Skip to main content

Location: Africa

CIMMYT’s work in Africa helps farmers access new maize and wheat systems-based technologies, information and markets, raising incomes and enhancing crop resilience to drought and climate change. CIMMYT sets priorities in consultation with ministries of agriculture, seed companies, farming communities and other stakeholders in the maize and wheat value chains. Our activities in Africa are wide ranging and include: breeding maize for drought tolerance and low-fertility soils, and for resistance to insect pests, foliar diseases and parasitic weeds; sustainably intensifying production in maize- and wheat-based systems; and investigating opportunities to reduce micronutrient and protein malnutrition among women and young children.

Unlocking genetic innovations through collaborative pathways

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Regional partners examine the CIMMYT maize lines displayed during field day. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The International Maize Improvement Consortium for Africa (IMIC-Africa) held its Southern Africa field day on 25 March 2024 at Harare, Zimbabwe. IMIC-Africa, launched by CIMMYT in 2018, is a public-private partnership designed to strengthen maize breeding programs of partner institutions in Africa. As part of this initiative, CIMMYT organizes annual field days which bring together representatives from seed companies and national agricultural research system (NARS) partners across Zimbabwe and Kenya.

At the heart of the IMIC-Africa field day lies a vibrant showcase of genetically diverse materials developed from various maize breeding pipelines of CIMMYT in Southern Africa. Such events serve as a catalyst to drive innovations in maize breeding programs, deliver solutions to stakeholders, and enable seed companies and NARS partners to make informed selections tailored to local contexts.

“It is an important forum to have organized discussions with partners, and redesign—where possible—our breeding approaches to deliver targeted products to stakeholders,” said Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, One CGIAR Global Maize Breeding Lead, and One CGIAR Plant Health Initiative Lead, B.M. Prasanna. “The main stakeholders here are our partners, including seed companies and public sector national programs, through whom we reach out to farming communities.”

The significance of these field days cannot be overstated. It allows the partners to have a critical look at the breeding materials on display and undertake selections of maize lines relevant to their breeding programs. In addition, the IMIC-Africa field days enable CIMMYT team to have structured dialogues with diverse stakeholders and to review and refine breeding (line and product development) strategies and approaches.

“It is key to bridge the gap between the national programs and private sector players. This platform allows us to stay ahead in terms of research, and innovative breakthroughs in the seed sector,” added Kabamba Mwansa, principal agriculture research officer, ZARI, Zambia and Southern Africa Breeding, and seed systems network coordinator.

Highlights from the Harare field day

With an impressive array of 737 CIMMYT maize lines on display, partners at the Harare field day gained insights about the performance of different materials. The materials span early-, intermediate-, and late- maturity groups to nutritious maize breeding pipelines. This comprehensive showcase enabled seed companies and NARS partners to make informed selections, tailored to their local contexts. The material on display ranged from early generation (one or two years of testing data) to advanced generation (more than three years of testing) coming from the Southern Africa breeding pipelines targeting multiple market segments.

Regional partners examine the CIMMYT maize lines displayed during field day. (Photo: CIMMYT)

One of the strategic priorities of CIMMYT’s maize breeding program in Africa is improving the nutritional quality of maize. This is exemplified by the development of provitamin A-enriched maize (PVA). On display were 169 lines originating from the PVA-enriched maize breeding pipeline. The efforts underscore CIMMYT’s commitment to address regional nutritional needs through targeted breeding initiatives.

Felix Jumbe, a partner from Peacock Seeds in Malawi reflected on the importance of the IMIC-Africa partnership. “We have been part of IMIC-Africa since its inception, and we continue to appreciate the different climate-resilient lines emerging from CIMMYT maize breeding programs in Africa. Last year, we sold out of our seed as people continue to appreciate the need for resilient maize varieties. The drought-tolerant (DT) maize lines from the consortium have been a huge selling point as most farmers are happy with it,” he said.

The field day not only showcased cutting-edge breeding innovations but also offered a historical perspective by tracing the trajectory of the most popular lines taken up under IMIC-Africa from 2019 to 2023. This served as a crucial reference point for partners, enabling them to assess the performance of newly displayed lines against established benchmarks. Furthermore, partners considered the presence of trait donors as invaluable in improving resistance to key biotic stresses or tolerance to certain abiotic stresses prevalent in Africa.

CIMMYT, NARS, and seed company partners participate in the IMIC-Africa field day in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT partnership continues to add value

In the face of escalating environmental pressures, including climate change and pest infestations such as the fall armyworm (FAW), CIMMYT breeders have been working tirelessly to develop resilient varieties capable of withstanding these challenges. Partners such as SeedCo have embraced these robust varieties. For breeder Tariro Kusada, it is her second year of attending the IMIC- Africa field day. “We continue to see value in getting breeding materials through IMIC. The vigor from the lines on display is outstanding as compared to last year. We hope the vigor translates to yield.”

Danny Mfula from Synergy Zambia reinforced the value of the partnership. “It is always good to tap into CIMMYT’s germplasm to supplement what we have. We are glad that more FAW-tolerant hybrids are coming on board. We want to leverage on these developments as farmers have gone through a lot of challenges to control FAW,” he said.

