Blogs – Page 32

Building technical capacity for emerging agri-research science and big data management

Written by Nima Chodon on August 14, 2023. Posted in News.

CSISA collaborates with Chaudhury Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University to provide students with opportunities to engage in the latest agri-research and big data management. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Working alongside smallholder farmers, the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project, has forged partnerships at the state and center levels to bridge the gap between innovation and the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems. In its current phase (2022-2025) in India, CSISA is helping mainstream innovation processes into the programing of national and state institutes through joint extension and research activities, including capacity building initiatives. Chaudhury Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (CCSHAU) is one of Asia’s biggest agricultural universities, located at Hisar in state of Haryana, India. Initially a campus of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, it became an autonomous institution in 1970 and contributed significantly to both the Green and White Revolutions in India.

Together with CCSHAU, CSISA recently initiated a landscape diagnostic survey (LDS) under the university’s rural agricultural work experience (RAWE) program for students graduating with an honors Bachelor of Science in agriculture. The twin objectives of this initiative were to gain an understanding of the existing challenges and opportunities for different cropping systems in Haryana through a bottom-up approach and to prepare students for careers in agriculture by building their practical skills in digital agriculture and big data management. This, explained CCSHAU Vice Chancellor B.R. Kamboj, who led the collaboration with CSISA, would provide recent graduates with the opportunity to “design a survey schedule, collect data in digital format, understand how farmers are adopting new technologies, and the learnings and challenges associated with each cropping system.”

Developing solutions for tomorrow’s problems

The predominant cropping systems practiced within the three ecologies of Haryana state are: the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS); the cotton-wheat cropping system (CWCS); and the pearl millet-mustard cropping system (PMCS). The landscape diagnostic survey was carried out in parts of Sirsa and Hisar districts (for CWCS), Rewari and Mahendergarh districts (for PMCS) and Panipat, Yamunanagar, and Kurukshetra districts (for RWCS). The entire survey design was based on farmers’ participatory engagement and the cropping system framework.

A thorough process of survey design, including the training of master trainers, followed by orientation for students, was undertaken by the university’s RAWE faculty with support from CSISA’s technical team and participating KVKs. Students collected data from farming households using questionnaires and analyzed them using different analytical tools and techniques. Based on farmers’ responses, important data points about the region’s three crucial cropping systems were recorded and a book entitled Cropping Systems of Haryana – Challenges and Opportunities was published earlier this year, documenting the research process, data generated, results, and conclusions.

This has been a unique experience for both students and faculty that culminated in a research program with hands-on training. In the long run, this approach to capacity building for students is expected to support fieldwork and studies that help develop solutions to tomorrow’s problems in agricultural development. “The commitment of CCSHAU to implement a strong RAWE program under the technical guidance of CSISA, with support from the district KVKs, and student participation made this publication a strong endorsement and reference for similar RAWE programs across states and central universities,” acknowledged Peter Craufurd, CSISA project lead for India.

Lessons from the field

The survey helped build students’ capacity to design and understand data collection methods, analysis, and management with actual field exposure. Additionally, the qualitative data-gathering experience allowed them to develop their understanding of farmers’ perspectives in adopting or rejecting a particular technology or recommendation. Sharing her experience of the field sessions, RAWE student Muskan– group leader for the rice-wheat cropping system survey, said, “This process of data gathering, and field exposure is very motivating. I have a better understanding of our farmers’ practices and challenges.”

Another participating RAWE student and group leader for the cotton-wheat cropping system survey, Nilanchal Nishan said, “this exposure has helped me understand how policies and technology advancements affect farmers and their interaction with these changes over the years”.

“The entire process, from training to data management and curation, was fascinating for us,” said Aman Kumar, who led the pearl millet-mustard cropping system (PMCS) survey. He added that such field exposure will make students more aware of the trends and prevalent practices in the agricultural sector and help them choose their future field of research and study in a way that is in sync with real-time developments. These sentiments were echoed by RC Aggarwal, deputy director general for education at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), who called for more collaborations and capacity development exercises of this nature to be initiated in other state agriculture universities.

Read the full publication: Cropping Systems of Haryana – Challenges and Opportunities

Set an example of how to thrive

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 14, 2023. Posted in News.

In July 2023, CIMMYT launched a new seminar series on women’s leadership — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. Pitched as a ‘TED Talk meets fireside chat’, the series shines a spotlight on successful women who are leaders in their fields, providing a platform for them to share insights from their lives and careers. Taking into consideration the fact that leadership can take make many different forms, the talks will highlight women who are leaders in all sorts of disciplines and capacities.

Altagracia emphasized that social and political changes across the world present new opportunities for women to advance in leadership roles. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“We want more women leaders in science organizations and institutions like our own,” explains CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts. “To achieve this goal we need proper representation, and we need role models that balance science, business insights and decision-making to provide opportunities to hear from women leaders about their life journeys, lessons and insights.”

