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Ravi Nandi joined the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2023 as an Innovation Systems Scientist. He is an accomplished agricultural economist with over 12 years of experience in interdisciplinary research focusing on the markets, food environment, agrifood value chains, and socioeconomics.
His expertise lies in analyzing and improving different aspects of agri-food value chains, and farmer collectives, linking farmers to the market with a particular focus on governance, sustainability, innovations, and scaling. He explores institutional innovations that connect production and market-based interventions, and intricate interplay between agriculture, markets, and nutrition to address crucial issues such as poverty reduction, food security, nutrition, sustainable rural livelihoods, and resilience outcomes.
Ravi has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers, policy briefs, chapters, books and blogs.
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. The climate risks are negatively impacting the country’s agricultural sector, which constitutes nearly 12% of the countryâs GDP. Additionally, 40% of the countryâs workforce rely on agriculture for a major portion of their income (BBS, 2021-22).
Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has demonstrated remarkable economic growth by strategically investing in climate resilience and disaster preparedness over the years. The country has gained global recognition as a leader in these areas, driving its overall development. However, escalating climate risks continue to pose threats to Bangladesh’s progress, particularly impacting the most vulnerable segments of society and jeopardizing the nation’s growth trajectory.
Photo: (Harikhali in Paigachha/CCAFS)
In response to these challenges, Bangladesh has made concerted efforts to develop climate adaptation strategies. A significant milestone was the launch of the GCA Global Hub on locally led adaptation by the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2022. This groundbreaking initiative aims to support one million climate-vulnerable migrants in Bangladesh. The government has also formulated policies, plans and programs to combat the impacts of climate change. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), formulated in 2009 and updated in 2022, focuses on six thematic areas, with five and six emphasizing adaptation and mitigation, respectively. Another important initiative is the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, prepared in 2017, which categorizes the entire country into six hotspots. To safeguard the agricultural sector from climate change, Bangladesh has also developed vulnerability Atlases such as the ‘Bangladesh Climate and Disaster Risk Atlas: Volume 1 & 2’ and the ‘Climate Adaptation Services Bangladesh (Haor region).’
While significant progress has been made in risk mapping, there is room for improvement. For instance, the current Atlases operate at the district level, and there is immense potential to downscale them to the upazila (sub-district) level to achieve enhanced granularity. Additionally, transforming the Atlases from report format to a more interactive and user-friendly online one would be beneficial.
The Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) project aligns with the goals of BCCSAP, focusing on location-specific climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in agricultural production. The Atlas will play a crucial role in quantifying localized climatic risks, assessing their impacts on agriculture today and in the future, and identifying key adaptation options to mitigate these risks. This knowledge will strengthen Bangladesh’s food security and reduce its vulnerability to climatic risks.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) will actively utilize the Atlas, leveraging agro-geospatial data to expedite decision-making processes. BARC will further leverage its expertise in geospatial tools, crop zoning information systems, GIS-based mobile apps, climate information databases and drought monitoring systems, further combined with the knowledge base of Atlas to ensure informed and evidence-based actions. Moreover, collaborating with ACASA to develop an advanced and interactive online Atlas expands the country’s scope and fosters stakeholder participation, enabling informed decision-making and refined risk characterization at a granular level.
Piece by Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh
The Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) Initiative held its Evaluation and Planning Workshop in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, from June 6 to 8, 2023. The purpose of this interactive workshop was to bring together people from diverse sectors to assess the progress and challenges and adjust future implementation of the Initiativeâs activities, which aim to improve South Asian agrifood systems to promote sustainable and nutritious foods for all. All three government partners participated in the three-day event: the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute â On-Farm Research Division (BARI-OFRD), and the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI).
Participants visited the research platform trial hosted by BWMRI in Dinajpur, Bangladesh (Photo: Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan/CIMMYT)
The primary goal of the first day was to visit the locations of TAFSSAâs experiments and to interact with the farmers hosting the trials while they were taking place. Participants were divided into groups and visited several on-farm sites, viewing the trials and engaging in meaningful discussions with the farmers. These visits provided useful firsthand insights on the problems farmers confront while attempting to diversify their crops and improve their livelihoods. For example, visiting the research platform trial hosted by the BWMRI at its research station in Dinajpur allowed the participants to compare results from a broader set of diversified cropping patterns.
