At the UN General Assembly, the U.S. Department of State announced $5 million in food security assistance to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils initiative in Guatemala. Co-led by CIMMYT and FAO, it aims to enhance sustainable agriculture through innovative practices that improve soil health and crop diversity. This initiative, part of the U.S. Feed the Future program, will strengthen resilience to climate change and support Guatemala’s agricultural sector, directly benefiting the 1.6 million people dependent on farming. CIMMYT’s leadership ensures scientific expertise in crop and soil management is central to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in the region.
Rebecca Benson, a 30-year-old mother of three from Igurusi village in Mbeya, Tanzania, is living proof of how small efforts against food loss can significantly impact people’s lives. Her journey unfolded during a recent USAID field mission in Tanzania for CIMMYT’s Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project when we visited a grain storage facility operated by the Igurusi Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS). This local cooperative provides storage facilities and connects rice farmers to buyers, ensuring their produce is preserved and marketed efficiently. The warehouse stores over 1,000 tons of paddy, which is dried, stored, and ready for market.
As we toured the warehouse, we noticed that between the collection and storage of produce, small amounts of paddy had spilled onto the ground. Although this might seem like a minor oversight, it quickly became clear that what could have been discarded as waste was, for some, a valuable resource.
Turning Food Loss into Livelihood
A few meters away, we noticed Rebecca winnowing paddy. Intrigued by the picturesque scene of wind blowing away chaff, we approached her and soon discovered her remarkable story. Initially shy, Rebecca gradually opened up to us and shared her story of resilience and great inspiration. Four years ago, Rebecca left a comfortable life for one filled with struggle. She had been in an abusive marriage but decided to rebuild her life after an altercation with her husband almost turned fatal.
“He would drink and become very violent. I had endured a lot but realized that he might one day kill me. I was very scared,” Rebecca narrated.
Starting life on her own and without access to her family’s land, she struggled to continue her rice farming, facing the overwhelming costs of leasing land and maintaining a farm. As her situation worsened, she found it increasingly difficult to provide for her children.
A happy Rebecca Benson winnowing paddy she collected from the ground at the Igurusi AMCOS (Photo: Maria Monayo, CIMMYT)
In her quest for survival, Rebecca began collecting waste paddy from spillage at the AMCOS warehouse. Initially, after threshing, it was just enough for her family to feed on, but she soon realized she could sell some of the rice to generate income. With the cooperative’s permission, she started collecting, cleaning, and selling the grains at Tsh 700 per kilogram. On average, Rebecca gathers over 20 kg of rice daily, which helps her pay rent, school fees, and feed her family. Although a tedious task to sift through the soil and rocks, Rebecca does it enthusiastically.
While she hopes to one day acquire land and return to farming, Rebecca remains grateful for the opportunity she has now. “It is hard work, and I want to improve my life and that of my children. I have not been able to save enough to lease land for farming, but that is my goal,” she said. The work also keeps her busy and has granted her independence from her abusive partner, allowing her to support her family on her own.
The Reality of Post-Harvest Grain Loss
In Sub-Saharan Africa, post-harvest grain loss amounts to millions of dollars in lost revenue and a reduction in food security due to inadequate storage facilities and improper handling during drying and transport. While AMCOS works hard to preserve crops and prevent large-scale food loss, the small quantities of spilled rice are an unavoidable consequence of handling large volumes. For Rebecca, however, these spilled grains represent a lifeline. Through her resourcefulness, she has turned what could have been wasted into an opportunity, providing her family with food and financial stability.
Soils are the bedrock for plant health and sustenance, but how do we protect and enhance them to maximize their nutritional potential? Years of conventional farming practices have left many soils depleted, raising urgent concerns about how to rejuvenate them. The recent El Niño event during the 2023/24 farming season in southern Africa, bringing extreme weather conditions—ranging from prolonged droughts to intense floods—has exposed the vulnerability of these soils. Poorly managed soils, already strained by years of excessive tillage and lack of cover, struggle to retain moisture under such stress, leading to crop failures even after rainfall.
However, conservation agriculture (CA) offers a vital solution. By improving soil structure and moisture retention, CA practices provide a lifeline for crops in challenging conditions. Recognizing this, CIMMYT scientists are actively promoting CA among smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting its critical role in sustaining soil health and resilience in the face of climate challenges.
Described as lumps of soil particles that bind together strongly, soil aggregates play a vital role in maintaining soil health, supporting plant growth, and sustaining agricultural productivity. Formed by the combined effects of biological, chemical, and physical processes, the structure and stability of soil aggregates are crucial for several soil functions—primarily water infiltration, root growth, and resistance to erosion. Soil aggregates consist of various soil particles, including sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. There are different types of soil aggregates, including macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) and microaggregates (<0.25 mm), with macroaggregates typically more stable and beneficial for soil structure and functions.
Demonstrating the value of soil aggregate stability
A CIMMYT researcher holding a soil aggregate from a CA field (CIMMYT)
Imagine three soil aggregate samples taken from the same field but under different management regimes—from virgin soil that has not been previously cropped, to land under conservation agriculture practices for the last 5 to 8 years, and soil conventionally ploughed annually before crop planting for many years. When these soil aggregates are gently immersed in clear water, stark differences can be noted. The aggregates from conventionally tilled soil, weakened by years of intensive cultivation, quickly disintegrate, turning the water murky and brown.
In contrast, the aggregates from virgin soil remain intact, preserving the water’s clarity even after several hours. The CA soil aggregates exhibit much better stability than those from the conventionally tilled soil but fail to remain as intact as those from the natural virgin soil. A simple lesson is drawn from this demonstration! Restoring degraded soils is a serious challenge. Even after 5 years of CA practices, soil organic carbon levels may only show modest improvement, and the aggregates, while more stable, still don’t match the condition of aggregates from virgin soil.