As the harvest stage approaches, partners can select their material by assessing the performance of the lines from flowering to grain filling stages. Each plot’s harvest provides invaluable insights, guiding partners in their selections. Partners are also given the opportunity to view the improved maize lines from CIMMYT through a virtual gallery of ears from each plot, ensuring informed decision-making. By fostering dialogue, facilitating partnerships, and highlighting genetic innovations, the field days catalyze progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future for African agriculture.

Over 5,000 Busia farmers to benefit from Kalro certified millet seed

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

Starting in 2025, CIMMYT, the Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (Cbcc), Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) will support a program benefiting over 5,000 farmers in Busia by introducing high-yielding finger millet varieties. Successfully piloted in Teso South, the initiative aims to maximize millet harvests to meet rising demand. Certified seeds from Kalro, monitored by Kephis, will ensure higher yields and easier management. Aggregation centres will store produce and serve as learning hubs, addressing climate resilience and promoting sustainable millet cultivation.

Read the full story.

Mukwemba Habeenzu

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Mukwemba Habeenzu is an economist with over 10 years of experience in agricultural project management. He is currently the Chief of Party/Project Manager for the Mechanization and Extension Activity at CIMMYT in Zimbabwe.

In his previous and current roles, he has led initiatives that promote climate-smart agriculture, mechanization, and social inclusion through market-based approaches to improve productivity, increase incomes, and ensure sustainability for project beneficiaries.

Mukwemba has a diverse background, having worked extensively in Zambia and Zimbabwe. His experience includes working with the private and public sectors, as well as various local and international organizations, focusing on areas such as research and extension, rural development, enterprise development, academia and capacity building, social inclusion, etc.
Mukwemba believes that this comprehensive approach can contribute to sustainable development in the agricultural sector.

It’s time to scale: Emerging lessons from decades of Conservation Agriculture research in Southern Africa

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

CA in action at the farmer level. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

For decades, smallholder farmers in Southern Africa have battled the whims of a changing climate—from withered crops to yield reductions and looming food insecurity concerns. And the outlook is not improving. Based on the latest available science, the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reaffirms the projected negative impacts of climate change on livelihoods in Southern Africa.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) has been considered as an important step to make smallholder farming systems climate smart and resilient. The principles of CA are simple yet potent: minimal soil disturbance, crop cover, and diverse rotations, which tend to have lasting implications on rebuilding soil health, conserving moisture, and nurturing a thriving ecosystem. A strong evidence base from on-farm and on-station trials show that CA has the potential to build the adaptive capacity and resilience of smallholder farming systems to climate stress.

Yet, despite the positive results, significant scaling gaps remain. Key questions arise on what can be done to turn the tide, scale, and encourage uptake. What institutional, policy and economic incentives would enable scaling? Could mechanization be the missing link? The Understanding and Enhancing Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Smallholder Farming Systems of Southern Africa (ACASA) project responds to these questions. With funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and CIMMYT, the ACASA project goes beyond the narrow focus on promotion and technology delivery of past and ongoing interventions on CA in Southern Africa.

ACASA was designed to help stakeholders gain deeper understanding of the interactions between the socio-economic, biophysical, and institutional constraints and opportunities for adoption of CA practices. To do this, the project has undertaken extensive surveys aimed at understanding incentives, drivers, and barriers of CA adoption across Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

Dialogues for change

Participants from across the region during the reflective meeting. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In December 2023, CIMMYT collaborated with IITA and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of Zimbabwe to convene a highly engaging, reflective, and learning meeting, with the participation of government representatives, the private sector, and research institutes, among others. The primary objective was to share valuable insights accumulated over years of research and development on conservation agriculture in southern Africa. These insights are a result of collaborative efforts in social science, scaling, and mechanization work by CIMMYT, IITA, and extension and research partners in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Conversations centered on tracing the historical pathway of CA, leveraging mechanization, and identifying key enablers to transform smallholder agriculture.

Tracing the pathway of conservation agriculture

For decades, CIMMYT has been a leading force in promoting Conservation Agriculture. From the early stages in the 1990s, CIMMYT introduced CA principles and practices through on-farm and on-station field days, to undertaking robust research on biophysical impacts and developing adapted technologies in collaboration with national and global partners. As this research progressed and matured, efforts were made to integrate and focus on understanding the social and economic factors influencing CA adoption, while recognizing the significance of enabling environments. To date, linkages with mechanization and other innovations promoting CA-friendly equipment have been strengthened, ensuring inclusivity and empowerment. Questions remain around policy and institutional innovations to nudge and sustain adoption. In a nutshell, there is scope to borrow tools and methods from behavioral and experimental economics to better study and facilitate behavioral change among smallholder farmers. This snapshot highlights global efforts, grounded in scientific evidence, farmer centric approaches, and collaborative partnerships.