Disruption without destruction

The second event in the series, held online on July 18, featured presentation by Altagracia Gómez Sierra, a leader in sustainable business, Chair of Mexico’s Western Business Promoter Council, and one other the most influential women in agribusiness and energy within the region. During her talk, Gómez emphasized that while many challenges persist, social and political changes across the world are presenting new opportunities for women to advance in leadership roles.

“As we enter a time of absolute change in this new decade, I think women have their best shot at stopping the reproduction of poverty and entering into leadership positions that were previously denied to them,” she said. “And in doing so, we should learn to be disruptive without being destructive. We should build on what we already have and keep pushing it forward.”

Gómez pointed to the advantage of being trained to develop soft skills, which companies and recruiters increasingly see as equally valuable as technical ones. “I think women are trained, even as young girls, to be very effective communicators. They are trained to be part of larger teams or communities and to advance forward without leaving people behind,” she told attendees. “I think that’s an attribute that women — and you as women in science — can bring to the table and communicate. And that is something that I believe, whether it’s in the short or long term, does eventually get recognized.”

Help girls aspire to leadership

Gómez also outlined the importance of supporting women’s leadership at all ages, and crucially even before entering the workforce. “What we sometimes fail to realize is that true innovation comes from the small businesses that constitute up to 76% of new jobs worldwide. And that 90% of companies are still family-run. So, when we think about changing companies, we need to think about changing families and how families work,” she explained. “Because if we truly want to give women a shot, we need to give girls a shot.”

Altagracia and Maria Itria spoke on the importance of representation and having role models. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“I would invite every one of you, if you have girls at home, to encourage them not only to be prepared to take on leadership roles, but also to aspire to them,” she added. “You can do this by setting an example of how to thrive.”

“I believe that the decade of the 2020s, in spite of all the challenges, is truly a wonderful opportunity for girls and women across the world — especially in science.” She ended her talk by encouraging attendees to do anything they can to enhance inclusion — particularly enhancing the accessibility of infrastructure, technology, and education for rural communities — in order to advance business objectives with social as well as economic profitability.

Gómez’ presentation was followed by a Q+A session led by Maria Itria Ibba, head of the Wheat Quality Laboratory and cereal chemist at CIMMYT. The full discussion can be viewed online here. Spanish and French-language audio is also available.

A new Climate Adaptation Atlas to safeguard South Asian agriculture

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 14, 2023. Posted in Blogs.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a reality that profoundly affects our lives. Among the most vulnerable regions to climate change, South Asia stands out because it is home to over 100 million farmers and produces over 285 million metric tons of milled rice and 128 million metric tons of wheat (FAO 2020-21). Among 193 countries worldwide, South Asian countries rank in the top quarter for climate risk and are experiencing rising meteorological and climate-related disasters. These pose significant challenges to farmers and the 216 million people in South Asia living in extreme poverty (World Bank, 2018), further jeopardizing their food security and livelihoods.

Considering this, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is working with national agriculture research systems in South Asia to develop the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA).

The Atlas brings together spatially explicit South Asian data on the nature and evolving patterns of climate hazards. It will assess climate risks using gridded, village-scale analyses and through historical crop yield data and satellite signatures. The Atlas will consider the exposure of smallholder populations, farms and crop and livestock enterprises. It will assess the vulnerability or adaptive capacity of those populations and impacts on the region’s critical commodities. Importantly, the Atlas will provide a unique set of on-line tools and a portfolio of adaptation options to underpin better decisions regarding investments in agricultural technologies, climate information services, and policies. The project will also focus on building the capacity of concerned stakeholders such as multi-lateral agencies, government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector in the use of Atlas assets, through training materials, tutorials, and periodic workshops. This will enable informed investments and policy decisions to benefit 100 million farmers in South Asian region. For wider use, the Atlas will be embedded online as an open-source, web-enabled and interactive and dynamic tool for easy access by all concerned stakeholders.

Drawing on the expertise and experience of South Asian nations such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which have suffered from extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and severe flooding in key crop-producing areas, ACASA represents an example of collaboration and knowledge exchange to reduce farmers’ risks and offer them ways to adapt.

BISA and CIMMYT are pleased to anchor this remarkable collaboration that leverages multi-disciplinary expertise and perspectives to address the complex challenges posed by climate change, linking the detailed characterization of climatic risks with mitigation technologies and policies to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. The proposed work will contribute actively to the CIMMYT2030 Strategy where one of the 5 impact areas is centered around Climate adaptation and Mitigation. The entire strategy designs a path toward a Food and Nutrition Secure world through science and innovation in the midst of a global climate crisis.

Established in 2011 by CIMMYT and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is a non-profit international organization that applies advanced technologies to improve food systems and food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and the environment in South Asia, home to more than 300 million undernourished people.

In memory of Gordon Conway

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 11, 2023. Posted in News.