âMore crops mean more money,â said Mohammad Ali, one of the farmers. âI am delighted to produce a variety of crops and witness the increase in my earnings. By cultivating four crops in a single year, I have experienced firsthand the positive impact on my income. Crop diversification has opened doors to new opportunities and has brought greater satisfaction to my farming endeavors.â
During the second day of the workshop, presentations were held to provide an overview of results from the activities TAFSSA implemented during the first seasons of the Initiative, including research platform trials, training sessions on nutrition, and on-farm activities carried out across the divisions of Rangpur and Rajshahi. These presentations emphasized TAFSSA’s progress, obstacles, and preliminary results and were followed by a question-and-answer session to discuss the outcomes and efforts. This interactive workshop promoted information exchange and sparked more debate. Participants underlined the significance of market links between farmers and consumers, emphasizing the need to develop sustainable and lucrative value chains.
Panelists engaged in a discussion about TAFSSA’s progress, challenges, and path forward (Photo: Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan/CIMMYT)
Future adjustments and improvements were discussed, which encouraged collaboration and problem-solving as a group. The method was inclusive and participative, ensuring that all opinions were heard and considered. The day ended with a dinner, during which participants were free to network and discuss ideas further with one another.
The third and final day began with a discussion on TAFSSAâs beneficiaries, particularly those involved in altering agrifood systems in South Asia to promote sustainable and healthy diets for all in the region. Participants looked at the gender aspect of the Initiative and whether it was effectively reaching all of its target beneficiaries, including men, women, and other marginalized groups.
The workshop provided a forum for participants to share their experiences, address issues and collaborate together to reform South Asian agrifood systems. The evaluation and planning exercises aimed to create equal access to nutritious diets, boost livelihoods and resilience among farmers, and safeguard land, air and groundwater resources.
Participants evaluated field production results during the field visit (Photo: Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan/CIMMYT)
âIt’s crucial to acknowledge the lack of technical knowledge among farmers,â said Dr. Mazharul Anwar, from the BARI. âProviding targeted training programs for specific crops like tomato, carrot, sorghum, and others can help bridge this knowledge gap and enhance farmers’ capabilities in achieving better yields and sustainable practices.â
Through its work in South Asia, TAFSSA can contribute to change in the region and continue its objective to develop more sustainable and equitable agrifood systems by obtaining useful information from field trials, interactive visits with farmers, presentations, and conversations. To that end, the workshop has set the stage for the Initiative to achieve its goals thanks to the collaborative efforts and collective passion of all the participants.
The devastating disease wheat blast is a threat to crop production in many South Asian countries. In Bangladesh, it was first identified in seven southern and southwestern districts in 2016, and later spread to 27 others causing significant damage. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is working with the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) and other national partners to conduct research and extension activities to mitigate the ongoing threat.
From March 1-10, 2023, a group of 46 wheat researchers, government extension agents, and policy makers from ten countries â Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Sweden, and Zambia â gathered in Jashore, Bangladesh to learn about and exchange experiences regarding various wheat diseases, particularly wheat blast. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first in-person international wheat blast training held in Bangladesh. It focused on the practical application of key and tricky elements of disease surveillance and management strategies, such as resistance breeding and integrated disease management.
Training participants get hands-on practice using a field microscope, Bangladesh. (Photo: Ridoy/CIMMYT)
âThis is an excellent training program,â said Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC), during the opening session. âParticipants will learn how to reduce the severity of the blast disease, develop and expand blast resistant varieties to farmers, increase production, and reduce imports.â
This sentiment was echoed by Golam Faruq, director general of BWMRI. âThis program helps in the identification of blast-resistant lines from across the globe,â he said. âFrom this training, participants will learn to manage the devastating blast disease in their own countries and include these learnings into their national programs.â
Hands-on training
The training was divided into three sections: lectures by national and international scientists; laboratory and field experiment visits; and trips to farmersâ fields. Through the lecture series, participants learned about a variety of topics including disease identification, molecular detection, host-pathogen interaction, epidemiology and integrated disease management.
Hands-on activities were linked to working on the Precision Phenotyping Platform (PPP), which involves the characterization of more than 4,000 wheat germplasm and releasing several resistant varieties in countries vulnerable to wheat blast. Participants practiced taking heading notes, identifying field disease symptoms, tagging, and scoring disease. They conducted disease surveillance in farmersâ fields in Meherpur and Faridpur districts â both of which are extremely prone to wheat blast â observing the disease, collecting samples and GPS coordinates, and completing surveillance forms.