Insights from the field

Described as a data and evidence driven process, a notable highlight was the detailed gathering and analytical efforts using a large multi-country household survey involving 305 villages and 4,374 households across Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The main thrust was not only to harvest data but listen to farmers and better understand their context while deciphering their decision-making processes concerning CA adoption, across the three countries. A compelling and hopeful story unfolds from the results. The adoption of CA practices such as crop residue retention, minimum tillage, crop rotation, and intercropping is much higher than previously thought, highlighting a crucial need for better targeted surveys. Key enablers to strengthen adoption include access to CA extension, hosting demonstrations, and access to credit. In addition, age, and extension in the case of Zambia were identified as important drivers of the speed and persistence of adoption. Demand for mechanization is rising, which is key to address drudgery associated with CA and to raise production efficiencies. Key recommendations centered on the need for investments in a dense network of farmer-centric learning centers that allow for experiential learning, facilitating equitable access to mechanization, promoting private sector participation, and developing integrated weed management options as weeds remain the Achilles Heel of CA adoption in the region. [1]

Emerging lessons

A deep dive on the findings reveals critical considerations for the widespread adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA). Firstly, weed-related labor challenges pose a significant obstacle, with around 75% of farmers in three countries citing weeds as the most constraining issue during initial CA adoption. Addressing this weed management challenge is essential, emphasizing the need for environmentally safe, non-chemical solutions as a research priority. Secondly, there is a noticeable gap between scientific research on CA and farmer practices, primarily attributed to limited technical knowledge. Bridging this gap requires innovative approaches to translate scientific information into practical, farmer-centered products. Thirdly, incentivizing CA adoption through complementary input support programs, like payments for environmental services, may encourage farmers, especially when private returns are not immediate.

Fourthly, strengthening extension systems is crucial to facilitate farmer learning and bridge the awareness-to-know-how gap. Lastly, investing in improved machinery value chains can alleviate high labor costs and drudgery associated with CA practices, with economic estimates suggesting farmers’ willingness to pay for machinery hire services. These insights collectively highlight the multifaceted nature of challenges and opportunities for scaling up CA adoption.

Moving forward

ACASA’s research findings are not just numbers — they are seeds of hope. They point towards a future where CA adoption among smallholder farmers can transform the breadbasket of the three African countries, and beyond. CIMMYT and its partners remain committed to continuous learning, refining their approaches, and working hand-in-hand with farmers to nurture the CA revolution.

It will not be a pipe dream to transform agriculture in Southern Africa through CA by cultivating seeds of resilience, one at a time. This is because the experience from the region suggests that with the right political will, it is possible to mainstream CA as a critical adjunct to climate-smart agriculture strategies and resilience building. This broader institutional and political buy-in is important since CA programming cannot succeed without sector-wide approaches to removing systemic constraints to technology adoption.  A classic example is the Government-backed Pfumvudza program in Zimbabwe, which has seen adoption of planting basins conditioned on receipt of input subsidies soar to more than 90%.

[1] CIMMYT/IITA Scientists explore the weed issue in detail in a paper just accepted and forthcoming in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems – Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: The challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa.

Malawi faces a food crisis: why plans to avert hunger aren’t realistic and what can be done

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

Malawi faces a severe food crisis due to droughts from El Niño, severely impacting the maize harvest. CIMMYT experts, including Mazvita Chiduwa, highlight that importing food is the only viable solution to prevent widespread hunger. Immediate donor support is essential to avert disaster and ensure food security for the country.

Read the full story.

Regional network to scale impact of dryland crops in sub-Saharan Africa

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

The Dryland Crops Program (DCP), in collaboration with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) partners, IITA, Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, and other African institutions, has established the African Dryland Crop Improvement Network (ADCIN). Aiming to strengthen partnerships and collaboration among partner institutions, the network focuses on improving dryland crops through crop enhancement. The ADCIN will have regional governance bodies in West and Central Africa (WCA) and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA).

Consultative approach to establish ADCIN and governance structure

In 2021, CIMMYT was asked to lead a CGIAR varietal improvement and seed delivery project for dryland crops with an initial focus in Africa and funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the CGIAR Accelerated Breeding Initiative. This aligns with CIMMYT’s 2030 strategic objectives, which will contribute to shaping the future of agriculture to drive climate resilience, sustainable and inclusive agricultural development, and food and nutrition security.

As CIMMYT embarked on its work to further strengthen the work on dryland crops, it held a series of consultation meetings with several NARES in the region. A joint consultation workshop with NARES and CGIAR colleagues was held in Senegal in February 2022. This was followed by the broader network members and stakeholders meeting in Ghana in January 2023. These events brought together experts and representatives from the WCA and ESA regions and various partner institutions to discuss the best approaches to improve the impact of our work on dryland crops through crop improvement. Experts discussed within and across disciplines defining breeding targets using socio-economic and gender information, developing modern breeding processes and approaches, seed systems, data-science, and forging new models of partnerships.

Stakeholders from CGIAR and NARES convene in Ghana for a meeting. Experts, partner institutions, and representatives from the WCA and ESA regions, engage in comprehensive discussions to advance dryland crop improvement strategies. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

One significant outcome of these meetings was the recommendation to establish a formal regional dryland crop improvement network to strengthen and enhance the current partnership among NARES and CGIAR partner institution and scientists. Establishing a governance structure for this network for effective coordination and monitoring of the network partnerships was also recommended. It was agreed that this network will have two regional bodies, one each in ESA and WCA, with their own steering committees.

Later in 2023, two initial regional steering committees were formed following consultations with CGIAR and NARES partners. The goal of the committees is to improve crop varieties in the region while ensuring equitable resource allocation and promoting collaboration among network partners. Each committee is expected to provide regional governance and oversight for the diverse dryland crop networks that operate in each region. Specific roles and responsibilities include prioritizing capacity development activities for network members, approving and allocating budgets for development plans, reviewing infrastructure needs, budgeting and accounting for investments, mobilizing resources from donors, coordinating collaboration among partners, monitoring and evaluating performance, supporting policy issues, and resolving disputes among members.

The African Dryland Crops Improvement Network (ADCIN) structure.

