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Anurag Kumar is a senior research associate in CIMMYT under the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project in India.
He is involved in Coordinating trials and demonstrations of the rice-wheat cropping system in Bihar. Other than coordinating trials and demonstrations, he is effectively strengthening partnerships with national and private partners. The extension of proven technologies is the core of the project so synergizing the effort of each partner for better spread.
Leveraging the leadership, science, and partnerships of the Mexico-based CIMMYT and the funding and research capacity of Mexicoâs Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) during 2010-21, the program known as âMasAgroâ has helped up to 500,000 participating farmers to adopt improved maize and wheat varieties and resource-conserving practices on more than 1 million hectares of farmland in 30 states of Mexico.
As a result of MasAgro research hubs operating across Mexicoâs multiple and diverse agroecologies to promote the sustainable intensification of maize and wheat farming systems â including improved varieties and resource-conserving, climate-smart practices â yields of project participants for maize were 20% higher and for wheat 3% higher than local averages. Similarly, average net incomes for participating maize farmers were 23% greater and 4% greater for wheat farmers, compared to local averages.
The MasAgro biodiversity component gathered and analyzed one of the worldâs largest-ever samplings of maize and wheat genetic diversity, including CIMMYTâs own vast seed bank collections, to help identify and characterize new genes of interest for breeding. As one result, more than 2 billion genetic data points and over 870,000 data entries from associated field trials are freely available to the scientific community, via the projectâs online repository.
MasAgro has involved national and local research organizations, universities, companies, and non-government organizations working through more than 40 research platforms and 1,000 demonstration modules, while building the capacity of thousands of farmers and hundreds of technical and extension experts who serve them.
State-level partners sign on to MasAgro
Through MasAgro, CIMMYT entered into research and development partnerships with 12 Mexican states. An example is the mountainous, central Mexican state of Guanajuato, home to the El BajĂo region, one of Mexicoâs most productive farm areas but which also suffers from soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate change effects â challenges faced by farmers throughout Mexico. The governor of Guanajuato visited CIMMYT headquarters in Mexico in June 2023 to review progress and agree on follow-up activities.
MasAgro generated more sustainable production and irrigation systems in Guanajuato, Mexico. (Photo: ACCIMMYT)
CIMMYT has worked with Guanajuato state and local experts and farmers themselves to test and promote innovations through 7 research platforms reaching nearly 150,000 hectares. As of 2020, new crop varieties and resource-conserving, climate-smart management practices had helped underpin increases of 14% in irrigated wheat production and, under rainfed farming systems, improved outputs of 28% for beans, 150% for local maize varieties and 190% for hybrid maize, over state averages.
An integral soil fertility initiative has included the analysis and mapping of more than 100,000 hectares of farmland, helping Guanajuato farmers to cut costs, use fertilizer more effectively, and reduce the burning of crop residues and associated air pollution.
Service centers for the rental and repair of conservation agriculture machinery are helping to spread practices such as zero tillage and residue mulches. Supported by CIMMYT advisors, Guanajuato farmers are entering into equitable and ecologically friendly production agreements with companies such as Nestle, Kelloggâs, and Heineken, among other profitable and responsible public-private arrangements.
Acclaim and interest abroad for MasAgro
MasAgro has received numerous awards and mentions as a model for sustainable agricultural development. A few examples:
Dignitaries applaud MasAgro launch at CIMMYT. (Photo: Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT)
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) mentioned the program as an example of successful extension.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) cited MasAgro for promoting productive and sustainable agriculture.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) lauded MasAgro for promoting climate-resilient agriculture.
During the 2018 G20 summit in Argentina, MasAgro was considered a model for coordinating agricultural research, development, innovation, technology transfer, and public-private partnerships.
Bram Govaerts, now Director General of CIMMYT, received the 2014 Norman Borlaug Field Award for his work at the time as leader of MasAgroâs farmer outreach component.
MasAgro research hubs were recently used as a guide by USAID for efforts in Sudan and Eastern Africa. They have also been replicated in Guatemala and Honduras.
Moving out and beyond
In Central America and Mexico, the inter-connected crises of weak agri-food systems, climate change, conflict, and migration have worsened, while small-scale farmers and marginalized sectors remain mired in poverty.