The Rockefeller Foundation announced the passing late last month of Gordon Conway, former Rockefeller Foundation President, from 1998 to 2004.

Conway developed integrated pest management programs in Malaysia and worked to extend the benefits of the Green Revolution to Africa. During his tenure as President of the Rockefeller Foundation, he sought to address urban poverty by developing low-income housing and other solutions as part of the “Living Cities” program. Under his leadership, the Foundation also launched the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which has since connected nearly a million Africans to treatment for HIV, and the Mother to Child Transmission Plus Initiative, which provided long-term care to women living with HIV in Africa and Asia.

“Gordon was a pioneer of sustainable agriculture committed to eradicate hunger who challenged our thinking”, said Bram Govaerts sending heartfelt condolences to Conway’s friends and relatives on behalf of CIMMYT.

CIMMYT will continue his efforts, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, to improve food and nutrition security for communities around the world.

El Niño event declared: Impacts on the Limpopo river basin in Southern Africa expected

Written by mcallejas on August 11, 2023. Posted in In the media.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and CIMMYT call on policymakers and research-for-development organizations to stay informed about the evolving El Niño event and its potential implications in the Limpopo Basin. El Niño is considered the biggest climate oscillation on Earth. IWMI and CIMMYT have utilized various methodologies and climate models to project and assess the potential impacts of the El Niño event.

What are the crucial practices, especially under the changing climatic conditions about the evolving El Niño event?

Read the full story.

Hard work pays off

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 11, 2023. Posted in Features.

Nepal is an agricultural country, where the sector provides the major source of income for half the population. Despite this, the sad reality is that the country is not able to produce enough crops to meet its needs, and major grains like rice, maize, and cereals are mostly imported.

One factor influencing this is an aging population of farmers, alongside decreasing interest in agriculture among the country’s youth. Many young people do not see agriculture as a viable option for employment, opting instead for work opportunities outside the country. However, there are still some youth who see agriculture as a profitable business, like Pradeep Morya.

“It is better to work hard in your home country rather than going abroad and working tirelessly every minute and hour,” says Morya, a 24-year-old farmer from Banke, Nepal, who finds happiness in living close to his family and helping to support national food security. “I love being in the field,” he explains. “I have cultivated spring maize on one hectare. My day-to-day business is to provide care to the spring maize along with pumpkins and beans that I have added for additional income on a small plot of land.”

Morya grows spring maize, pumpkin, and beans (Photo: CIMMYT)

Working alongside his eldest brother, Morya has cultivated 30 kattha of land (equivalent to 0.36 hectares) using the spring maize varieties Pioneer 1899 and DK 9108. His brother, a member of Mahatarkari cooperative in Duduwa, western Nepal, has been providing him with the knowledge and expertise needed for maize cultivation.

Mahatarkari is one among 50 cooperatives working in partnership with the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer project (NSAF), which is implemented by CIMMYT. NSAF works with the cooperatives to provide technical knowledge and training to farmers, to hone their potential and support them in the adoption of modern technologies which can improve their livelihoods. After participating in programs organized by NSAF, Morya makes sure that the suggestions he receives — on soil preparation, weed management, harvesting, and more — are implemented in his field.

Returning to the family farm

A few years back, the situation was different. Like many youths in the country, Morya also went abroad to try his luck on the international job market. He worked hard for two years in Malaysia but was forced to return to Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had imagined my shining future abroad. However, when I reached there, the reality was different,” recalls Morya. “I returned to my own country just before the lockdown in April 2021 with some small savings. Upon my arrival in Nepal, I was clueless about my future. I dropped my education after grade five. With no educational qualifications and skills in hand, it was difficult to get a decent job.”

Agriculture has provided Morya with a sustainable source of income in his home country. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Since the country was in lockdown, Morya chose to stay at home and support his family on the farm. It was here that his eldest brother guided him into farming, and Morya soon learned the knowledge needed to run the farm and began earning money from it. This attracted him towards farming as a longer-term career option, and he has now discovered a prosperous future in agriculture.

“Agriculture needs continuous effort,” he says. “With the support of technology, it is easy and efficient to work. I work every day so that I can reap crops on a large scale to make a profit. I manage weeds, irrigation, and control pests.”

“I also have livestock. I get adequate fodder for my cows and buffalo from weeds and from the spring maize. I sell milk in the market. In addition to this, I also make sure to produce off-season vegetables so that I receive a decent price for additional income.” With the support of his family, Morya has recently purchased an e-rickshaw, which he uses to transport and sell his produce.

To further support his endeavors, Morya has also been participating in Nepal’s Maize Commercialization Network and using the Geo Krishi mobile app to learn about current market prices. “Before knowing about the commercialization of crops, it was hard to receive good amounts from buyers,” he explains. “Now, I make a call to the local retailers and buyers to learn the best value of my grain. Sometimes I also explore the market. Then, I analyze the rate and sell my maize.” He uses a similar system for his off-season vegetables, selling either in the local market or directly to consumers for a premium price. “I make a saving of around 1500 Nepalese rupees (approximately US$ 11) per day,” he says.