Soil recovery from a degraded state is a slow process that is not “a walk in the park.” Transitioning from conventional tillage to CA is challenging and slow, requiring years to rebuild organic matter and improve aggregate stability. Patience and careful soil management are vital, as degradation can occur rapidly, but recovery is a lengthy process. However, incorporating organic soil amendments like manure and compost, along with diversifying crops by introducing legumes such as cowpea, groundnut, soybean, mucuna, and pigeon pea, can accelerate this recovery. While degradation occurs rapidly, soil restoration demands a long-term commitment, but the rewards are worth the effort.
Exploring conservation agriculture as a source to improve soil health
Conservation agriculture is built on three key principles: reduced soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and diverse crop rotation. Minimizing soil disturbance helps preserve soil structure, while permanent soil cover shields the soil against splash erosion and boosts microbial activity. Crop rotation enhances soil fertility, maintains aggregate structure, and disrupts pest and disease cycles. These principles are essential for soil recovery and the retention of organic matter.
Among these, permanent soil cover is often the most challenging for farmers to implement, yet it is critical for effective soil management. Demonstrating its importance, a simple test with water applied to soil samples with varying levels of cover illustrates splash erosion effects.
“Such a simple test mimics real-life conditions farmers face during rains. Soils without cover suffer significant erosion, while those with minimal or substantial cover show reduced erosion and improved water retention. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining permanent soil cover to foster microbial activity and enhance soil health,” highlighted Isaiah Nyagumbo, cropping systems agronomist.
In a nutshell, soil aggregate management is fundamental to climate resilience and agricultural sustainability. Through the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, smallholder farmers can significantly improve soil health, enhance water and nutrient retention, and increase crop resilience to climate stress. The journey from degraded to healthy soil is long and challenging, but with careful management and patience, the benefits are profound and lasting. By understanding and implementing these principles, farmers can build a more sustainable and resilient food system.
Rajendra in the maize field (Photo: Deepa Woli, CIMMYT)
Rajendra Kathariya, a 41-year-old resident of Joshipur-2 in Kailali district, far-west of Kathmandu, has transformed his life and that of his family of five through commercial agriculture. Despite many challenges, Rajendra has remained committed to achieving financial sustainability through enhanced farming practices. Over the last two years, his partnership with Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) and CIMMYT, in collaboration with Nisrau Multipurpose Cooperative, a partner cooperative of NSAF, has been instrumental in his success.
Moving from traditional to modern farming
Previously, Rajendra cultivated cereal crops using traditional methods which often led to food crises for his family. However, he has now shifted to cultivating various crops throughout the year using modern farming techniques on his 1.02 ha of land and an additional 2.71 ha which he has leased.
“Before NSAF’s support, we only cultivated two crops per year. Now we harvest three crops and are considering commercial maize production,” Rajendra said.
Remarkable achievements in crop production
Last year, Rajendra cultivated rice on 3.72 ha, yielding 8.8 metric tons (t) worth NPR 250,000 (US $1,880.71). Similarly, he sold 3.8t of spring maize from 1.35 ha, earning NPR 110,000 (US $827.51). This year, he expanded maize cultivation to 2.03 ha, with an expected income of NPR 200,000 (US $1,504.57). His potato crop yielded 5.5t worth NPR 125,000 (US $940.35), with an additional 5.5t stored for future sale.
In addition to crops, Rajendra has established a pig farm, earning NPR 400,000 (US $3,009.13) in 2023 from selling pigs. He received a feed-making machine for pigs from NSAF, under its support to agribusiness Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Embracing modern technology and techniques
Rajendra uses both organic and chemical fertilizers and follows improved farming techniques such as hybrid seeds, line sowing, and machinery use. He owns a mini tiller and rents other machinery as needed. This year, with support from NSAF, he used a drone to spray fertilizer on his spring maize, significantly reducing labor and time.
“I have viewed videos of drones spraying fertilizer but never imagined it happening on my spring maize land. As a demonstration, 0.57 ha was used for nano urea spraying. The task was completed within five minutes of the drone taking flight. Similarly, I was astonished to learn that a drone can cover 2.02 ha in a mere 20 minutes,” he shared.
Intercropping and future plans
Rajendra has also implemented intercropping, combining maize with legumes on a 0.10-hectare plot. “Spring maize-legume intercropping is productive and effective for farmers such as me. We can make a profit from legumes, as well as spring maize. I will continue using this practice in the future,” he said.
Financial investments and community impact
The profits from agriculture have helped Rajendra to manage his household comfortably. He can now provide education for his four children, manage household expenses, and also pay the loan that he had taken for his household expenses. In addition, he recently invested NPR 250,000 (US $1,880.71) to build a new pig shed. He also sells his produce in local markets at Joshipur, Kailali.
“I have travelled a long way from being a subsistence farmer to engaging in commercial farming. This shift from traditional to improved farming technologies has been made possible with the support of NSAF/CIMMYT. I am grateful for their assistance and encouragement,” Rajendra said.
Vision for sustainability
Rajendra’s story reflects his dedication and hard work. “I was working as a daily wage laborer in India, hoping to secure a promising future for my children. Today, I can achieve complete sustainability through agriculture and provide quality education and a better life for my children,” he shared.
Drone on maize field (Photo: by Shishir Sapkota, CIMMYT)
Perth, Australia – September 24, 2024 – Esteemed Professor Matthew Reynolds, Head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT, will deliver a pivotal plenary at the International Wheat Congress, centering on enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in wheat through the integration of complex traits by combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with genetic diversity. This significant session promises to contribute valuable insights towards addressing the pressing global challenge of food security.
Pioneering Research to Future-Proof Wheat
Crop yield depends on a myriad of traits that interact across various dimensions such as growth stage, plant architecture, and growing environment. Until now, the complexity of these interactions has impeded precision breeding for traits like abiotic stress tolerance, input use efficiency, and yield potential. However, recent advancements in AI, remote sensing, and gene sequencing are making more deterministic breeding feasible.
In his presentation, Professor Reynolds will introduce a series of wiring diagrams representing trait interactions over time for wheat. These diagrams, based on empirical data and crop models, will serve as a framework for AI-assisted simulations to explore different breeding strategies. This innovative approach enables the genetic control of complex traits, allowing for more resilient wheat varieties that can withstand environmental stresses.