Capitalizing on its experience in MasAgro, CIMMYT is a major partner in the recently launched CGIAR initiative, AgriLAC Resiliente, which aims to build the resilience, sustainability, and competitiveness of agrifood systems and actors in Latin America and the Caribbean, helping them to meet urgent food security needs, mitigate climate hazards, stabilize vulnerable communities, and reduce forced migration. The effort will focus on farmers in Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
Farmer Marilu Meza Morales harvests her maize in ComitĂĄn, Mexico. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)
As described in a 2021 science journal article, CIMMYT also helped create the integrated agri-food system initiative (IASI), a methodology that was developed and validated through case studies in Mexico and Colombia, and leverages situation analysis, model predictions, and scenarios to synchronize public and private action toward sustainable, equitable, and inclusive agri-food systems.
âCIMMYTâs integrated development approach to maize system transformation in Mexico and Colombia laid the foundations for the IASI methodology by overcoming government transitions, annual budget constraints, and win-or-lose rivalries between stakeholders, in favor of equity, profitability, resilience and sustainability,â said Govaerts.
The 2021 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) report âStrengthening the Climate for Sustainable Agricultural Growthâ endorsed IASI, saying it ââŠis designed to generate strategies, actions and quantitative, Sustainable-Development-Goals-aligned targets that have a significant likelihood of supportive public and private investment.â
In July 2023, CIMMYT launched a new seminar series on womenâs leadership â Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. Pitched as a âTED Talk meets fireside chatâ, the series shines a spotlight on successful women who are leaders in their fields, providing a platform for them to share insights from their lives and careers. Taking into consideration the fact that leadership can take make many different forms, the talks will highlight women who are leaders in all sorts of disciplines and capacities.
Altagracia emphasized that social and political changes across the world present new opportunities for women to advance in leadership roles. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“We want more women leaders in science organizations and institutions like our own,â explains CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts. âTo achieve this goal we need proper representation, and we need role models that balance science, business insights and decision-making to provide opportunities to hear from women leaders about their life journeys, lessons and insights.â
Disruption without destruction
The second event in the series, held online on July 18, featured presentation by Altagracia GĂłmez Sierra, a leader in sustainable business, Chair of Mexicoâs Western Business Promoter Council, and one other the most influential women in agribusiness and energy within the region. During her talk, GĂłmez emphasized that while many challenges persist, social and political changes across the world are presenting new opportunities for women to advance in leadership roles.
âAs we enter a time of absolute change in this new decade, I think women have their best shot at stopping the reproduction of poverty and entering into leadership positions that were previously denied to them,â she said. âAnd in doing so, we should learn to be disruptive without being destructive. We should build on what we already have and keep pushing it forward.â
GĂłmez pointed to the advantage of being trained to develop soft skills, which companies and recruiters increasingly see as equally valuable as technical ones. âI think women are trained, even as young girls, to be very effective communicators. They are trained to be part of larger teams or communities and to advance forward without leaving people behind,â she told attendees. âI think thatâs an attribute that women â and you as women in science â can bring to the table and communicate. And that is something that I believe, whether it’s in the short or long term, does eventually get recognized.â
Help girls aspire to leadership
GĂłmez also outlined the importance of supporting womenâs leadership at all ages, and crucially even before entering the workforce. âWhat we sometimes fail to realize is that true innovation comes from the small businesses that constitute up to 76% of new jobs worldwide. And that 90% of companies are still family-run. So, when we think about changing companies, we need to think about changing families and how families work,â she explained. âBecause if we truly want to give women a shot, we need to give girls a shot.â
Altagracia and Maria Itria spoke on the importance of representation and having role models. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“I would invite every one of you, if you have girls at home, to encourage them not only to be prepared to take on leadership roles, but also to aspire to them,â she added. âYou can do this by setting an example of how to thrive.â
âI believe that the decade of the 2020s, in spite of all the challenges, is truly a wonderful opportunity for girls and women across the world â especially in science.â She ended her talk by encouraging attendees to do anything they can to enhance inclusion â particularly enhancing the accessibility of infrastructure, technology, and education for rural communities â in order to advance business objectives with social as well as economic profitability.