A prosperous life

With the profits from his agricultural business, Morya has been able to fulfill his dream of purchasing a bike, as well as contributing to the construction of a new eight-room house, where his family is now living comfortably. “I love to roam on my bike with my friends in the evening. I also take my mother for a ride,” says Morya with a bright smile. “Now, I have a dream to live a prosperous life with my family.”

Morya fulfilled his dream of buying a bike. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Thanks to the support provided by the NSAF project with generous funding from USAID, young people like Morya can pursue a better life for themselves and their families. Agricultural training programs have not only helped young people fulfill their basic needs, but also to achieve their dreams. It is hoped that ongoing efforts to empower farmers through science and innovation will continue helping young farmers like Morya break the chain of unemployment, for both their own benefit and that of Nepal.

CIMMYT releases 32 new elite maize lines

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 10, 2023. Posted in News.

Maize ears of the newly released set of CIMMYT maize lines. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT is pleased to announce the release of a set of 32 new CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs). These maize lines have been developed by CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The lines have diverse trait combinations and are suitable for the tropical/subtropical maize production environments targeted by CIMMYT and partner institutions.

CMLs are freely available to both public and private sector breeders worldwide under the standard material transfer agreement (SMTA).

CIMMYT seeks to develop improved maize inbred lines for different product profiles, with superior yield performance, multiple stress tolerance, and enhanced nutritional quality. CMLs are released after intensive evaluation in hybrid combinations under various abiotic and biotic stresses, besides optimum (non-stress) conditions in the target population of environments. Suitability as either female (seed) or male (pollen) parent is also evaluated. As done in the last announcement of CMLs in 2021, to increase the utilization of the CMLs in the maize breeding programs of the partner institutions, all the new CMLs are tested for their heterotic behavior and assigned to specific heterotic groups of CIMMYT: A and B.

The release of a CML does not guarantee high combining ability or per se performance in all the environments; rather, it indicates that the line is promising or useful as a parent for pedigree breeding or as a potential parent of hybrid combinations for specific mega-environments. The description of the lines includes heterotic group classification, along with information on their specific strengths and their general combining ability with some of the widely used CMLs or CIMMYT coded lines under different environments.

More information:

Summary of the characteristics: CIMMYT maize lines CML616A to CML647A (PDF)

Pedigree and characterization data of all the CMLs released to date, including the latest set (CIMMYT Research Data repository).

Seed for these new set of CMLs will be available from November 1, 2023. A limited quantity of seed of the CMLs can be obtained by sending a request to the CIMMYT germplasm bank via this link: https://staging.cimmyt.org/resources/seed-request/ or contact, a.chassaigne@cgiar.org.

Please contact for any further details regarding the released CMLs:

Dr B.M. Prasanna, Global Maize Program Director, CIMMYT & OneCGIAR Maize Breeding Lead (b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org)

Appropriate farm scale mechanization can aid in agroecological transformation

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 9, 2023. Posted in News.

A bale of grass and maize stalks made in a bailer. (Photo: CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology)

A case of the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology in Zimbabwe

Authors: Vimbayi Chimonyo (CIMMYT – scientist, crop modeler); Frédéric Baudron (CIMMYT – cropping systems agronomist); Dorcas Matangi (CIMMYT – assistant research associate)

Food systems in marginal areas of Zimbabwe are vulnerable to climate variability and economic shocks. During the COVID-19 outbreak, governments imposed strict lockdowns that adversely affected local food systems and supply chains. Rural communities that already had difficulty feeding their families found themselves in a more desperate situation. The recurring challenges and the COVID-19 outbreak made it clear that there is a need to transform local food systems to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security. The transition is even more urgent owing to the acute labor shortages due to the accelerated trend of rural labor outmigration and an aging population in smallholder farming communities of the country. Agroecology has emerged as an approach to facilitate and champion a transformative shift to sustainable local food systems.

Mower cutting grass. (Photo: CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology)

The Agroecological Initiative is at the forefront of providing science-based evidence for the transformative nature of agroecology and its potential to bring about positive changes in food, land, and water systems, including identifying institutional innovations to promote uptake. Agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture that emphasizes integrating ecological principles and practices into farming systems. The 13 principles of agroecology guide sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.

Thirteen consolidated agroecology principles (Wezel et al. 2020)

The initiative employs a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating ecological and social methods to co-create and manage localized food systems and monitor the 13 interconnected principles. While agroecological methods hold promise, the transition process is labor and knowledge-intensive and requires addressing power dynamics within and beyond households to address food and nutrition security. Building on the findings of the completed ACIAR-funded project Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) and Harnessing Appropriate-scale Farm Mechanization in Zimbabwe (HAFIZ), CIMMYT is working in Zimbabwe with 200+ farmers and four service providers in Murehwa and Mbire districts as ambassadors of the community through Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs).