Collaborative Efforts Driving Innovation
This initiative is a collaboration between CIMMYT, the University of Florida, University of Queensland, and Wageningen University. The goal is to leverage advanced technologies to combine complex genetic traits in wheat, improving its tolerance to drought, heat, and poor soil conditions. This research holds significant promise for farmers worldwide, ensuring stable yields even under challenging growing conditions.
Impact and Benefits
Global Food Security: By developing high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat varieties, this research contributes to global food security, particularly benefiting farmers in South Asia and Africa.
Environmental Sustainability: Innovative research in Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) addresses nitrogen pollution and enhances nitrogen use efficiency in wheat, contributing to environmental sustainability.
Disease Resistance: Advanced breeding techniques are being employed to develop wheat varieties resistant to devastating diseases like wheat rust, protecting yields and ensuring food security.
“By combining cutting-edge AI and genetic diversity, we are future-proofing wheat to thrive in challenging environments,” said Professor Matthew Reynolds.
The session will take place during Plenary Session 4 on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, from 8:30 am to 8:50 am at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
About CIMMYT
CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. By fostering improved production systems for maize, wheat, and other cereals through applied agricultural science, CIMMYT enhances the livelihoods and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers while working towards a productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
Mariam Salim with amaranth grain that is ready to harvest from her vegetable field. (Photo: World Vegetable Centre)
On Pemba Island, part of Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago, more women are engaging in vegetable production and value addition, bolstering household nutrition and income security. This movement is significant in areas where modern agricultural technology and awareness of nutrient-rich crops like amaranth—a vegetable high in fiber, protein, and essential micronutrients—are limited.
Mariam Salim, who lives in Mjini Ole village on Pemba Island, is among the women embracing amaranth cultivation. Along with 272 other farmers, 53% of whom are women, she attended a three-day training course on vegetable cultivation and value addition. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through CIMMYT under the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project, and implemented by the World Vegetable Center, the training covered good agricultural practices, as well as the cultivation and processing of grain amaranth into flour.
The training equipped Mariam with essential knowledge and skills to enhance her agricultural productivity and livelihood.
Sowing seeds for success
Participants received seed kits containing eight varieties of nutritious traditional African vegetables, including African eggplant, African nightshade, amaranth, cowpea, and Ethiopian mustard. Farming a diverse range of crops supports food security and improves community nutrition.
During the training, Mariam realized the potential of growing grain amaranth for seed production. “I discovered that I could produce my own seeds and amaranth flour,” she said. “This opened up new opportunities for me to take control of my farming practices and increase my self-sufficiency.”
Seed production is a vital part of sustainable agriculture, enabling farmers like Mariam to boost productivity, diversify crops, and adopt climate-smart practices. By venturing into seed production, Mariam not only gained a valuable skill but also contributed to conserving and propagating important crop varieties within her community.
Mariam now sells seeds to other farmers, providing her with a new income source while supporting the broader agricultural community by facilitating access to quality seeds. Since the training in July 2023, Mariam has harvested 150 kg of seeds, selling them per kilogram (kg), earning US $450 and enhancing her household income security.
Healthy choices for communities
As the first woman in her community to undertake such an endeavor, Mariam is inspiring other women to explore new farming and food processing opportunities. Through the AID-I project on Zanzibar Island, more than 500 women have started home gardening to access quality vegetables for family consumption and business purposes, introducing new crop varieties and increasing household vegetable consumption.
This light bulb moment underscores the transformative power of education and knowledge-sharing initiatives under AID-I. By providing farmers with information on vegetable grain production and value addition, the project fosters self-reliance and innovation in sustainable farming practices.
Mariam’s detailed description of her seed production process highlights her dedication to agricultural innovation and community health. “It takes three months to harvest seeds, so I must be patient and committed to nurturing healthy crops,” she said. “I must also be precise in caring for the seeds through harvesting, drying, tapping, and sifting.”
The World Vegetable Center promotes home gardening among women. More than 500 participants actively cultivate and process vegetables into nutrient-dense packs. By growing their own vegetables, these women access nutritious food for their families, generate income from surplus produce, and improve health and well-being within the community.
Mariam Salim’s light bulb moment came during a training session on amaranth grain, where she recognized the potential of producing her own seeds. (Photo: World Vegetable Center)
A new study by CIMMYT, published in Global Change Biology, reveals that ancient wild relatives of wheat, which have adapted to extreme environmental conditions for millions of years, could be key to securing our future food supply. These wild varieties offer valuable genetic traits that can help modern wheat resist diseases, build climate resilience, and reduce agricultural emissions, making them essential for adapting to increasingly challenging growing conditions.
Farmer Gidey explaining to the CIMMYT research team and implementing partners the multiple benefits of the CSA intervention in Folfolo village (Photo: Desalegne Tadesse).
Agricultural activities, particularly the production of cereal crops and major staple foods like maize, wheat, teff, barley, and sorghum, are vital to the livelihoods of rural communities in Ethiopia. For example, about 80% of agricultural operations in the Tigray region’s Adwa district are related to cereal production. However, this, as well as agriculture in general, is highly susceptible to the effects of climate variability and change, which have a direct influence on farming communities’ rural livelihoods.
With support from the Development Fund (DF), CIMMYT is collaborating with several partners to address the challenges caused by climate variability in agriculture through the implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices. Efforts are currently focused on the Folfolo and Lalay Logomti watersheds in Adwa, where CSA demonstration sites are being implemented through Ethiopia’s Climate Adaptation and Rural Development (CARD)-II Program.
On 2 August 2024, CIMMYT scientists and experts from CSA-implementing partners under the CARD-II program visited the CSA demonstration sites to observe the ongoing activities, interact with farmers, and share their thoughts on progress so far.
Rehabilitating the natural environment
Since 2021, CIMMYT and partners, including the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), iDE, Women Empowerment Action, ORDA-Ethiopia, and HELVETAS, have been implementing numerous CSA-related activities on hillsides, farmlands, homesteads, and gullies. These activities provide multiple benefits for farmers to ensure food and nutrition security and include the management of natural resources, such as creating an arboretum, constructing trenches, and planting indigenous trees and forage plants in the upper catchments. Lower catchments and farmlands are undergoing biological and physical reclamation of gullies and riverbanks, trench construction, percolation ponds, crop diversification, and homestead plantations.