GĂłmezâ presentation was followed by a Q+A session led by Maria Itria Ibba, head of the Wheat Quality Laboratory and cereal chemist at CIMMYT. The full discussion can be viewed online here. Spanish and French-language audio is also available.
U.S. Department of State Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe visited CIMMYT in Texcoco, Mexico, on July 7, 2023. The visit aimed to strengthen ties between the United States government and CIMMYTâreaffirming commitment to fostering partnerships to achieve food and nutrition security goals.
McAuliffe examined maize germplasm from the U.S. (Photo: CIMMYT)
McAuliffe toured the CIMMYT gene bank, museum and conservation agriculture trial plots. CIMMYT scientists explained their efforts to protect one of the largest maize and wheat seed collections through research and collaboration with CGIAR and seed health initiatives.
She also received a detailed briefing about the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I), a regional project in southern and eastern Africa led by CIMMYT with the backing of Office of Special Envoy for Global Food Security and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). CIMMYT practitioners briefed McAuliffe on AID-Iâs inspiration in a successful model implemented in Mexico, MasAgro, with the potential to inform policy makers and transform agrifood systems in Central America to respond to migration.
Partner seed companies and project leaders shared significant milestones already achieved in Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to expand access for smallholder farmers to market actors, high-yielding seeds and climate-adaptable, resilient crop varieties.
(Left to right) Bram Govaerts, Daniela Vega, and Dorothy McAuliffe toured conservation agriculture trial plots. (Photo: CIMMYT)
After the tour of CIMMYT facilities, McAuliffe heard private and public partners share success stories and current initiatives jointly led with CIMMYT on regenerative agriculture, gene bank development across CGIAR and climate-smart and scale-appropriate mechanization technologies.
âThrough partnership, we can work on R&D goals for better nutrition, data-driven decision making and promotion of regenerative agriculture so that farmers produce diversified crops. On behalf of CIMMYT, Iâd like to thank the U.S. government and the American people, who have historically made scientific innovation possible, leaving a huge footprint to feed the world,â shared Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general.
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The primary focus of this project is on providing technical support to maize and associated crops growers, to develop, validate and implement a working methodology based on a technological menu that responds to the needs of their agri-food systems, aligned with the 2021-2024 government program of the Iguala municipality in Mexicoâs Guerrero state.
The project aims to align with the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 – Zero Hunger; SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being for People; SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13 – Climate Action; SGD 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.
Direct project scopes:
Technical accompaniment to 40 producers and their impact on at least 80 ha. of maize and associated crops for the adoption of sustainable practices and their linkage to the innovation network, to increase productivity and profitability of the productive process of small, medium and large producers with a focus on sustainable agriculture.
Follow-up during the period of technical attention of 2 modules and 40 areas of impact, to consolidate, maintain and increase the infrastructure where innovations that respond to the needs of producers in the municipality are adapted.
Development of training events for the development of capacities of 30 producers and key actors linked to the innovation network in the municipality.
Operate a solid communication strategy through the institutional media and its outreach, to position the project’s activities and the promotion of sustainable agriculture by the municipal government.
Supporting farmers and local communities can better and more quickly preserve the YucatĂĄn peninsulaâs biodiversity in the mid and long term, as well as the agricultural heritage of its Indigenous peoples.
Sieg Snapp, Tek Sapkota, and partners photographed during AIM for Climate (Photo: CIMMYT)
As climate change threats accelerate, new technologies, products, and approaches are required for smallholder farmers to mitigate and adapt to current and future threats. Targeting smallholder farmers will benefit not only the farmers but the entire agri-food system through enhanced locally relevant knowledge that harnesses handheld sensors and advisories on management options, soil status, weather, and market information.
The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate / AIM4C) seeks to address climate change and global hunger by uniting participants to significantly increase investment in, and other support for, climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over five years (2021â2025).
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), as a partner of AIM for Climate, organized a breakout session titled “Smart Smallholder Fertilizer Management to Address Food Security, Climate Change, and Planetary Boundaries” during the AIM for Climate Summit in Washington DC, May 8-10, 2023.
Fertilizers are essential for increasing crop yields and ensuring food security, yet fertilizer use for food and fodder is severely skewed at the global level, leading to over-fertilization in some regions and under-fertilization in others.