Critical role of steering committees for sustainability of ADCIN

The WCA steering committee comprises 14 members: 11 from NARES and three from CGIAR, met in Saly, Senegal in August 2023. The ESA committee comprises 12 members: nine from NARES and three from CGIAR, met in Nairobi, Kenya. Both committees explored their roles and responsibilities.

The ESA and WCA committees proposed, represented, and discussed several strategic areas. They developed and implemented strategies to enhance capacity and infrastructure, promote effective budget management, establish regional learning mechanisms, and lead resource mobilization to ensure sustained support for the DCP initiatives.

Members of the WCA Steering Committee meet in Senegal for a strategic meeting. (Photo: CIMMYT)

AlliThe committees also discussed the network’s vision, terms of reference, committees’ governance (by-laws), and a review of the network agreement. They also defined the network’s aspirations and aligned its resources to regional and national infrastructure needs and priorities.

A significant outcome from the meetings was CIMMYT’s allocation of US $1 million to the committees to facilitate personnel and infrastructure development. This budget allocation was decided upon after careful deliberation on how to best use the available resources to meet the network’s needs. Both committees then agreed to call for proposals in various capacity development areas.

They also elected the leadership for the committees. The WCA committee elected four officials: the chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and financial secretary. The ESA committee elected three officials, including the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary.

Subcommittees were also formed to oversee the operations of the steering committees and ensure a comprehensive approach to achieving the network’s goal. “These subcommittees are focused on capacity development, finance and monitoring, evaluation and learning and networks sustainability,” said Happy Daudi, the ESA steering committee secretary.

Kevin Pixley, director of CIMMYT’s Dryland Crops Program, highlighted the importance of regional steering committees in promoting agricultural progress, food security, nutritional stability, resources, and partnerships.

“The creation of the ADCIN marks a pivotal moment in our collective journey towards sustainable agricultural development,” said Pixley. “By bringing together the expertise and resources of CGIAR and NARES partners, ADCIN embodies our shared commitment to turning the challenges of dryland agriculture into opportunities for growth, resilience, and prosperity for the farmers and the communities we serve.”

The meetings also provided an opportunity for the committees to initiate the selection of a unified name for the network. The African Dryland Crop Improvement Network (ADCIN) was decided through a consensus-driven naming process among network members.

The ADCIN also establishes a critical support network for Africa-NARES and breeding programs through the ESA and WCA regional networks, allowing them to co-design and co-implement projects, leverage regional resources and capacity, and sustain dryland crop improvement activities through alignment of investment with priorities, capacity building, and connect the network to other initiatives.

Accelerating progress: from governance to brand identity

Subsequently, the two committees met in December 2023 to discuss and finalize previously discussed key areas. Significant progress had been made in reviewing and confirming the terms of reference and bylaws, which are required for smooth operations and a clear understanding of the governance structure among all the network members.

Following a thorough review and deliberation, the committees agreed on a set of criteria and a template for the call for proposals. The call was made public in December 2023, with submissions due by January 30, 2024. The ESA and WCA steering committees reviewed the applications and communicated the results to the successful applicants. Out of nearly 100 applications submitted, 19 successful candidates are from WCA and 13 from ESA.

Recognizing the importance of a strong and consistent identity, the steering committees established guidelines for the branding and marking process. Part of this process includes creating a logo, which will be shared with the steering committees and the network for a final selection and approval. This step is crucial in developing a visual identity that reflects the network’s values and objectives.

Reinventing collaborative efforts for the future with a unique model

The network and the steering committees operate on an inclusive model in which CGIAR, NARES, and regional stakeholders collaborate to allocate resources for regional projects. This approach not only addresses each region’s unique needs but also ensures tailored development of infrastructure, human capacity, and coordination, increasing the impact on dryland crop cultivation.

“This is a one-of-a-kind collaborative model that was meticulously developed within the region by both CGIAR and NARES, who jointly decided on strategic priorities for regional projects and allocated a budget to support their region,” said Harish Gandhi, associate program director. “The ‘fit principle’ is critical for infrastructure and human capacity development, as well as improving regional coordination.”

This collaboration is about more than just pooling resources; it’s also about leveraging unique strengths, knowledge, and perspectives to create synergies that will help address complex regional challenges effectively. The network can respond to the specific needs of each region and places the onus of responsibility on the steering committees, allowing them to make critical regional decisions. By ensuring that projects are designed with a thorough understanding of regional needs, ADCIN aims to achieve more long-term and significant results.

CIMMYT and China join forces to tackle wheat disease in Africa

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

While wheat acreage has been increasing across the whole of Africa, the sub-Saharan countries account for a significant proportion of the total growth and yield, equaling an area of approximately 3.1 million hectares and a production of more than 9 million tons. However, in recent years, Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab has become a major disease in the region, causing significant reductions in yield and quality due to the lack of resistant varieties and management tools.

In China, a successful wheat shuttle breeding program by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and CIMMYT for improving FHB has existed since the 1980s. Additionally, CIMMYT and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have provided an FHB screening station in Nanjing since 2019. With a wealth of experience in confronting the disease, this ongoing partnership can help to solve the challenges currently faced by farmers in Africa.

To this end, CAAS, JAAS, and CIMMYT organized a training workshop on FHB management for Africa, which took place with financial support from China Aid in Beijing and Nanjing, China, between 10 and 23 April 2024. Twenty participants, 45% of which were women, attended the workshop, with specialists in wheat breeding, pathology, seed quarantine, and other related fields at public institutions in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Lesotho.