Moti Jaleta, a CIMMYT agricultural economist coordinating the implementation of CSA activities under the CARD-II Program, was excited by the visit and the effort farmers and partners have put into rehabilitating the natural environment and degraded croplands. He was also impressed by the food and feed crop technologies farmers have integrated into the rehabilitation work, as well as the overall benefits farmers have witnessed from their efforts.
“It is crucial to understand that the benefits of CSA technologies often extend beyond boosting yields,” said CIMMYT systems agronomist Tesfaye Shiferaw, who passionately described the program’s successes so far. “For example, in smallholder farming systems facing terminal droughts, an improvement in soil moisture content that would extend crop growth duration by just ten days can mean the difference between a complete crop failure and a normal yield.”
“This underscores the vital role of CSA technologies, especially under challenging conditions,” he explained. “During our field visit to those sites, such anecdotes were repeatedly emphasized.”
Natural resource management activity demo site at Gedeba watershed in Folfolo village (Photo: Desalegne Tadesse).
Streams begin to flow
Farmer testimonies from the field attest to the numerous benefits of CSA practices. “This area was known for its high runoff and water erosion some years ago,” said Giday Hagos, a 70-year-old farmer from Folfolo village. “Producing crops and engaging in other agricultural pursuits seemed unimaginable. But following the intervention of the CSA, I was very excited when the streams at the mountain’s base began to flow, and I started farming immediately using the stream for supplementary irrigation.”
Hagos used to grow cereal crops, but he was excited to make use of the potential offered by CSA technologies and has now shifted to market-driven commodities. “Last year, I was able to generate an income of about ETB 90,000 (approx. $815) from the sale of onions,” he explained. “And this year, expanded the farming activities to other areas by renting additional plots.”
The program was designed to increase productivity, adaptation, and sustainability while enhancing resilience to climate shocks through mitigation. So far, the successes are numerous. Upper catchment hills have seen an increase in vegetation cover, degraded lands have undergone regeneration, water runoff has decreased, groundwater yield has increased, streams and springs are thriving, soil moisture and forage availability have increased, and farmers have diversified their crop and livestock production. These are just a few of the multiple effects of the CSA technologies and practices implemented at the watershed level by the local farming community, the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), the Ethiopian government, and other local partners. The adoption of CSA technologies has also provided greater opportunities to reduce the harmful effects of climate change on agriculture and improve rural livelihoods.
Farmer Gidey Hagos, a champion farmer who practices CSA to grow maize intercropping with fruits and other crops using the percolation ponds at Folfolo watershed (Photo: Desalegne Tadesse).
As the summer cultivation season began in May 2024, Fatima Hassan, a 52-year-old farmer from New Halfa, Kassala State, in eastern Sudan, faced an uncertain future. Like thousands of other farmers in her region, Fatima lacked the financial means to purchase seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, or even hire a tractor. The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan had severely disrupted agricultural activities, leaving farmers without the necessary resources to cultivate their land.
‘When I learned about the Sudan Food Security Initiative (SFSI), I was extremely happy. The support from the initiative has given me and my family renewed hope,’ Fatima said while tending to her groundnut farm.”
Fatima Hassan weeds her groundnut field cultivated with support from the SFSI. (Photo credit: Suliman Fadlalla/CIMMYT)
Under the aegis of the SASAS program, the USAID-funded SFSI was launched in May 2024 in response to Sudan’s food security challenges. Targeting over 50,000 farmers in the New Halfa scheme, the initiative aims to strengthen resilient food production systems by providing significantly subsidized agricultural inputs and technologies, ensuring that farmers can sustain and enhance their farming practices despite the ongoing conflict in the region.
Hamid Rahama expresses his gratitude to the tractor driver ploughing his land in New Halfa as part of the SFSI. (Photo credit: Suliman Fadlalla/CIMMYT)
Sowing seeds of optimism
‘Support from SASAS came at a critical time as the armed conflict spread into new areas across the country, de-risking the crucial summer planting season. Through the SFSI, we are enabling farmers to adopt improved technologies and inputs at more affordable rates, thereby enhancing Sudan’s domestic food production,’ said SASAS Program Chief of Party Abdelrahman Kheir.
The SFSI provides each farmer with a 70% subsidy on a comprehensive package that includes land preparation for 0.42 hectares (ha), improved seeds for groundnut and sorghum, crop protection supplies, fertilizers, and agricultural advisory services. This initiative has already resulted in the planting of 14,568 ha of sorghum and 5,882 ha of groundnut. The crops are showing promising signs, with germination progressing well across all cultivated areas.
‘We had lost all hope of benefiting during this cultivation season. The subsidized land preparation, seed purchase, and other inputs have given us a lifeline. In the past, I was not able to buy fertilizers and herbicides, so my sorghum production was poor. This time things have changed dramatically, and we are well-equipped for a good cultivation season,’ said Hamid Rahama, a farmer from northern Halfa. Hamid echoes the optimism shared by many farmers in the region.”
Focus on a sustainable and food secure ecosystem
One of the most significant aspects of the initiative is its focus on building a sustainable seed production system. In partnership with 120 farmers and a private seed company, 252 ha (189 ha of sorghum and 63 ha of groundnut) were established for seed production in New Halfa. The initiative is projected to yield 360 metric tons (t) of sorghum and 270 t of groundnut seeds, thereby enhancing the resilience of the local agricultural ecosystem.
The anticipated yields from these efforts instill a much-needed optimism in an otherwise challenging situation. For groundnuts, the expected yield is 4.5 t/ha, resulting in an output of 26,000 t, enough to meet the nutritional needs of over 1.2 million people. Likewise, the sorghum harvest is projected to reach 54,000 t, providing sustenance for approximately 720,000 people.
An agricultural expert from SASAS inspects the growth of groundnuts cultivated under the SFSI in New Halfa. (Photo credit: Suliman Fadlalla/CIMMYT)A farmer inspects the growth of his sorghum field in New Halfa cultivated with support from the SFSI. (Photo credit: Suliman Fadlalla/CIMMYT)
The bold sections indicate the changes made for grammatical correctness, including unit consistency and phrasing adjustments.