Muhammad Rezaul Kabir, senior wheat breeder at BWMRI, explains the Precision Phenotyping Platform, Bangladesh. (Photo: Md. Harun-Or-Rashid/CIMMYT)
Participants learned how to use cutting-edge technology to recognize blast lesions in leaves using field microscopes. They went to a pre-installed spore trapping system in a farmer’s field to learn about the equipment and steps for collecting spore samples, observing them under a compound microscope, and counting spores. They also visited the certified seed production fields of Shawdesh Seed, a local company which has played an important role in promoting wheat blast resistant varieties BARI Gom 33 and BWMRI Gom 3 regionally, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) in Gazipur to see current wheat blast research in action.
Blast-resistance in Bangladesh
âI am so happy to see the excellent infrastructure and work ethics of staff that has made possible good science and impactful research come out of the PPP,â said Aakash Chawade, associate professor in Plant Breeding at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. âRapid development of blast-resistant varieties and their dissemination will help Bangladesh mitigate the effects of wheat blast, not only inside the country but by supporting neighboring ones as well.â
Training participants scout and score disease in a blast-infected wheat field, Bangladesh. (Photo: Md. Harun-Or-Rashid/CIMMYT)
âBesides the biotic and abiotic challenges faced in wheat production, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine crisis are further creating limitations to wheat production and marketing,â said Pawan Kumar Singh, head of Wheat Pathology at CIMMYT and lead organizer of the training. âDue to the development of blast-resistant wheat varieties and its commercial production under integrated disease management practices, the domestic production of wheat in Bangladesh has increased and there is increased interest from farmers in wheat.â
Dave Hodson, a principal scientist at CIMMYT and one of the trainingâs resource speakers, added: âThis is a remarkable success that researchers developed two blast resistant varieties in Bangladesh urgently. It was only achievable because of the correct measures taken by the researchers and support of Government policies.â
However, there are still some barriers to widespread adoption of these varieties. As such, in parallel to other activities, a team from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) joined the field trip to meet local farmers and conduct research into the socio-economic factors influencing the adoption and scaling of relevant wheat varieties.
Delegates with other officials in front of the seminar room. (Photo: Biswajit/BWMRI)
Representatives from Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) paid a visit to Bangladesh to see the valuable work of the Precision Phenotyping Platform (PPP).
PPP was established in response to the devastating wheat blast disease, which was first reported in the country in 2016.
Technical and financial support from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Australian Commission for International Agricultural Research and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, along with other funders, has contributed to the effort to combat the disease.
This is achieved by generating precise data for wheat blast resistance in germplasm in Bangladesh, as well as other wheat growing countries. This PPP has been used to screen elite lines and genetic resources from various countries.
On February 16 and 17, 2023, two groups of national and international delegations visited the BWMRI-CIMMYT collaborative research platform PPP at the BWMRI regional station in Jashore, Bangladesh.
The first group was made up of representatives from both the Australian Commission for International Agricultural Research and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. This included seven commissioners under the direction of Fiona Simson, along with ACIAR senior officials from Australia and India.
The other group was from BARC, which was led by Executive Chairman Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, along with Golam Faruq, Director General of BWMRI, and Andrew Sharpe, Bangabandhu Research Chair, Global Institute of Food Security (GIFS), University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
Both delegations were welcomed by Muhammad Rezaul Kabir, the Senior Wheat Breeder at BWMRI. Kabir gave a brief presentation about the platform and other wheat blast collaborative research programs in the seminar room.
The delegations then went to the PPP field, where BWMRI researchers Kabir and Robiul Islam, as well as CIMMYT researcher Md. Harun-Or-Rashid, explained further information about the BWMRI-CIMMYT collaborative research. Both commissioners and delegates appreciated seeing the work being conducted in person by the national and international collaborations of BWMRI and CIMMYT on wheat blast research.
