Raphaka said projections covering 100 years from now proved that climate change would persist, citing that temperatures would continue to rise over time and rainfall levels on the other side would decrease. He stated that in 20 years there would be a temperature increase of about three to five degrees Celsius and a drop in rainfall of nearly three millimetres. Dr Raphaka said tackling climate change demanded all to be forward looking and committed to devise robust mitigation and adaptation strategies to address most issues emanating from United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. �I believe FAO and research and development institutions such as NARDI could form functional and transformative partnerships,� he sad. �It�s worth noting that a lot has been done by R&D institutions regarding climate smart agricultural technologies.� Among the technological innovations that could be adopted to mitigate the threat of climate change, he mentioned drought tolerant crop practice, resilient indigenous breeds, conservation agriculture including minimum soil tillage. He said there was concern that these technologies were not accessible to farmers and other stakeholders who needed those most, mentioning that efforts behind partnering with FAO should be targeted towards technology transfer to bring meaningful change in their lives. Dr Raphaka said funding was not sufficient for farmers. He also said partnership with FAO would help set up an ecosystem that would approach all climate change issues holistically, through various sectors and expertise.