Résumé
Inter‐crossing of the separately evolved Meso‐American and Andean gene pools of common bean generated new sources of disease resistances and nutrition for each gene pool and increased the available genetic diversity for exploitation in targeted breeding programs. Crops with restricted regional distribution, and neglected species, could play an important role in the adjustment of agriculture to future climate change uncertainties in temperature and rainfall. The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a CGIAR Institute based in sub‐Saharan Africa and focusing on research for food security and poverty alleviation in that region. These are predominantly of the staple crops that IITA breeds but in addition it has germplasm of a number of less widely grown crops, often described as 'orphan' or neglected and underutilised species, with considerable potential for a greater role in agriculture. Agricultural research for the management of climate change must address both unprecedented world population levels which are expected to keep rising.