Visitors observing blast disease symptoms in wheat leaves. (Photo: Muhammad Rezaul Kabir/BWMRI)
âIt is important, innovative work, that is affecting not only Bangladesh but many countries around the world that are now starting to be concerned about the impacts of wheat blast,â commissioner Simson said. âThis study is very important for Australia and we are pleased to be contributing to it.â
Lindsay Falvey, another commissioner, added, âThis is a wonderful experiment, using high-level science and technologies to combat wheat blast in Bangladesh. The experiment is well-planned. Overall, it is an excellent platform.â
ACIAR delegate Eric Huttner added to the praise for the project. âThe platform is performing extremely well for the purpose of evaluating lines, resistance to the disease and thatâs very useful for Bangladesh and rest of the world,â he said. âThis is a gift that Bangladesh is giving to the neighboring countries to protect wheat.â
The delegates pledged to share their expert advice with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh in order to increase investments and improve facilities for agricultural research programs in the country.
Golam Faruq, Director General of BWMRI discussing the PPP with Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Executive Chairman of BARC (Photo: Md. Harun-Or-Rashid/CIMMYT)
âThis is an excellent work,â Executive Chairman of BARC, Bokhtiar said. âWe can get more information from screening activities by using bioinformatics tools and training people through the BARC-GIFS program.â
Pawan Kumar Singh, Head of Wheat Pathology at CIMMYT-Mexico and Project Leader, coordinated the visits virtually and expressed his thanks to the delegations for their visit to the platform. This PPP, within a short span of few years, has been highly impactful, characterizing more than 15,000 entries and releasing several resistant varieties in countries vulnerable to wheat blast.
Temera Biswas is Finance and Administrative Officer for the Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Bangladesh.
Biswas has an MBA in Accounting from the University of Dhaka and more than nine years’ experience working in international non-government organizations and foreign organizations in finance and administration. For the last five years she worked in accounts for World Vision Bangladesh in a project on Nutrition Sensitive Value Chains for Smallholder Farmers.
She has sound knowledge in computer operations, particularly in Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Word, and in various accounting software. She also has knowledge in processing payments, transactions and contracts for financial clearance and payment, vendor enlistment, planning, sourcing, negotiation with vendors and quality buying, as well as framework agreements for goods and services.
Inadequate seed supply and delivery systems, sometimes also misaligned with user and market demand, mean that smallholders often recycle seed or use older varieties, leaving them more vulnerable to pests and diseases.⯠Small-scale farmers, especially women and other disadvantaged groups, are particularly vulnerable to climate-related challenges, such as more frequent and severe droughts and erratic rainfall. Additionally, farmers may not be well informed about varietal options available to them or may be reluctant to experiment with new varieties. These challenges threaten agricultural production and can compromise their ability to meet their own food, nutrition and income needs. Â
Improved varieties, innovations and approaches developed and promoted by CGIAR and partners could transform agrifood systems and reduce yield gaps, âhunger monthsâ and other disparities. However, limited access to and use of affordable, quality seed of well-adapted varieties with desired traits, means these bottlenecks remain.âŻ
This Initiative aims to support the delivery of seedâŻof improved, climate-resilient, market-preferred and nutritious varieties of priority crops, embodying a high rate of genetic gain to farmers, ensuring equitable access for women and other disadvantaged groups.