Farmers in low-income countries are highly vulnerable to fertilizer supply shortages and price spikes, which have direct consequences for food prices and hunger. Improving fertilizer efficiency and integrated organic and inorganic sources is important globally as nutrient loss to the environment from inappropriate input use drives greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
Innovation Sprint
Because smallholder farmers are the primary managers of land and water, the CIMMYT-led AIM4C Innovation Sprint, Climate-Resilient soil fertility management by smallholders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America is designed to implement and scale-up a range of climate robust nutrient management strategies in 12 countries, and to reach tens of millions of smallholder farmers in close collaboration with nearly 100 public-private partners organizations.
Sieg Snapp called for more investments in data synthesis (Photo: CIMMYT)
Strategies include innovations in extension where digital tools enable farmer-centered private and public advisories to increase the uptake of locally adapted nutrient management practices. Connecting farmers to investors and markets provides financial support for improved nutrient management.
By tailoring validated fertility management practices to their specific conditions, and integrated use of legumes and manure, smallholders will optimize productivity, enhance climate resilience, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Research from other organizations has determined that improved fertilizer management can increase global crop yield by 30% while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Right place, right time
âWe need locally adapted fertilizer management approaches that work for smallholder farmers. By tailoring validated fertility management practices to their specific conditions, smallholders will optimize productivity, enhance climate resilience, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,â said Sieg Snapp, CIMMYTâs Sustainable Agricultural Systems Program Director. She continued, âWhat is needed now is major investment in data synthesis. Through this SPRINT we are exploring options to enable taking sensors to scale, to reach tens of millions of farmers with hyper-local soils information.â
Inequality is the core of the problem in fertilizer management: some regions apply more than the required amount, where in other regions fertilizer application is insufficient for plant needs, leading to low yields and soil degradation.
Tek Sapkota spoke on fertilizer management (Photo: CIMMYT)
âFertilizer efficiency can be improved through application of the right amount of fertilizer using the right source employing the right methods of application at the right time of plant demand,â said Tek Sapkota, CIMMYT Senior Scientist, Agricultural System/Climate Change.
The session included presentations by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), UN Foundation, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), USDA, and Alliance of CIAT-Bioversity. Highlights sustainable and climate-smart practices in Pakistan, novel plant genetics for improved nitrogen cycling, and soil water and nutrient management in the Zambezi to tackle food security and climate change challenges.
Agrovita, which launched in 2021, aims to boost the productivity of 900 farmers over three years through actions that improve their communitiesâ food security by implementing regenerative farming practices across almost 30,000 acres. The program also aims to ensure that 50% of its beneficiaries are women.
Sabina Tiwari is an Assistant Research Associate (Plant Breeding). The major responsibilities are coordinating field operations for the evaluation and validation of new varieties with enhanced tolerance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses, organizing technical training and demonstrations for farmers and seed company partners, and contributing to preparing journal articles/ scientific publications. Her work involves multi-location field trials in collaboration with project partners in Nepal.
Participants at the roundtable discussion on the IDB report Competing in Agribusiness: Corporate Strategies and Public Policies for the Challenges of the 21st Century. (Photo: CIMMYT)
According to representatives from both institutions, strengthening Latin Americaâs agrifood systems would allow the region to consolidate its position as a leader in agricultural exports and make a significant contribution to the development and prosperity of its societies.
In his opening address to more than 130 event participants who followed the roundtable webcasting from CIMMYT HQ in Mexico, the CGIARâs Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, JoaquĂn Lozano, praised the quality of the report and highlighted that it provides new perspectives on issues very closely related to the CGIARâs mandate and work, such as innovation in agriculture, the importance of public goods, and the climate challenges affecting agrifood systems.
Lozano emphasized that, although agrifood systems have not traditionally been considered a suitable area for investment in innovation, this perception is changing thanks to science-based and precision agriculture. He further affirmed that the work of institutions dedicated to agricultural innovation and research, such as the CGIAR, make critical contributions to developing these areas.
âThese forms of agriculture not only contribute to the development of agribusiness, but they could also be key to closing the technological, economic and social gap between modern and traditional agriculture,â he asserted. âFor this to happen, there must be strong partnerships between scientific institutions, public authorities and development banks such as the IDB.â
Ernesto Stein, IDB Group representative in Mexico and coordinator of the team that prepared the report, also emphasized the key role that agriculture can play in the development and economic well-being of Latin American and Caribbean societies.