“This is the first time China has worked with an international organization to conduct an agricultural training workshop for sub-Saharan Africa,” said Zhonghu He, CIMMYT distinguished scientist and country liaison officer in China.

A hands-on demonstration at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) and CIMMYT Fusarium head blight (FHB) precision phenotyping platform helps scientists in Africa to better understand and fight the wheat disease. (Photo: Liu Xiyan/CAAS)

Practical tools to target FHB

Experts from China and CIMMYT shared their successful experiences of FHB management, including breeding resistant varieties. The trainees benefitted from hands-on experience of FHB identification, disease screening (including inoculum preparation, inoculation, and scoring), mycotoxin quantification techniques, and wheat breeding.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were extremely pleased to observe the impressive progress made in China on wheat FHB both on breeding and disease control, and they expressed strong willingness to contribute to collaboration between Africa, China, and CIMMYT on more wheat breeding and research. Netsanet Bacha Hei from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) was impressed with the scientific and technical expertise provided in the training and mentioned that sub-Saharan Africa needs similar practical trainings to mitigate the threat of FHB. Similar opinions were echoed by Doreen Malekano Chomba from the Zambian Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS), who discussed the need to have an effective in-country surveillance and monitoring to assess and manage FHB in the region.

Participants gather for the opening ceremony of the workshop at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing. (Photo: Li Simin/CAAS)

Xu Zhang, who heads the FHB research program at JAAS, is very appreciative of the collaborative work that has been going on for several decades between CIMMYT and China, highlighting that the workshop represents another step in understanding and managing FHB in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, Zhang said, JAAS and CIMMYT has grown together through strong partnership.

“This training lays firm groundwork for future China-Africa-CIMMYT collaboration on mitigating the threat of FHB and improving wheat production and food security in sub-Saharan African countries,” said He.

Agricultural stakeholders devise means to tame effects of soil acidity

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

Agricultural stakeholders in Tanzania, including CIMMYT, are preparing to implement a major project to combat soil acidity, affecting 32.7 million hectares of land. Led by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), the initiative aims to improve crop production by promoting the use of agricultural limes and enhancing soil health management. This effort is part of the GAIA project, focusing on equipping farmers with essential agronomic knowledge to boost yields and productivity.

Read the full story.

US$2M poultry project targets youth, women farmers in Dodoma

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

In Dodoma, Tanzania, CIMMYT, ILRI and TALIRI with USAID funding of US$2M, launch the AID-L project to enhance poultry farming among youth and women. Targeting 18,000 farmers, it involves cost-sharing, advisories, and media resources to reduce poultry morbidity. Implemented across eight districts, the initiative aims to benefit 3 million people as part of the broader AID-I project, addressing a significant contributor to Tanzania’s agricultural GDP.

Read the full story.

Translating strategy into scientific action

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Participants at the SAS Africa implementation roadmap retreat. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Stronger partnerships, innovation, and agile science for impact were resounding themes when CIMMYT researchers from the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Africa gathered in Nairobi to develop the program’s implementation roadmap in alignment with the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy.

The three-day retreat from 25-28 March, attended by research teams from the eastern, western, southern, and Horn regions of Africa, provided a platform to share insights and chart a course towards sustainable agricultural development for the continent.

Routes to amplifying research impact

In her opening remarks, SAS Program Director, Sieglinde Snapp, emphasized the importance of grounding the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy in the African context and the urgent need for actionable plans to address pressing challenges in agrifood systems. Snapp drew attention to the significance of collaboration with public, private, and civil society stakeholders, highlighting how inclusive partnerships are essential for driving meaningful change. She urged the team to focus on turning strategic vision into tangible plans, with clear milestones to track progress.

“Humanity pulled together and got to the moon in the 60s. Conventional science and engineering got us there,” said Snapp. “However, when we have high uncertainty and high-value conflicts, we need to have all stakeholders at the table. We need to do action science and think of what the actual science looks like.”

Christian Witt, senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, delivered a keynote address focusing on the importance of advancing agronomy globally and exploring opportunities at the national level. He advocated for a balanced approach to tackling macroeconomic challenges while fostering grassroots innovation that augments impact. He also underscored the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy’s critical role across CGIAR, calling for a pivot in funder influence towards a unified, demand-driven research methodology.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer, Christian Witt, gives a keynote speech on advancing global agronomy. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Deep diving into the strategy

The retreat also featured a panel discussion on the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy. From the value of strategic partnerships to the need for excellence in research and delivery, the panel highlighted the key pillars of CIMMYT’s strategy and underscored the importance of aligning efforts with global priorities and challenges.

Participants discussed the role of data systems for agile agronomy, noting the need for innovative methodologies to harness the vast amount of data available. They placed key focus on empowering farmers, particularly through initiatives like the BACKFEED Farmer Agency. This inclusive feedback system enables knowledge co-creation via mobile phones, fostering networking among farmers of diverse backgrounds. Regular and spontaneous interactions facilitate data collection, addressing social exclusion in agricultural information channels faced by those with multiple vulnerabilities.

Paswel Marenya, SAS associate program director for Africa, shared thought-provoking insights on the Pathways to Impact​. He demonstrated how complementarity and bundled approaches, impact orientation, evidence-supported scaling, subsidiarity, localization, and training of farmers and communities, and inclusive seed systems, can transform food systems.