This objective will be achieved through:
Supporting demand-driven cereal seed systems for more effective delivery of genetic gains from One CGIAR cereal breeding, as well as improving government, private sector and farmer-based capacity to deliver productive, resilient and preferred varieties to smallholders.Â
Boosting legume seed through a demand-led approach that builds on growing demand for grain legumes. This multistakeholder approach will strengthen partnerships to provide efficient, more predictable and demand-led access to quality seed of new varieties.Â
Scaling and delivering vegetatively propagated crop seed through sustainable enhanced delivery pathways that efficiently target different market segments and farmer preferences.Â
Supporting partnerships (including with smallholders), capacity building and coordination to ensure uptake of public-bred varieties and other innovations by providing technical assistance for national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and foundation seed organizations in early-generation seed production and on-farm demonstrations.Â
Developing and implementing policies for varietal turnover, seed quality assurance and trade in seeds by leveraging global expertise and experience to generate both the evidence and engagement necessary to advance efficient, sustainable, and inclusive seed markets that promote varietal turnover and wider adoption.Â
Scaling equitable access to quality seed and traits in order to reach the unreached and provide inclusive access while addressing gender and social constraints and the digital divide.Â
Engagement
This Initiative will work in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania as a priority, followed by other countries in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.Â
Outcomes
Proposed 3-year outcomes include:
Robust tools developed and used by funders, developers, researchers and extension staff to sustainably measure and monitor key seed system metrics.Â
Increase of 10% in the quantity of quality seed of improved âbest-fitâ and farmer-preferred varieties available to farmers in representative crops and geographies due to increased capacity of seed companies and other seed multipliers (including farm-based seed actors). Â
Public and private seed enterprises adopting innovative and transformative models for accessing, disseminating and multiplying quality early-generation seed, reducing cost and increasing output.Â
Reduction of 5% in weighted average varietal age for priority crops in selected countries.    Â
Government partners in policy design and implementation actively promote policy solutions to accelerate varietal turnover, adoption and quality seed use.Â
Resource-poor farmers in low-income and middle-income countries will hugely benefit from improved crop varieties that perform better in terms of nutritional quality, income generation, water and nutrient use, stability of yields under climate change, and the needs of both women and men as farmers and as consumers. Â
However, many smallholder farmers still grow old varieties, in part because they derive inadequate benefits from recent breeding efforts. To trigger timely adoption, new varieties must be widely available and affordable to farmers, and offer a step-change in performance through higher rates of genetic gain. A faster pace of varietal turnover is critical â to enable farmers to adapt and advance rapidly as climatic and market conditions change.Â
Breeding programs also need a greater focus on developing farmer- and consumer- preferred varieties adapted to distinct production environments, markets and end uses. This can be facilitated by smarter design of breeding programs; stronger partnerships between CGIAR, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and strengthened organizational capacity.
This Initiative aims to develop better-performing, farmer-preferred crop varieties and to decrease the average age of varieties in farmersâ fields, providing real-time adaptation to climate change, evolving markets and production systems.Â
The objective will be achieved through:
Re-focusing breeding teams and objectives on farmersâ needs, in particular the needs of women, through achievable product profiles and breeding pipelines targeting prioritized regions and market segments.Â
ReorganizingâŻbreeding teams to drive efficiency gains through the coordinated engagement of specialists and processes using a common organizational framework, stage gates, key performance indicators and handover criteria.Â
TransformingâŻtowards inclusive, impactful CGIAR-NARES-SME breeding networks with empowered partners, along with customized capacity building, standardized key performance indicators, and by dividing labor and resources across partners according to comparative advantage and aligned with national priorities.Â
Discovering optimum traits and deployments through agile, demand-driven and effective trait discovery and deployment pipelines, and development of elite donor lines with novel and highly valuable traits.Â
AcceleratingâŻpopulation improvement and variety identification through optimizing breeding pipelines (trailing, parent selection, cycle time, use of Breeding Resources tools and services, etc.), with the goal of assuring all programs deliver market-demanded varieties that deliver greater rates of genetic gain per dollar invested.Â
Engagement
This Initiative will work with breeding programs serving countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, along with Asia and Latin America. Priority countries for the Initiative include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, and Bangladesh and India in South Asia.Â
Outcomes
Proposed 3-year outcomes include:
At least 75%âŻof breeding pipelines are oriented towards specific market segments, enabling greater focus on farmersâ needs, drivers of adoption, distinct impact areas and the strategic allocation of resources.Â
At least 70%âŻof breeding pipelines use a revised organizational framework that provides operational clarity and effectiveness for specialized teams pursuing breeding outputs.Â
At least 80%âŻof the breeding networks have implemented documented steps toward stronger partnership models where NARES and SMEs have increased breeding capacity, and make greater scientific, operational and decision-making contributions to the breeding process.Â
At least 50%âŻof breeding pipelines are supported by a dedicated trait discovery and deployment program that delivers high-impact traits in the form of elite parental lines.Â
At leastâŻ70%âŻof breeding pipelines have increased the rate of genetic gain in the form of farmer-preferred varieties, with at least 50% providing significantly improved varieties delivered to seed system recipients.   Â
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)
In the summer monsoon season preceding planting in the winter, farmers typically use low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags contained within woven polypropylene bags to store their wheat seed. Seed quality typically deteriorates over the monsoon as a result of increased seed moisture and pests that are associated with high humidity and temperature.