Ernesto Stein explaining the reportâs main conclusions. (Photo: CIMMYT)
âHistorically, it was thought that industrialization was the quickest path to development. However, this model has its limits. Moreover, agriculture has demonstrated that it can be not only a subsistence economic activity, but also an advanced production method,â he affirmed.
Stein warned that the success of this âalternative development strategyâ is not automatic. The agrifood market requires higher and higher quality, sustainability and information standards, and meeting these requirements âdepends on the development of new capacities.â
In this context, the IDB report describes 30 cases of agrifood companies, located in 12Â Latin American countries, that have become successfully inserted into the market, and it analyzes the factors that have contributed to building these success stories.
These factors are related to value-addition strategies for agricultural products (meeting requirements of external markets; obtaining certifications; processing products with qualities that are especially valued by consumers; taking advantage of low-supply periods thanks to genetic innovation; developing by-products to optimize fresh produce that cannot reach markets; or creating a differentiated brand identity) and also to the model of productive organization (which the report divides into three: vertical integration companies [large-scale production companies with total control of all factors in the production process]; tractor companies [medium- or large-scale companies that contract production from small-scale producers]; and horizontal associative companies [such as cooperatives]).
The objective of the report is both descriptive and prospective, as the identification of these factors aims to inspire other companies and actors involved in defining rural development policiesâespecially governmentsâto help create conditions that will facilitate the replication or scaling-up of the models featured in the report.
The global presentation of the report was followed by the analysis of more specific questions. Speaking of the need for innovation in agriculture, Gustavo Crespi, from the IDBâs Competitiveness, Technology and Innovation Division, highlighted that âthe innovation economy has always considered agriculture to be a sector of limited innovation. However, throughout the decades, agriculture has undertaken very significant productive and organizational transformations that have been underestimated.â
In fact, according to Crespi, agriculture is currently undergoing a complex transformation process, especially in the pre-cultivation, pre-harvest and post-harvest stages, that is successfully reducing the uncertainty associated with agriculture and greatly improving its efficiency.
Romina Ordoñez, from the IDBâs Rural Development, Environment and Disaster Risk Management Division, examined the environmental challenges affecting agricultural value chains and highlighted that these challenges also present opportunities, such as the fact that the environmental certification of an agricultural product allows it to generate additional income.
However, she warned that âthe transition to more sustainable agriculture has an up-front cost that not everyone can afford.â Therefore, this transition requires the support of strong institutions âmainly public authorities, international organizations and development banks.
Subsequently, CGIAR commentators offered their perspectives from different angles. Valeria Piñeiro, from the Office for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Food Policies Research Institute (IFPRI), also underscored the âkey role that public goods must play in optimizing agricultural production systems.â According to Piñeiro, technological transformations must be accompanied by institutional and policy transformations.
Hugo Campos, Deputy Director General of Research at the International Potato Center (CIP, for its Spanish acronym), asserted that the event âcould be a watershed in the way that we use innovation to generate value in agriculture.â
Deissy MartĂnez, Leader of the AgriLAC Resiliente Initiative. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Likewise, Deissy Martinez, Leader of the CGIARâs AgriLAC Resiliente Initiative, emphasized that âin agriculture, it is possible to generate value from sustainability,â and that this fact, âwhich today is exceptional, should be the norm.â
Govaerts highlighted that the challenge is to âconnect innovation systems with agricultural value-addition models, ensuring that they have an impact in the fight against poverty and that they foster inclusion.â He also underscored that Latin America needs to think about where it would like to be in 2100 and work together to meet its objectives and determine âthe when, the how and the where of its effortsâ to transform its agrifood systems.
The roundtable discussion sparked discussions throughout and after the event. (Photo: CIMMYT)
The presentersâ and publicâs diverse interventions confirmed the validity and relevance of the initial intuition that guided the IDB report and the event: strengthening agrifoods systems in Latin America and the Caribbean can make a decisive contribution to the development of the region and its societies. It was also clear that this objective can only be achieved through broad alliances that include the private and public sectors, large- and small-scale producers, investors, and national and international actors.