During an analysis of the strategy in the African context, central inquiry focused on identifying areas where SAS could deliver the greatest value. Discussions revealed a consensus on several key priorities: the need of developing and implementing policies from the ground up, addressing the specific needs of smallholder farmers, enhancing capacity for sustainable development, ensuring inclusivity for youth and women, expanding innovative solutions, and encouraging regional collaboration. These common themes highlight a united drive towards comprehensive and impactful agricultural advancement across Africa’s diverse landscapes.

On implementing the strategy, attendees discussed a range of plans and proposals:

  • Diversify from maize to alternative crops, such as pigeon peas.
  • Engage stakeholders in agile agronomy discussions to identify impact pathways.
  • Train the private and public sectors for climate-smart agriculture.
  • Address concerns regarding prevailing inefficiencies within the formal seed system and the lack of business models for non-hybrid seeds like groundnut or wheat.
  • Identify opportunities for financial inclusion through aggregator and off-taker models.
  • Consider the importance of mechanization policies, markets, and extension services.
  • Engage strategically in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, as the majority of food insecurity is found in conflict areas.
  • Improve nutrition education and meet local demand for nutritious crops like pigeon pea and groundnut.
  • Consider the role of data and analytics in humanitarian-development-peace pathways, policy engagement for building value chains, and the significance of impact pathways.
  • Promote the importance of open science, data sharing, and addressing gaps between product enhancement and production.
Participants discuss how SAS can further contribute to CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Eyes on the future

In reflections at the end of the retreat, Snapp reiterated the importance of investing in soil resilience through agile agronomy and participatory research to foster collaboration and inclusivity in decision-making processes. She focused on the significance of foresight targeting and market intelligence, particularly in regions grappling with soil degradation and the impact of the climate crisis. Her presentation highlighted key priorities for driving impactful agricultural development, including effective data management, climate adaptation, and alignment of existing solutions with climate goals. The interconnectedness of foresight targeting, seed systems, and agile agronomy was underscored, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and addressing essential topics like nitrogen and climate change. Additionally, Snapp reiterated the crucial role of collaborative efforts between different teams and organizations in effectively advancing agricultural research and development initiatives.

To cap off three days of intense discussions and strategy-building, participants took part in fun team-building activities that echo CIMMYT’s core values of excellence, integrity, and teamwork.

Opinion: Aid competes with long-term solutions to Sudan’s hunger crisis

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs, Director General's corner.

This terrible season of global conflict just hit a particularly grim milestone in Sudan with the one-year anniversary of the violent civil war last month. One consequence of the conflict is that Sudanese families are beginning to starve — and while emergency food aid is needed, so is investment in longer-term food production.

Political, economic, and social upheaval in the country has displaced over 8 million people and left nearly 25 million people in need of urgent food assistance, including more than 14 million children. The anniversary saw major donors mark the day with more than $2 billion in new aid pledges.

While these pledges are important, the international community also needs to rethink some of its aid strategies. Emergency food assistance for those at immediate risk of starvation is understandably a high priority now, but restoring food production within the country is just as important — otherwise donors risk racing from crisis to crisis and always falling short. It is time to break away from an aid-dependency model and invest directly in farmers.

In fact, challenges to Sudan’s agriculture were likely a contributing factor to the current conflict. The livelihoods of most people in Sudan depend on the agri-food sector, which has been under pressure in recent years. Economic stagnation, weather shocks, land conflicts, high inflation, and health crises made 9.8 million Sudanese severely food-insecure by 2021.

Sudan’s already low-yielding cropping system has been hit by global tightening in fertilizer supplies. The livestock sector represents 60% of Sudan’s agricultural GDP, and has been suffering from diminished rangelands, water shortages, flood events, and lack of animal health services.

Sudan is not alone, and it’s important that the donor community understand how. Eight out of 10 of the world’s worst food crises are driven by war, persecution, and conflict, in places such as Sudan, Yemen, the Palestinian territories, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The confluence of conflict, state fragility, climate change, and poverty is already overwhelming the international community’s ability to respond to escalating humanitarian needs. The international community has to put more emphasis on anticipatory action, because reaction is just not going to be enough anymore.

The need to get ahead of the growing scale of humanitarian disasters has provoked new thinking and partnerships among research, development, and humanitarian organizations, such as ours.

We are investing in better risk assessment, preparation for future food crises, and accelerated learning about how climate change is affecting agricultural productivity and production. The significant resources and expertise of the international research-for-development community can make humanitarian responses in fragile and conflict-affected states more effective and optimal.

Sudan will hopefully show how this kind of intervention can work. Our organizations are part of an international effort to partner with Sudan’s farmers to improve livelihoods in the country. We had started operating across six Sudanese states just before the outbreak of the current conflict, training farmers on how to manage their crops, livestock, and natural resources, and supporting them to access drought-tolerant seeds, with a specific focus on last-mile delivery to women and youth. When the civil war started last year, we quickly pivoted to supporting farmers in safer locations and focusing on the needs of internally displaced people in new areas.

Make no mistake: Implementing these interventions in the current conditions is a heavy lift. Roadblocks, skyrocketing fuel costs, denied travel permits, and breakdowns in telephone service all impede communication with farmers and the delivery of seeds, tools, and training. The threat of emergent violence is driving displacement and staff turnover.