Trailer for transportation. (Photo: CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology)

Mechanization plays a crucial role in the initiative implementation in Zimbabwe, covering a wide range of farming and processing equipment. The equipment ranges from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated and motorized tools. The machinery eases and reduces drudgery associated with agricultural practices, relieves labor shortages, improves productivity and timeliness of agricultural operations, optimizes resource utilization, enhances market access, and helps mitigate climate-related hazards.

“Machinery supports synergies, reduces labor, and reduces human and wildlife conflict as it reduces livestock grazing time because you can now make feed for your cattle and cutting grass reduces veld fires,” said Musandaire.

Within the Agroecology Initiative, CIMMYT considers mechanization in its technological, economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions when contributing to the sustainable development of localized food systems and actors. In Mbire and Murehwa, a service provider model was adopted to introduce appropriate scale machinery within the respective communities. The service providers were equipped with a two-wheel tractor, ripper, mower, chopper grinder, and bailer. Training was offered on equipment operation, repair, and maintenance.

The business aspects were also discussed to broaden the participants’ knowledge of service provision. Important aspects covered include business model, entrepreneurship, record keeping, cost and profit calculations, customer care, target setting, and machinery operation planning.

To date, the service providers offer services including ripping, transportation, chopper grinding for livestock feeds and humans, and baling and mower for grass cutting at a fee.

“Mechanization has proven efficient and relevant in our district since livestock is one of our main value chains. Our service providers make hay bales for us, which we buy to feed our livestock. They also grind feed which is good for pen-fattening,” said Chimukoro, councilor in Mbire.

Preliminary findings indicate that appropriate scale mechanization enhances synergies in smallholder farming systems by facilitating more efficient and integrated agricultural practices.

“Our trailer reduces labor and saves time better than scotch carts. We used to leave much biomass in the fields because we didn’t know how to transport and process it after aggregation. But now we can recycle our biomass,” mentioned Mushaninga, local leadership in Murehwa.

By streamlining labor-intensive tasks and promoting holistic farm management, mechanization encourages complementarity among various elements of agroecosystems, contributing to more sustainable and productive smallholder farming. Target communities can pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable food system through the Agroecological Initiative.

CIMMYT announces 2030 Strategy

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 8, 2023. Posted in Features.

The world’s food systems are under threat by escalating armed conflicts, economic stagnation, the effects of the climate crisis and natural resource degradation. Against this backdrop, the next seven years are crucial in meeting the challenges of keeping the world’s growing population fed and secure.

Recognizing that business as usual will not be sufficient, CIMMYT has embarked on a journey to proactively face the new challenges of the 21st century. This novel approach to agrifood systems is the core of CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy, which has the potential to shape the future of agriculture.

Ethiopian Seed Enterprise maize crop for multiplying seedlings of DT maize. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

“We understand that the challenges facing food security are complex, varied and rapidly changing. For instance, the effects of COVID-19 and Ukraine-Russia conflict on food systems are still being felt today. With that in mind, we set out to develop a strategy that is both robust and nimble. The best way to create a sustainable and inclusive strategy was to engage directly with CIMMYT scientists and staff, the people on the front lines of this effort to deliver food and nutrition security to the world,” said CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts.

Looking back to move forward

The first step in crafting the 2030 Strategy was looking at where does CIMMYT want the world to be in 2100. In answering this question, CIMMYT crafted a long-term vision of how it wants to engage in a changing world and achieve the transformation to a food and nutrition secure world within planetary boundaries. CIMMYT has integrated the use of foresight and specifically a set of 2030 Food and Agriculture scenarios to explore potential changes in intervention areas over the strategic period and help prepare engagements in different contexts across the globe. These scenarios are a decision-making tool that has underpinned the development of the strategy to ensure that it is context-driven and focused on the most pressing challenges facing the agrifood systems in which CIMMYT operates.

From the future CIMMYT looks back at its history and examines how its core business has evolved over the years to proactively meet ever-changing needs across the world.

At each stage of CIMMYT’s evolution, it has taken its strengths and the skills it has built and added to its experience, and expanded on what it delivers while maintaining the core strengths.

Norman Borlaug teaching trainees. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In CIMMYT’s earliest days, the mission was developing and improving germplasm and agronomic practices, then CIMMYT began working more closely with farmers (1980s), broadened emphasis in genetic improvements (2000), embarked on sustainable multidisciplinary projects (2010s), and most recently, advancing technologies in participatory innovation systems (2015-2022). All leading to the mission codified in the 2030 Strategy: accelerating food systems transformation by using the power of collective action.

Now, in 2023, CIMMYT’s progress is being shaped by the CGIAR mission statement: “To deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.”

