The central theme of the workshop discussions was the better understanding of mountain farming systems, with special reference to the more effective organisations of research on mountain cropsp including research on the issues involved in the exchange of genetic resources between one mountain region and another - with the common aim of improving the economic conditions of hill farmers everywhere. For ICIMOD, this highly significant international workshop was the initiation of a two year programme of the systematic assembly and assessment of international knowledge on mountain agriculutre, leading to a major International Conference on Sustainable Mountain Agriculutre to be held in Kathmandu in October 1989.