A team of women researchers that are part of the Latin American Maize Network participated in the training given by CIMMYT in the framework of the TechMaiz project. (Photo: Francisco AlarcĂłn and Fernando Garcilazo/CIMMYT)
Female scientists from four different Latin American countries have come together to work on TechMaiz, a project supported by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and continue the organizationâs commitment to inclusivity and inclusion.
The scientists spent four days in November at CIMMYTâs headquarters in Mexico to contribute to the training plan, which focused on genetic improvement, soil conservation, seed storage, analysis of the nutritional quality of grain and innovation management in the hub model of maize cultivation.
This training allowed the researchers from Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru to discuss the use of new technological tools for sustainable intensification of production systems of small and medium farmers, as well as the challenges on the road to moving from efficiency to resilience.
The scientists involved in this training within the framework of the TechMaiz project were:
Liliana Atencio S. – A Colombian who works at the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA). She is an agricultural engineer with a masterâs degree in agronomic science. This includes an emphasis on plant physiology and she has additional experience in transient and forage crop improvement programs.
Ana Pincay – An Ecuadorian working at the Santa Catalina Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP) as an agricultural researcher. Sheâs also a biotechnology engineer.
Alicia Medina –Â A Peruvian who is based at the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) as a researcher. She is an agricultural engineer and has a masterâs degree in development planning.
MarĂa Gabriela AlbĂĄn – She has several responsibilities, including co-investigator, coordinates the academic-financial part and is a professor of the agronomy engineering career at the San Francisco de Quito University (USFQ) in Ecuador. She is an agribusiness engineer with a masterâs degree in agricultural sciences with an emphasis on agricultural business development. AlbĂĄn also has a diploma in design, management, and evaluation of development projects.
Karen Agreda – An agronomist engineer in agri-production systems. She has a postgraduate degree in alternative fruit and vegetable production and works as a specialized researcher in the validation and technology of transference program at the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (ICTA) in Guatemala.
Visiting a research plot under the guidance of Nele Verhulst, Cropping Systems Agronomist with CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program. (Photo: Francisco AlarcĂłn and Fernando Garcilazo/CIMMYT)
Weaving bonds of trust to generate changes
Following a period of continuous interaction, the researchers identified not only a number of shared challenges in their respective countries, but also how much complementary and concrete opportunities for teamwork are created when bonds of trust and teamwork are strengthened.
âIn addition to strengthening knowledge, thereâs also the relationship between researchers and institutions, understanding the role of each member of the team is important and allows us to make greater progress,” said Atencio. “For example, Alicia works on improvement, Ana on the use of bio-inputs, and Karen on transfers and linking. We all see that there are opportunities in agriculture for innovation by using tools such as e-agrology. The result of this is that generational change is becoming more and more urgent.â
Proposing more ambitious projects, but also clearer and more precise ones, is part of the learning the researchers plan to take with them. The scientists are determined to share this information with their teams and colleagues, along with integrative approaches that are designed to strengthen the human talent of each institution.
âIn Ecuador, we practice the agriculture of conservation, but we didnât know the concept of not removing the soil,â Picay said. âIt is always a good decision to invest in training, as it refreshes the thought, opens the mind and triggers actions.â
The TechMaĂz project will continue in 2023 with its third year of implementation, promoting national meetings to promote and disseminate the use of sustainable technologies for maize production. CIMMYT training for members of the Latin American Maize Network is also expected to continue.
“Crossing elite lines with exotic material has its challenges,” said Matthew Reynolds, co-author of the study and leader of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT. “There’s a well-recognized risk of bringing in more undesirable than desirable traits, so this result represents a significant breakthrough in overcoming that barrier and the continued utilization of genetic resources to boost climate resilience.”
These results can be used to improve crop resilience and food security in the face of the challenges posed by climate change, as well as emphasizing the importance of genetic diversity in key crops where selective breeding has reduced adaptability.
The vital tasks for each country to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limited carbon outputs are daunting, especially with 2030 deadlines imposed by the Paris Climate Agreement only eight years away. National stakeholders would benefit greatly from roadmaps that identify realistic and achievable milestones to point the way forward.
Researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have provided just such a road map. Using easily available data, they developed rapid assessment methods and adoption costs for mitigation related to crops, livestock, and forestry to identify priority locations and actions. Their article, âQuantification of economically feasible mitigation potential from agriculture, forestry and other land uses in Mexicoâ, was published in Carbon Management.
Applying these methods for Mexico, researchers found a national mitigation potential of 87.88 million metric tons (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.
âFaced with such an overwhelming issue like climate change, it can be difficult for an individual, an organization, and especially an entire nation to know where to start. We developed a rapid assessment framework, tested in India, Bangladesh, and Mexico, but we believe other nations can use our methods as well,â said Tek Sapkota, the project leader and first author of the paper.
The research specifically focused on climate change mitigation in agriculture, forestry, and other land uses (AFOLU). Agriculture and related land use change contributed about 23% of the worldâs anthropogenic GHG emissions in 2016, and that number is expected to increase as more food needs to be produced for the worldâs growing population.
Chickpeas planted on wheat residue under conservation agriculture. (Photo: Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio/CIMMYT)
The researchers’ starting point was to quantify baseline emissions and analyze the major sources of emissions. Mexicoâs AFOLU sector is responsible for 14.5% of its total national GHG emissions. In Mexicoâs agricultural sector, methane and nitrous oxide emissions arise from livestock activities (enteric fermentation and fertilizers), as well as from agricultural activities (soil management and field burning of crop residues). For land use, carbon dioxide emissions and removals result from changes in forest lands, pastures, agricultural land, wetlands, and settlements.
Activities identified for GHG mitigation in crop production included avoiding fertilizer subsidies, since those tend reward inefficient nitrogen use. Subsidies could be of use, however, in encouraging farmers to adopt more efficient nitrogen management. Precision levelling of crop fields can help to lower GHG emissions by reducing cultivation time and improving the efficiency of fertilizer and irrigation water and adoption of conservation agriculture practices, such as zero tillage.
âAdoptions of these practices will not only reduce GHG emissions, but they will also help increase productivity,â said Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio, co-author and Mexico coordinator of the study.
In the livestock sector, mitigation possibilities identified are the creation of official programs, financial support, and capacity building on composting and biodigester. In FOLU sector, researchers identified options such as zero deforestation and C offset in the C market.
In addition to mapping out the mitigation benefits of specific activities, researchers also considered the costs associated with implementing those activities. âLooking at these efforts together with the cost of their implementation provide a complete picture to the implementing bodies to identify and prioritize their mitigation efforts consistent with their development goals,â said Sapkota. For example, some efforts, like increasing nitrogen use efficiency, do not provide the most climate benefits but are relatively inexpensive to realize, while establishing and maintaining carbon capture markets provides large reductions in GHG, they can be expensive to implement.
Researchers examined publicly available AFLOU spatial data for each Mexican state. At the state level, AFOLU mitigation potentials were highest in Chiapas (13 Mt CO2eq) followed by Campeche (8Mt CO2eq), indicating these states can be considered the highest priority for alleviation efforts. They identified an additional 11 states (Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Jalisco, Sonora, Veracruz, Durango, Chihuahua, Puebla, MichoacĂĄn, and Guerrero) as medium priorities with mitigation potentials of 2.5 to 6.5 Mt CO2eq.
âOur data driven, and evidence-based results can help the government of Mexico refine its national GHG inventory and its Nationally Determined Contributions target and monitor progress,â said Eva Wollenberg, the overall coordinator of the study and research professor of University of Vermont, USA. âThis analysis further provides an example of a methodology and results to help inform future efforts in other countries in addition to Mexico.â
Cover photo: Low nitrogen (at the front) and high nitrogen (at the back) maize planted to address nitrogen use efficiency. (Photo: Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio/CIMMYT)
Jeannette SĂĄnchez is the administrative assistant of the Program Director Sieglinde Snapp, in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program at CIMMYT.
In July 2023, CIMMYT launched a new seminar series on womenâs leadership â Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. Pitched as a âTED Talk meets fireside chatâ, the series shines a spotlight on successful women who are leaders in their fields, providing a platform for them to share insights from their lives and careers. Taking into consideration the fact that leadership can take make many different forms, the talks will highlight women who are leaders in all sorts of disciplines and capacities.