Building the Strategy

To define the 2030 Strategy, CIMMYT responded to the following core questions:

What does success look like?
Where can CIMMYT deliver the most value?
How can CIMMYT deliver value for communities?

“As an organization, we have concentrated on strategies that foster collaboration and adapt them for a non-profit international organization whose vision is not to grow as an institution but to deliver greater value for the communities they serve, to innovate for the end users of their products and to ensure a better future for our global community,” said Govaerts.

The tools used to develop the elements of this strategic plan leveraged the framework provided in the CGIAR Research and Innovation Strategy to guide the process. Staff from across the Center engaged in a consultative process to develop the objectives for following strategic components: Excellence in Science and Innovation, Excellence in Operations, Talent Management, Resource Mobilization, Partnership, and Influence.

Developing the Excellence in Science and Innovation component serves as an example of this collaborative, bottom-up approach. Planning was led by the Emerging Thought Leaders Group, made up of 24 early and mid-career scientists across the breadth of CIMMYT’s global and program portfolio. The group worked collaboratively with CIMMYT researchers and staff to first delineate the challenges facing agri-food systems and then workshopped solutions which now serve as the foundation of the 2030 Strategy.

Workshop participants study seed samples in CIMMYT’s Seed Health Laboratory. (Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT)

“Each component complements the others,” said Govaerts. “This is our answer to the core questions. Only by working collectively can we initiate sustainable solutions that reach everyone.”

Together, the components create a network to support CIMMYT’s three pillars: Discovery (research and innovation), SystemDev (working collaboratively to innovate foundational systems), and Inc. (incubating startups and new ways of doing business in the agri-food system space).

CIMMYT is leading the way in shaping a sustainable and prosperous agricultural landscape

The goal to facilitate food security where sustainable agriculture is part of the solution to the climate crisis and agriculture provides an avenue to build household resilience and enables communities to pull themselves out of poverty requires the strategic use of resources. CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy, built from the bottom up on a foundation over 50 years’ experience and the expertise of scientists, staff, and farmers maximizes resources, enhances dynamic partnerships, and both retains and recruits a world-class staff in a world of growing challenges to food security.

Read the 2030 Strategy: Science and Innovation for a Food and Nutrition Secure World: CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy

A heartfelt farewell to Walter Falcon, an agricultural giant

Written by mcallejas on August 7, 2023. Posted in News.

Did you ever read Seeds of Sustainability: Lessons from the Birthplace of the Green Revolution in Agriculture?

Among its authors is an honorable person who served as a Board Member supporting CIMMYT’s Director General Robert D. Havener from 1978 to 1985. Later, in 1995, CIMMYT was proud to have him as Board Chair during Timothy G. Reeves tenure as CIMMYT’s Director General (1995-2002). He brought all his experience in issues relating to agricultural economics and policy, particularly in Asia, and his experience as chairman of the IRRI Board of Directors (1988-1994).

The book synthesized the experiences and lessons learned at the Sustainability in the Yaqui Valley Project, a joint venture between Stanford University and CIMMYT. And one of the amazing authors was Dr. Walter Falcon, an agricultural economist known as Wally by his friends and family.

We have just learned the sad news that he has passed away, and we would like to express our sincerest condolences and enormous gratitude to him, as he played a key role in helping us to get to where we are now, ready to solve tomorrow’s problems today.

At the end of the 2010s, his opinion was recognized and valued in Latin America. At that time, he saw that technological innovation could help to overcome the growing scarcity of basic inputs such as land, water, and energy. He stressed that everything would depend on the reversal of the trend to reduce funding for research.

In 1989, Dr. Falcon was made an outstanding graduate of 1958 by Iowa State University. In 1992 he was awarded the prestigious Bintang Jasa Utama medal of merit by the Government of Indonesia for 25 years of assistance in the country’s development. His recent co-authored papers have analyzed the effects of El Niño on Asian agriculture, Mexican agricultural policy, food price volatility, and biofuels.

Dr. Falcon received a BSc in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University in 1958, an MA in Economics from Harvard University in 1960, and a PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 1962. His other roles include deputy director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Farnsworth professor of International Agricultural Policy and Economics at Stanford University (Emeritus).

Let’s celebrate his legacy.
Let’s take a moment to remember that we are standing on the shoulders of a giant.

Timothy G. Reeves, CIMMYT’s Director General (1995-2002), and Walter Falcon at wheat fields in Obregon, taking a close look at Sonalika, the most widely adopted Green Revolution variety, sown on more than 12 million hectares.

How to add value in baking by blending wheat, millet

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 3, 2023. Posted in In the media.

Adding value to millets can be achieved through various ways, such as incorporating them into baking. By celebrating the International Year of Millets, individuals and communities are encouraged to explore the versatility of millets and contribute to their preservation and use for a healthier and more sustainable future.