Nonetheless, our coalition has continued to operate. Local partners, including cooperatives, microfinance institutions, and private sector players have shown themselves to be especially effective as the conflict has escalated. These cooperatives, strengthened by farmer training, enable farmers to improve their production and incomes by pooling their resources.

For example, the 72-member Al Etihad women-led farmer cooperative in South Kordofan has initiated multiple enterprises, guided by a structured business plan that steers them toward a more empowered role in local food value chains.

Through the program, last-mile seed retailers have helped nearly 6,000 farmers access agronomic advisories and seeds at a subsidized price. This has empowered farmers like Fatna Mohammed, a 48-year-old widow and mother of three, to build a better livelihood from her small-scale groundnut and vegetable production. She reports that an increased harvest of 18 sacks of groundnut, up from five sacks, enabled her to invest in her farm and better feed her family.

This unique last-mile delivery network, carefully tailored to local realities and drivers, is helping Sudanese communities to survive the current crisis and it can be activated for the rebuilding period — which cannot come soon enough.

Sudan, as with many war-affected nations, is caught in a doom loop of insecurity: Any restoration of political stability requires economic activity, but any economic activity requires political stability. Both depend on physical security, which is hard to achieve without political stability and economic activity.

While a cessation of violence and the restoration of civil order is ultimately up to the parties to the conflict, a direct, international investment in farmers is a way to potentially break the cycle, simultaneously addressing the growing hunger crisis and helping build the preconditions for peace.

Read the original piece on Devex

How improved seeds empower women farmers in South Kordofan

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Fanta Mohamed, a 48-year-old widow with three children, lives in Aldagag village in South Kordofan. For years, Fanta has worked on her small farm to feed her children. Fanta used local seeds, and her agricultural yield was very poor. It made her wonder where she was going wrong. Fanta, like thousands of women farmers in remote and hard-to-reach areas of South Kordofan in central Sudan, has limited access to quality inputs and agricultural extension services.

In South Kordofan, Mercy Corps, aided by USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), trained 15 local farmers and producers in the Farmer Field School methodology and climate-smart agriculture with the support of officials from the State Ministry of Agriculture.

“At SASAS, we work to empower women farmers, especially those who live in remote areas such as South Kordofan. We help them with agricultural inputs such as improved seeds, new agricultural skills, and techniques to increase their production and help enhance food security amid the looming food crisis in Sudan,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party.

Women farmers apply new agricultural techniques in South Kordofan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

To address the challenges of poor seed quality, Mercy Corps contracted local supplier Alzahra Seed for Trade to sell improved seeds at a subsidized price and expand access by establishing last-mile seed retail networks. Alzahra Seed for Trade would also deliver agronomic extension training to farmers in remote villages such as Aldagag.

Fanta recalls how she and other women farmers came to know about the improved seeds. “We were at a coffee gathering at my neighbor’s house, when one of the women told us that Alzahra Seed for Trade’s retail agent had brought improved seeds from Dilling town for sale. We were not even aware of the existence of improved seeds,” she said.

With accessible and affordable improved seeds in Aldagag, Fanta was one of the smallholder farmers who bought seeds from a retailer in her village. She bought groundnut and vegetable seeds and received basic agronomic extension training from the retailer who offered it as an embedded service. In addition to getting access to improved seeds, Fanta was visited by an extension officer from Alzahra Seed for Trade.

Women farmers participate in an agronomic extension training. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Fanta recalls how she managed her farm before she was introduced to improved seeds. “In the seasons before I got the training, my farm looked disorganized. Like other farmers in my area, I didn’t care about the distances between the plants. Local seeds yielded about four or five sacks of groundnut per one feddan (unit of area in Sudan),” she shared. Post training, Fanta planted two feddans of groundnut using the improved seeds and followed the agronomic guidance. “I harvested 18 sacks from the two feddans–much higher than before.”

Increased income provides women farmers with greater financial resources, and many of them feel empowered. “Women famers in my area who have used improved seeds and followed new agricultural techniques have become stronger and feel confident enough to have a voice within our community,” said Fanta.

A sustainable agrifood systems approach in conflict-ridden Sudan

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs, Multimedia, Videos.

Sudan, the third largest country in Africa, has long been an epicenter of food production, due to its fertile lands and rich history of agricultural cultivation. But modern Sudan faces chronic food insecurity rooted in social and geopolitical challenges. A situation that has been exacerbated by the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023. The armed conflict has caused a sudden, further decline in agricultural productivity, displacing large populations and pushing millions of Sudanese into high levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.

In response to this crisis, CIMMYT, through the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), is supporting agricultural development by creating robust and sustainable food production systems. SASAS adapts a modular and multi-crop approach to implement an integrated agrifood system that underpins food security, employment, and equity.

As the planting season of 2024 approaches, the project strives to strengthen food production to support the people of Sudan during these challenging times.

Experts speak: SASAS focuses on five key areas

Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party, highlights how the agricultural innovations of the project are impacting multiple regions in Sudan. The focus of the project is on five broad intervention areas: promoting agricultural production for smallholder farmers, improving value chains and business development, supporting community management of natural resources, and providing horticultural and livestock services such as vaccination campaigns.