In addition to providing inputs, the SASAS program also addresses broader food security challenges by ensuring that farmers receive the necessary technical support throughout various agricultural operations. This includes the introduction of drought-tolerant sorghum varieties, which are showcased to farmers through field days and demonstration plots.
Despite the numerous challenges posed by the ongoing conflict in Sudan, CIMMYT and its partners involved in implementing the SASAS initiative remain undeterred. Although the ongoing armed conflict has compelled many local agriculture advisory companies to scale back their operations due to security and logistical difficulties, the teams remain committed to supporting Sudanese farmers and improving agricultural productivity, thereby contributing to Sudan’s overall food security.
‘We lost a significant number of improved seed production fields due to the conflict. Nevertheless, we ensured the provision of all necessary certified seeds for the SFSI, along with top-quality herbicides,’ said the CEO of Harvest Agricultural Company Isam Ali. He added that despite considerable challenges in transporting agricultural machinery due to security issues, the company completed all land preparations in a timely manner for farmers.
The early impact of SFSI is evident in the renewed hope and optimism among farmers in New Halfa, who are now better equipped to face the challenges of the summer cropping season and contribute to the nation’s food security. With the harvest dates approaching—November for groundnuts and December for sorghum—the initiative is on track to significantly enhance food production in the region, providing a lifeline to thousands of farmers such as Fatima and Hamid.
Packing improved sorghum seeds for delivery to farmers as part of the SFSI in New Halfa. (Photo credit: Suliman Fadlalla/CIMMYT)
Dr Sieg Snapp is Program Director, Sustainable Agrifood Systems, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Climate change is upending weather patterns across Africa, presenting dire challenges for farming communities. In Zambia, the impact is particularly harsh. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy, with two-thirds of the country’s workforce employed in agriculture, and 78% of these workers are women.
The country faced a severe El Niño during the 2023/2024 season, causing a severe drought that devastated over 1 million hectares of cropland. The president declared it a national disaster. El Niño events typically result in catastrophic drops in crop yields, often reducing maize harvests by 30-40%. These events not only impact food security but also hinder economic growth, with the agricultural sector’s contribution to Zambia’s GDP dropping from 9.4% to 3.39%.
The devastating El Niño-induced drought in Zambia is starkly illustrated by the story of Melody Limweta, a 31-year-old farmer. She and her husband, Collins Manenekela, have seen their already fragile livelihood pushed to the brink by severe water shortages. Typically, they rely on dry season gardening and small-scale farming, including raising chickens, during the rainy season. However, the drought has dried up local water sources, making gardening impossible and sharply reducing their income. The couple’s practice of planting maize in the same field each year with recycled seeds and traditional methods has worsened their situation, as the El Niño-induced rainfall deficits have led to poor yields. Their primary source of food and income has withered in the field due to insufficient rainfall.
A consortium of partners led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have joined together as a rapid delivery hub for these challenging times, providing vital support to rural communities and families such as Melody and Collins. Farmers have a strong voice in this unique delivery mode. With support from the people of the U.S. government, the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) is promoting access to drought-tolerant crops, climate-busting and nutritious legume seeds, agricultural advice and early warning systems to combat climate change. AID-I provides critical support to ensure that millions of smallholder farmers in the Haut-Katanga region of DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia have access to information and innovations needed for gains in food production that help buffer drought, flood and rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.
Speed and Scale: planting drought-tolerant maize
The idea of the ADI-I as a rapid delivery hub is to make available innovations and agronomic information at both speed and scale. Traditional farming methods and crops struggle with climate extremes like El Niño, which bring prolonged dry spells and heatwaves. Drought-tolerant maize varieties offer a promising solution by enhancing agricultural resilience. These adapted maize varieties yield 30-50% more than traditional ones under drought conditions, as demonstrated in recent trials during El Niño periods. However, these improved varieties are only useful when in farmers’ hands.
Working with local partners, AID-I is scaling drought-tolerant maize varieties to help Zambian farmers manage unpredictable weather patterns. In the 2023/2024 season, approximately 27% of Zambia’s smallholder farmers saw a significant boost in their maize harvests, benefiting over 900 thousand people in drought-affected regions, owing to drought-tolerant maize varieties. Over six hundred thousand households planted drought-tolerant maize varieties and produced 235 thousand metric tons of maize, accounting for 19% of Zambia’s maize production in the 2023/2024 season. This is huge return, as only 10% of the maize-growing area being planted with these resilient varieties.
Crop diversification for family nutrition
In addition to drought-tolerant maize, studies indicate that diversifying with legume crops is crucial for managing weather extremes, especially droughts and for improving soil health. Planting legumes helps spread the risk with varied planting and harvest times, cushioning the impact of erratic rainfall on crop yields. Women can feed their families due to crops like peanuts that mature early and need less rainfall. The benefits are sustained over time, as combining legumes with cereals improves overall nutrition and soil health, even amid unpredictable weather.
To support this effort, AID-I linked over 2,000 farmers to high-quality seeds for groundnuts (peanuts) and soybeans. On average, each household harvested about 80 kg of groundnuts and 175 kg of soybeans, earning roughly $75 and $58, respectively. Collectively, this initiative produced about 205 metric tons of these crops, accounting for around 14.3% of Zambia’s total production in the drought-stricken season. Farmers had a voice in choosing which crop varieties to grow through a feedback system called ‘let’s chat’ where with an ordinary flip phone farmers could call in and learn from their neighbour’s recorded commentary and testimonials. For the first time ever, farmers could provide comments on which crops they preferred, providing a lifeline of communication with agritraders, government and agricultural advisors.
A recent assessment found that Zambian women made up 60% of those benefiting from cowpeas, 65% from groundnuts, 62% from soybeans, and 36% from drought-tolerant maize.