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Regional Integrated Food Security Intiatives Respond to El Niño

Written by mcallejas on August 3, 2023. Posted in In the media.

It is official: the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced the beginning of the global climate heating event El Niño on July 4, which means that extreme weather events will affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people on all continents from now until midyear 2024. El Niño is considered the biggest climate oscillation on Earth. It occurs when winds and water temperatures change periodically in the Pacific Ocean. The last occurrence was in 2016, which according to the WMO remains the hottest year on record.

What can we do to mitigate El Niño’s effects in the food systems that sustain livelihoods in the Global South?

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Research local: co-creation generates novel options to tackle global problems

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 3, 2023. Posted in Publications.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are broad mandates for transitioning to fair and sustainable agrifood systems. However, because of their global view, they often operate at a scale not clearly seen or understood by local stakeholders.

New research led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) scientists offers participatory action research (PAR) as a potential bridge between the macro scope of the SDGs and the needs and desires of local communities.

The article, Participatory action research generates knowledge for Sustainable Development Goals, published in the June 2023 issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, examines two decades of participatory action research activities in Malawi, a highly rural society dependent on rainfed agriculture.

Trying out conservation agriculture wheat rotation alongside conventionally grown maize, farmer’s field, Mexico. (Photo: E. Phipps/CIMMYT)

“Participatory research is known for giving voice to farmers, for accelerating adaptation and for impact,” said lead author Sieglinde Snapp, director of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems program at CIMMYT. “What is novel in this study is that new discoveries were documented, showing the scientific contributions possible through PAR.”

Co-creation

Participatory action research is a knowledge generation process, characterized by a series of steps to facilitate improved understanding and development of innovations, within a local context. The PAR approach involves engaging stakeholders, to co-create solutions with researchers.

Because knowledge is often local, access to natural resources is highly heterogeneous, climate variability is unpredictable and socioeconomic circumstances are context-dependent, any intervention must be flexible and locally specific to ensure sustainability.

PAR prioritizes empowerment of marginalized communities to build long-term partnerships which support transformational changes at local, regional and national levels.

Yet the evidence base for PAR methodology remains fragmented and is often inaccessible.

“This is the first paper that shows how action research produces new knowledge through a systematic, iterative process that derived ‘middle ways’, such as shrubby food crops as a farmers preferred form of agroforestry,” said Snapp.

Solving wicked problems

Participatory research is well-suited to address conflicts and trade-offs that are key aspects of so-called wicked problems. For instance, annual crops—maize and soybean—are excellent producers of food but feature limited aboveground vegetation and belowground activity to regenerate soil nutrients, while perennials provide soil regeneration services but no food products.

By engaging closely with local stakeholders, PAR identifies “goldilocks options,” or middle ways, such as semi-perennial shrubs and vines that produce food while also promoting soil health.

Genetic and agronomic improvement efforts have almost entirely overlooked semi-perennial plant types to address food–soil trade-offs.

Challenges

Building relationships between researchers and stakeholders; the investment required in selecting representative sites, action learning activities, synthesis of findings, communication and documentation; and the inherent variability of research conducted under real-world conditions are barriers to establishing PAR systems. Living laboratories and education on PAR approaches need investment. Reward structures may need to shift, with greater attention to considering research impact on SDGs and awareness that time lags may occur in publishing scientific findings through PAR.

Demonstrating conservation agriculture to other farmers in Malawi. (Photo: T. Samson/CIMMYT)

“Our findings detailing the efficacy of PAR shows that the potentially high upfront costs to invest in relationship building and learning across disciplines, this is a worthwhile trade-off,” said Snapp.

Through PAR, human condition and social-science questions can be addressed, along with biological and environmental science questions, as illustrated in this Malawian case study.

The findings generated by PAR have relevance beyond the sub-Saharan Africa context because they provide new insights into the development of nature-based solutions that meet local needs, a critical requirement for rural communities in many parts of the globe.

Unveiling the Nexus between Agrifood Systems and Climate Change: Harvesting insights from latest IPCC report

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on August 2, 2023. Posted in News.

August 2 is Earth Overshoot Day 2023, which marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

Wheat harvest in Juchitepec, State of Mexico. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

“Climate change is already affecting agrifood systems,” said the director general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Bram Govaerts. “Efforts to protect food and crop systems from things like rising temperatures and drought are part of the overall solution to reverse ecological overshoot; however, we must work hard to ensure these efforts are collaborative, inclusive and sustainable. We want to reach climate goals without compromising food security.”

To harmonize climate change mitigation efforts, CIMMYT and the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform jointly hosted a webinar on July 11, 2023, for relevant stakeholders to discuss the latest findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC is an organization of governments that are members of the United Nations and provides regular assessments of the risks of climate change and options for mitigation.