Further in the video, Murtada Khalid, country coordinator for Sudan, explains how the SASAS Food Security Initiative (SFSI) will provide 30,000+ farmers with a diversified package of four inputs: fertilizer, seeds, land preparation, and agricultural advisory services, to prepare for the upcoming 2024 sorghum and groundnut planting season. SFSI is a critical element of SASAS that uniquely provides agricultural development aid during a time of conflict to directly improve the food security situation in Sudan.

How women farmers benefit from SASAS

SASAS works directly with women farmers and pastoralists to ensure an equitable approach to food security in the country. Hear farmers from the women-led El-Harram Agricultural Cooperative in Kassala, Sudan, explain how SASAS has positively impacted their lives and families.

Ali Atta Allah, a farmer in Kassala expresses her gratitude for SASAS support. “They provided us with seeds including jute, mallow, okra, and sweet pepper. We planted them, and they thrived.” Ali highlighted the financial gains—a bundle of jute mallow sells for 500 Sudanese Pound (SDG). The income from the entire area amounts to 200,000 to 300,000 SDG. “The seeds provided by SASAS are of superior quality,” she affirmed.

Aziza Haroun from El-Ghadambaliya village, shares her story of how improved seeds provided by SASAS activities helped double her yields compared to previous years. “We used to farm in the same land and the yield was poor. Mercy Corps, a SASAS partner, introduced us to a new method of planting legumes as natural fertilizer. Now our yield has increased significantly,” she said.

Roots of resilience: my journey as a Conservation Agriculture champion

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Features.

I am Grace Malaicha, a proud native of the Zidyana Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi, where my journey with Conservation Agriculture (CA) began. In 2005, I observed neighboring farmers practicing CA techniques on their land. Intrigued and inspired, I decided to embark on this path myself, joining the CA program initiated by CIMMYT and Total LandCare in 2006. I started practicing it on my demonstration plot and observed that yields were getting higher from the second year onwards.

My dedication to CA has changed not only myself but also influenced other members of my farming community. As a mother trial host farmer under the CGIAR Initiative: Diversification for resilient agribusiness ecosystems in East and Southern Africa today, I have been implementing different treatments, which include maize doubled-up legume system and improved drought-tolerant maize varieties planted under CA on flat land and comparing it to the traditional ridge tillage system that involves substantial soil movement.

But what does CA mean to me? It is more than just a set of principles that I apply like minimum soil disturbance, mulching, and crop rotation. CA reduces drudgery, secures yields, and maintains productivity in times of climate change. CA has changed my approach to farming, transforming my once conventional maize monocrop into a diverse maize-legume system. By intercropping with two crops, I have spread the risk of unanticipated crop failure, while incorporating groundnut, cowpeas, and pigeon pea into the mix, which are more drought tolerant. I increased the land area under CA and tried it on many other crops including different legumes as rotation or intercrops, birds-eye chili, vegetables, and cassava.

Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of a changing climate in central Malawi, from intense heat to prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns. This year, 2024, has even been worse due to the prolonged dry spells between January and February, and the erratic rainfall during this time. Despite these challenges, our CA plots have continued to thrive, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of climate-smart farming practices.

Grace trains farmers on Conservation Agriculture. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

Recognizing the power of knowledge sharing and from the encouragement by CIMMYT and Total LandCare, I started to train fellow farmers, both locally and across borders. At first, I worked with women groups around my homestead and trained about 100 female farmers on the principles of CA. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to train other farmers in other districts of Malawi. Since 2008, I have also trained farmers in eastern Zambia and from Mozambique where all farmers speak my language Chichewa. Farmers believe other farmers more and are now realizing the benefits of implementing CA in their own fields.

I enrolled to be a local trainer in CA within my community in 2016. My passion for teaching and catalyzing change has led to the adoption of CA by numerous farmers. I embrace my commitment to ongoing learning through carefully implementing these CA trials and playing an active role during awareness meetings.

My life had changed so much. I was speaking on the radio and television. In 2012, the Minister of Agriculture visited my plot, and I was asked to speak in front of a Parliamentary Committee about my experiences as a smallholder woman farmer in Malawi. I spoke about what women can do in agriculture and what changes I made on my land. From representing my country at high level meetings, each step has shaped me into a resilient and empowered woman.

However, my journey has not been without obstacles, including hardships in my personal relationship. In 2012, I made the decision to join my husband in South Africa where I took up menial jobs to earn a living, abandoning my plot back home. But my true passion lay in farming, and I decided to make the bold decision to come back home, leaving my husband and continue with farming. Through perseverance and determination, I have overcome these challenges, and I am now much stronger.

Grace Malaicha stands in her field. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

Today, I stand with pride in front of my CA plot, not only sustaining my family but also sending all my children to school. I now converted all my land to conservation agriculture, 3ha are under maize and 2ha under groundnuts. Beyond farming, I have investments in housing, claiming rentals in the nearby town of Salima to sustain my financial income and expand in farming.

I will continue on this path as I learned so much over the years and believe that CA may be the only climate-smart agriculture response in reach of smallholder farmers that everybody can apply, and I will continue to support others as a champion of CA.

Kenyan researchers release armyworm-resistant maize seeds

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

Kenyan researchers at KALRO, in partnership with CIMMYT, have developed new maize varieties resistant to the fall armyworm, enhancing food security. These varieties, approved after rigorous testing, are expected to increase maize production. The development is supported by a $500,000 grant from CIMMYT, which also funds infrastructure improvements to aid in seed distribution.

Read the full story.