Forewarned is forearmed – early-warning systems
Weather information services, especially early warnings about upcoming droughts, are vital for helping farmers adapt to climate change. Accurate and timely weather forecasts enable farmers to make informed decisions about planting, resource use, and crop management. This reduces losses and boosts productivity. Research shows that access to climate information can significantly increase crop yields and incomes, with some farmers experiencing up to a 66% boost in yields and a 24% rise in income.
The forecast of an El Niño for the 2023/2024 season prompted an early warning campaign to raise awareness about the hazards associated with El Niño and provide response mechanisms for smallholder farmers. AID-I used an Interactive Voice Response platform hosted by Viamo, a global social enterprise that uses mobile technology to connect people to valuable information and services. This rapid El Niño advisory campaign reached over 500 thousand farmers, with 60% male and 40% female listeners, and 93% of them under 35 years old. The campaign provided crucial advice on planting schedules, drought-resistant crops, and water-saving techniques.
Additionally, AID-I established demonstration sites that showcased effective winter crop production methods and introduced over 2,000 farmers to innovative agricultural practices. These interventions significantly improved farmers’ ability to respond to the drought.
Looking ahead
Scaling the adoption of drought-tolerant maize, improved legumes, and timely advisories is vital to protecting Zambia’s agriculture from climate extremes. The introduction of an AID-I-supported digital advisory campaign in September 2023 was a turning point for farmers like Melody and Collins. By engaging with the content, they learned about improved seeds, crop rotation, and better agronomic practices, which helped them cope with ongoing challenges and protect their resources. Initiatives like this can help families on the margins survive and rebuild agricultural production faster.
AID-I’s impact on families like Melody and Collins shows that investing in rapid delivery hubs is crucial for building resilience in farming communities. Expanding such initiatives will ensure more smallholder farmers have access to the innovations needed to maintain or increase food production amid climatic challenges.
Additionally, studies by organizations like Springer and the American Geophysical Union highlight the importance of integrating rapid delivery hubs into mainstream agricultural programs to enhance climate resilience and food security. Therefore, this necessitates an open call for international development allies—including donors, governments, NGOs, and businesses—to incorporate initiatives like AID-I into broader agricultural agendas, essential for fostering resilience and ensuring the future stability of farming communities in Zambia and beyond.
*Dr. Sieg Snapp is a leading agricultural scientist, renowned for creating the “mother and baby” trial design, a global method that enhances farmer-researcher collaboration, improving genetics and soil management in 30 countries. As Program Director at CIMMYT in Mexico, she oversees sustainable agrifood systems research, leading a large team focused on supporting smallholder farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Her work emphasizes gender-aware, inclusive development and has fostered partnerships for sustainable agricultural practices. A Professor at Michigan State University with over 180 publications, Dr. Snapp has also significantly influenced agricultural policy and technology adoption in Africa. Her contributions have earned her numerous prestigious awards, and she holds a Ph.D. from the University of California Davis.
Melinda Smale’s groundbreaking work in agricultural economics, particularly her collaboration with CIMMYT, has played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of crop diversity conservation. At CIMMYT, Smale worked with plant breeders and agronomists to analyze maize landraces and wheat genetic diversity, contributing to the development of strategies that support sustainable agriculture and food security. Her research has informed CIMMYT’s efforts to preserve biodiversity and enhance the resilience of farming systems, directly aligning with the organization’s mission to improve global food security through science and innovation.
Stakeholder collaboration to create a coherent digital agriculture framework, an ecosystem to promote digital agriculture, and local government participation emerged as top recommendations to bridge the gap between technology and agriculture during the International Digital Agriculture Forum, Nepal 2024, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The event themed “Innovate, Cultivate, Thrive: Advancing Agriculture with Digital Solutions” brought together global and local stakeholders to explore the transformative potential of digital solutions in Nepal’s agricultural sector.
The focus on addressing the digital divide in Nepal’s agricultural sector by sharing emerging technologies and innovations, generating research ideas to provide inputs to the upcoming digital agriculture strategy of Nepal National Digital Agriculture Strategy and Action Plan for Nepal, and promoting an inclusive and sustainable transformation in the agriculture and food systems of Nepal.
Over the course of two days, the event attracted 135 participants, including 11 international experts and 29 national experts and representatives. It was organized by the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Project (NSAF) and implemented by CIMMYT, with support from the United States Agency for Agriculture Development (USAID) in partnership with Pathway Technologies & Services Pvt Ltd, Seed Innovation Pvt Ltd, and Kathmandu Living Labs Pvt Ltd.
Key highlights from the event
The forum included keynote presentations, success stories of ICT business practices, and panel discussions with global subject experts, industry leaders, government agencies and local agritech companies. The event also comprised breakout groups for in-depth discussions, and formal and informal networking opportunities.
In his welcome address, Country Representative for Nepal and Coordinator of NSAF Dyutiman Choudhary highlighted the impact of digital agriculture on Nepalese farmers through the NSAF project. He shared how, in partnership with GeoKrishi and PlantSat, farmers now stay more informed on various issues through mobile app, SMS, IVR, farmer advisory services, and crop insurance.
The opening session was chaired by Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, secretary, agriculture development, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD). Keynote speeches included a global perspective on digital agriculture by Prof. Athula Ginige from Western Sydney University, and national perspective by Ms. Shabnam Shivakoti, joint secretary MoALD.
Prof. Ginige presented on “Cultivating Innovation: Transforming Challenges into a Sustainable Digital Agrifood Future.” He highlighted the plight of 719 million smallholder farmers living below the poverty line and stressed the need to use digital opportunities such as IoT, AI, and big data to address challenges of food waste and climate change. He shared his experience in developing mobile platforms to improve the lives of smallholder farmers.
In her keynote address Shivakoti set the context of Nepal’s digital agriculture and the initiatives undertaken by the government. She highlighted how digital innovations such as virtual agriculture commodity market E-hatbazar, programs such as digital land record maintenance, remote sensing data, and digital apps like GeoKrishi are driving growth in Nepal’s agricultural sector. She also shared details about the draft National Digital Agriculture Strategy.
Judith Almodovar, acting director of the Economic Growth Office at USAID-Nepal, emphasized the importance of digital tools in enhancing productivity, efficiency and sustainability. She highlighted USAID’s investment through NSAF in digital innovations, such as seed and soil fertility management using digital tools.