“Climate change in agrifood systems presents special challenges. There are adaptation challenges, but even more importantly, reducing emissions while also protecting the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers is a huge challenge that requires scientists and practitioners working together,” said Aditi Mukherji, director of the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform. “Action based on science is needed and IPCC and CGIAR came together in this webinar to present those challenges and solutions.”

The webinar summarized key findings from the IPCC on how climate change effects agrifood systems, including potential adaptation measures and strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change on agri-food systems, how food system management can be part of the solutions to mitigate climate change without compromising food security. Participants also identified potential collaborations and partnerships to implement IPCC recommendations.

“On this acknowledgement of Earth Overshoot Day, the IPCC report is an important milestone as we enact sustainable solutions to protect against climate change and work toward pulling back overshoot,” said Claudia Sadoff, the executive managing director of CGIAR. “All strategies must be under-pinned with reliable data to let us know what is happening now and also in the future.”

The webinar kicked off with presentations from Alex Ruane, co-Director of the GISS Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and IPCC author, Mukherji, and Jim Skea, IPCC Co-Chair.

Challenges Ahead

Ruane examined the current impacts of climate change on agrifood systems and presented findings regarding future effects; knowledge that can help guide priority-setting among relevant stakeholders.

Alex Ruane presented on the current and future impacts of climate change on agrifood systems. (Photo: CIMMYT)

He detailed the perilous state of agrifood systems, as they need to sustainably increase production to provide healthy food for growing populations, adapt to climate change and ongoing climate extremes, mitigate emissions from agricultural lands and maintain financial incentives for agriculture.

Answering those challenges requires the development of models that can track all potential climate drivers. A co-development process with robust data-sharing is vital to provide context for risk management and planning for climate adaptation and mitigation.

Adaptation

Mukherji examined current adaptation efforts within agrifood systems. The IPCC data showed that the people and regions seeing the most adverse effects of climate change have also emitted the fewest amount of greenhouse gases.

There are multiple opportunities for scaling up climate action. CGIAR is working on such responses in the areas of efficient livestock systems, improved cropland management, water use, agroforestry, sustainable aquaculture and more.

Maladaptation can be avoided by flexible, inclusive, long-term planning and implementation of adaptation actions, with benefits shared by many sectors and systems.

Mitigation

Skea investigated the demand and supply side synthesis: land use change and rapid land use intensification have supported increased food production and food demand has increased as well.

He also summarized the IPCC findings regarding land use mitigation efforts, like reforestation (restoring trees in an area where their population has been reduced), afforestation (establishing trees in an area where there has not been recent tree cover) and improved overall forest management, quantifying each action on agrifood systems.

Panel discussion

Moderated by Tek Sapkota, CIMMYT/ CGIAR and IPCC scientist, with panelists Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO; Jyotsna Puri, associate vice-president, International Fund for Agricultural Development; Jacobo Arango, thematic leader, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT/CGIAR and IPCC author; Louis Verchot, principal scientist, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT/CGIAR and IPCC author, and Jim Skea, the panel discussed the IPCC findings and examined crucial areas for targeted development.

Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by the Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits.

CIMMYT welcomes US Department of State visit

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on July 31, 2023. Posted in News.

U.S. Department of State Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe visited CIMMYT in Texcoco, Mexico, on July 7, 2023. The visit aimed to strengthen ties between the United States government and CIMMYT—reaffirming commitment to fostering partnerships to achieve food and nutrition security goals.

McAuliffe examined maize germplasm from the U.S. (Photo: CIMMYT)

McAuliffe toured the CIMMYT gene bank, museum and conservation agriculture trial plots. CIMMYT scientists explained their efforts to protect one of the largest maize and wheat seed collections through research and collaboration with CGIAR and seed health initiatives.

She also received a detailed briefing about the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I), a regional project in southern and eastern Africa led by CIMMYT with the backing of Office of Special Envoy for Global Food Security and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CIMMYT practitioners briefed McAuliffe on AID-I’s inspiration in a successful model implemented in Mexico, MasAgro, with the potential to inform policy makers and transform agrifood systems in Central America to respond to migration.

Partner seed companies and project leaders shared significant milestones already achieved in Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to expand access for smallholder farmers to market actors, high-yielding seeds and climate-adaptable, resilient crop varieties.

(Left to right) Bram Govaerts, Daniela Vega, and Dorothy McAuliffe toured conservation agriculture trial plots. (Photo: CIMMYT)

After the tour of CIMMYT facilities, McAuliffe heard private and public partners share success stories and current initiatives jointly led with CIMMYT on regenerative agriculture, gene bank development across CGIAR and climate-smart and scale-appropriate mechanization technologies.

“Through partnership, we can work on R&D goals for better nutrition, data-driven decision making and promotion of regenerative agriculture so that farmers produce diversified crops. On behalf of CIMMYT, I’d like to thank the U.S. government and the American people, who have historically made scientific innovation possible, leaving a huge footprint to feed the world,” shared Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general.