“By leveraging advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and remote sensing, we can provide real-time insights, improve supply chain management, and increase farmers’ resilience to climate shocks,” she said.
The forum featured three technical sessions: innovations in digital agriculture; digital agriculture in action—policies and practices and; rapid fire presentations by seven Nepalese digital ag companies. Additionally, six local digital start-up companies displayed their products.
The closing session was chaired by Dr. Narahari Prasad Ghimire, director general of the Department of Agriculture, while Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, secretary of Livestock Development, was invited as chief guest.
Recommendations from the forum
The discussions and deliberations led to a series of recommendations primary among which were the importance of stakeholder collaboration to create a cohesive digital agriculture framework and developing partnerships and ecosystems to support digital agriculture, including data governance and personalized advisory services for farmers. Participants also emphasized that local governments must be encouraged to lead agricultural digitization initiatives, including staff training and adopting IoT-based intelligent irrigation systems, sensor-based drip irrigation, and drone technology for monitoring crops and livestock. Digital input certification and QR-based agri-input verification (seed, breed, saplings, and fertilizer) tracking systems to enhance trust and transparency emerged as a critical factor. Participants agreed that it was necessary to design technical information, including emergency agricultural alerts, in various formats (text, video, audio) to accommodate farmers with lower levels of literacy.
The World Food Prize Foundation names CIMMYT’s former Deputy Director General for Research, Marianne Bänziger, and current post-harvest specialist in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, Sylvanus Odjo, as two of its inaugural 2024 Top Agri-food Pioneers (TAP).
The TAP List, introduced by the Foundation in celebration of its 38th anniversary, highlights 38 innovators from 20 countries and six continents who are making groundbreaking contributions to food and agriculture. Working in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, agtech, nutrition, education and advocacy, these pioneers embody the spirit of innovation needed to address the challenges facing global food systems today.
Leading the way: Meet the Top Agri-Food Pioneers of 2024
Photo: CIMMYT
Sylvanus Odjo, one of the awardees, is a postharvest specialist focused on the development and implementation of postharvest practices to improve food security in rural communities. He leads a network of research platforms in Mexico, Central America, and Africa, working with collaborators to fill research gaps and provide key recommendations to farmers, the private sector, governments, and NGOs. Odjo holds an M.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, with his doctoral research focused on the effects of drying processes on maize grain quality.
Photo: CIMMYT
Marianne Bänziger, also recognized on the TAP list, received her Ph.D. in plant physiology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1992. She is the former Deputy Director General for Research at CIMMYT, where she coordinated efforts to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties for smallholder farmers, promoting innovative approaches such as stress breeding methods and participatory trials.
Throughout her career, she has held positions in both science and management. Bänziger has an impressive publication record, with more than 50 articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed international journals and books.
As the first cohort of the TAP List, this group of pioneers will grow annually to form a global network dedicated to fostering collaboration and shared learning across food systems. These pioneers will also be featured at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, October 29 to 31.
Dorothy Mandaza, local farmer from ward 19 of Seke District, inspecting her maize cobs (CIMMYT)
Maize productivity in eastern and southern Africa faces numerous challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as socio-economic factors. To tackle these constraints, CIMMYT, in collaboration with partners, has been developing elite multiple stress-tolerant maize hybrids for different market segments. The hybrids are rigorously evaluated in research stations under managed stresses, especially those faced by farmers, including drought, heat, and low nitrogen. The process is complemented with evaluations conducted in actual farmer conditions through a participatory approach, which enables researchers to identify traits preferred by farmers.
Over the years, and through consistent engagement with farming communities, CIMMYT and partners have established a large on-farm testing network to allow farmers to test the best-performing hybrids within their own fields and management. This ensures that new varieties selected for commercialization suit the needs, constraints, and priorities of smallholder farmers.
Centrality of ROFT in the variety development process
Regional on-farm trials (ROFTs) are a crucial step towards maximizing the impact of breeding investments. ROFTs help scientists understand the performance of pipeline hybrids under diverse management conditions. The data and insights gathered from these trials, led by district leads, are instrumental in identifying the best varieties to release. In Zimbabwe, the extensive on-farm testing is conducted with support from Zimbabwe’s government extension arm, the Department of Agricultural, Technical, and Extension Services (Agritex), and selected seed companies.
To help track the progress or challenges in varietal performance evaluation at the farm level, CIMMYT has been convening feedback sessions with district agriculture extension officers (DAEOs) across 19 districts. These sessions have been instrumental in strengthening the collaboration with Agritex, standardizing data collection, and improving data quality and returns from the established on-farm testing network.
Conversations with district agriculture extension officers in Harare during a feedback session. (Photo/CIMMYT)
The ROFT trials have been ongoing in Zimbabwe for over a decade across 19 districts, located in natural regions I, II, and III. These trials have been implemented by more than 137 AEOs and have involved over 1,000 farmers. The network deliberately included a diverse range of farmers, with around 40% being female plot managers, to encompass a wide range of smallholder farming practices.
Participatory engagement is key
Every year, CIMMYT produces improved varieties that are then taken up by partners, including National Agricultural Research System (NARS) partners and seed companies. The on-farm trials aim to generate agronomic performance data in comparison to the widely grown commercial varieties and farmers’ own varieties. This data is used for a rigorous advancement process, where varieties that pass the test are then furthered for licensing and possible commercialization by CIMMYT’s partners.
Farmer involvement at the final stage of the variety selection process is key to the success of these trials. Farmers evaluate the varieties based on their specific needs, on their farms. This step is crucial as it empowers farmers to have a say in the variety development process. CIMMYT actively uses this participatory selection approach, seeking input from farmers and refining breeding targets as necessary. Farmers communicate their preferences and feedback through the farmer evaluation sheets, helping breeders fine-tune their targets and develop varieties that meet farmers’ needs.
Another key element of the on-farm trials is that they help assess breeding progress in farmers’ fields in terms of crop productivity and return on investment.
CIMMYT, Mexico, August 27, 2024 — Crop wild relatives that have survived changing climates for millions of years may provide the solution to adapting wheat, humanity’s most widely grown crop, to climate change. Two new studies led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) reveal how tapping into this ancient genetic diversity can revolutionize wheat breeding and safeguard global food security.
As the weather becomes more erratic and extreme, wheat — providing 20% of all calories and protein globally and serving as the primary staple food for 1.5 billion people in the Global South — faces unprecedented threats. These include heat waves, delayed rains, flooding, and new pests and diseases.
“We’re at a critical juncture,” says Dr. Matthew Reynolds, co-author of both studies. “Our current breeding strategies have served us well, but they must now address more complex challenges posed by climate change.”
The research points to a vast, largely untapped reservoir of nearly 800,000 wheat seed samples stored in 155 genebanks worldwide. These include wild relatives and ancient, farmer-developed varieties that have withstood diverse environmental stresses over millennia. Although only a fraction of this genetic diversity has been utilized in modern crop breeding, it has already delivered significant benefits.
Photo CIMMYT: Wheat diversity spikes
Proven impacts of wild wheat genes
One of the studies, a review published today in Global Change Biology (GCB)*, documents the immense impact of wild relatives’ traits, including on environmental sustainability. It finds that the cultivation of disease-resistant wheat varieties has avoided the use of an estimated 1 billion liters of fungicide just since 2000.
“Without transferring disease-resistant genes from wild relatives to wheat, fungicide use would have easily doubled, harming both human and environmental health,” says Dr. Susanne Dreisigacker, Molecular Breeder at CIMMYT and co-author of the review.
Sharing of new wheat breeding lines through the CIMMYT-led International Wheat Improvement Network, comprising hundreds of partners and testing sites around the world, increases productivity worth USD 11 billion of extra grain every year. The extra productivity has saved millions of hectares of forests and other natural ecosystems from cultivation.
The review highlights other key breakthroughs using wheat wild relatives, including:
Some experimental wheat lines incorporating wild traits show up to 20% more growth under heat and drought conditions compared to current varieties.
Genes from a wheat wild relative have generated the first crop ever bred to interact with soil microbes, reducing the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, and enabling the plants to use nitrogen more efficiently.
New, high-yielding cultivars in Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan were developed using wild genes and have been released as they are more robust to the warming climate.
“Breeding the first beneficial interaction with the soil microbiome — in this case biological nitrification inhibition, or BNI-wheat — is a landmark achievement by CIMMYT and JIRCAS, opening up a whole new spectrum of opportunities to boost cropping systems’ resilience and reduce environmental footprints,” says Victor Kommerell, co-author of the GCB review, and Director of CropSustaiN, a new research initiative to determine the global climate mitigation and food security potential of BNI wheat.
The second study in Nature Climate Change* showcases the urgent need to scale-up exploration and use of genetic diversity for improved climate resilience. Among the traits needed are deeper, more extensive root systems for better water and nutrient access; photosynthesis that performs well across a wider temperature range; better heat tolerance in reproductive processes; and improved survival during delayed rains or temporary flooding.
“Tapping into the complex climate-resilient traits so urgently needed today requires both access to greater genetic diversity and a paradigm shift in breeding approaches,” explains co-author of the GCB review, Dr. Julie King of Nottingham University.
Modern crop breeding has focused on a relatively narrow pool of ‘star athletes’: elite crop varieties that are already high performers and that have known, predictable genetics. In contrast, the genetic diversity of wild wheat relatives offers complex climate-resilient traits — but their use has been more time-consuming, costly and riskier than traditional breeding approaches with elite varieties. Now, new technologies have changed that equation.
Making the impossible possible
“We have the tools to quickly explore genetic diversity that was previously inaccessible to breeders,” explains Dr. Benjamin Kilian, co-author of the review and coordinator of the Crop Trust’s Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project that supports conservation and use of crop diversity globally.
Among these tools are next-generation gene sequencing, big-data analytics, and remote sensing technologies, including satellite imagery. The latter allows researchers to routinely monitor traits like plant growth rate or disease resistance at unlimited numbers of sites globally.
However, realizing the full potential of these genetic resources will require global cooperation. “The most significant impacts will come through widespread sharing of genetic resources and technologies,” says Dr. Kilian.
New technologies allow crop researchers to precisely identify and transfer beneficial traits from wild relatives, making what has been seen as a risky, time-consuming process into a targeted, efficient strategy for climate-proofing crops. “Satellite technology turns the planet into a laboratory,” says Dr. Reynolds, “Combined with artificial intelligence to super-charge crop-breeding simulations, we can identify whole new solutions for climate resilience.”
This research, which also applies to any crop with surviving wild relatives, promises to enhance global food security and make cropping systems more environmentally sustainable. Developing more resilient and efficient wheat varieties will help feed a global population while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Photo CIMMYT: Wheat diversity spikes
Study information and links
*Wheat genetic resources have avoided disease pandemics, improved food security, and reduced environmental footprints: A review of historical impacts and future opportunities. King J, Dreisigacker S, Reynolds M et al., 2024. Global Change Biology (Study available under embargo upon request)
Headquartered in Mexico, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT) is a not-for-profit agriculture research and training organization. The center works to reduce poverty and hunger by sustainably increasing the productivity of maize and wheat cropping systems in the developing world. Learn more at staging.cimmyt.org
About the Crop Trust
The Crop Trust is an international organization working to conserve crop diversity and protect global food and nutrition security. At the core of the Crop Trust is an endowment fund dedicated to providing guaranteed long-term financial support to key genebanks worldwide. The Crop Trust supports the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and coordinates large-scale projects worldwide to secure crop diversity and make it available for use, globally forever and for the benefit of everyone. The Crop Trust is recognized as an essential element of the funding strategy of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Learn more at www.croptrust.org
About the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) Project
BOLD is a 10-year project to strengthen food and nutrition security worldwide by supporting the conservation and use of crop diversity. The project works with national genebanks, pre-breeding and seed system partners globally. Funded by the Government of Norway, BOLD is led by the Crop Trust in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the International Plant Treaty.