After initially being consulted by survey and detailed focus group interactions on the design of the trial, 80 wheat farming households participated in a 30-week action research process by conducting trials to compare seed storage methods. This included comparing hermetic SuperGrainbagsÂź (Premium RZ) against LDPE bags, both with and without the addition of dried neem tree leaves (Azadirachta indica), the latter representing a common method used by farmers in Bangladesh to improved stored seed.
Results of the trials demonstrated that seed germination and seedling coleoptile length were greater, and that seed moisture was maintained at levels close to before storage in SuperGrainbagsÂź compared to LDPE bags. The use of neem however had no effect on these factors.
Furthermore, hermetic bags were more effective in lessening seed damage caused during the storage process, but neem slightly reduced damage rates for seeds stored using traditional methods compared to SuperGrainbagsÂź.
In relation to diseases and pests, SuperGrainbagsÂź suppressed Coleopteran pests and blackspot, while storing neem alongside the seeds in LDPE bags had a slight additional pest suppressive effect.
Scoring by both men and women farmers revealed their preference for SuperGrainbagsÂź hermetic storage. The study recommends actions for value chain development to increase farmersâ access to improved hermetic storage options at low cost.
Cover photo: A female farmer in a field of wheat in Bangladesh, where participatory research is helping farmers adapt to better ways of storing seeds. (Photo: Ranak Martin/CIMMYT)
The Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) are vulnerable to climate change and face tremendous challenges, including heat, drought, and floods. More than 400 million people in this region depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and food security; improvements to their farming systems on a wide scale can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has been supporting smallholder farmers to make agriculture more profitable, productive, and sustainable while also safeguarding the environment and encouraging womenâs participation through a partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). On World Food Day, these projects are more important than ever, as scientists strive to leave no one behind.
The EGP have the potential to significantly improve food security in South Asia, but agricultural production is still poor, and diversification opportunities are few. This is a result of underdeveloped markets, a lack of agricultural knowledge and service networks, insufficient development of available water resources, and low adoption of sustainable farming techniques.
Current food systems in the EGP fail to provide smallholder farmers with a viable means to prosper, do not provide recommended diets, and impose undue strain on the regionâs natural resources. It is therefore crucial to transform the food system with practical technological solutions for smallholders and with scaling-up initiatives.
Zero tillage wheat growing in the field in Fatehgarh Sahib district, Punjab, India. It was sown with a zero tillage seeder known as a Happy Seeder, giving an excellent and uniform wheat crop. (Photo: Petr Kosina/CIMMYT)
ACIAR: Understanding and promoting sustainable transformation of food systems
Over the past ten years, ACIAR has extensively focused research on various agricultural techniques in this region. The Sustainable and Resilient Farming Systems Intensification in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (SRFSI) project sought to understand local systems, demonstrate the efficacy of Conservation Agriculture-based Sustainable Intensification (CASI) approaches, and create an environment that would support and scale-up these technologies.
To establish a connection between research outputs and development goals, the Transforming Smallholder Food Systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (Rupantar) project expands on previous work and partnership networks. This is a collaborative venture with CIMMYT that demonstrates inclusive diversification pathways, defines scaling up procedures for millions of smallholder farmers in the region, and produces a better understanding of the policies that support diversification.
Building the future and inspiring communities
Men and women both contribute substantially to farming activities in the EGP of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, but gender roles differ according to location, crops and opportunities. It is a prevalent perception supported by culture, tradition, and social biases that women cannot be head of the household.
In Coochbehar, India, the unfortunate passing of Jahanara Bibiâs husband left her as head of her household and sole guardian of her only son. Though a tragic event, Bibi never gave up hope.
Going through hardships of a rural single female farmer intensified by poverty, Bibi came to know about CASI techniques and the use of zero-till machines.
Though it seemed like a far-fetched technique at first and with no large network to rely on for advice, Bibi decided to gather all her courage and give it a try. Being lower cost, more productive, adding income, and saving her time and energy all encouraged Bibi to adopt this zero-till machine in 2013, which she uses to this day. Today, she advocates for CASI technology-based farming and has stood tall as an inspiration to men and women.
âI feel happy when people come to me for advice â the same people who once thought I was good for nothing,â said Bibi.
With no regrets from life and grateful for all the support she received, Bibi dreams of her future as a female agro-entrepreneur. Being a lead female farmer of her community and having good contact with the agriculture office and conducive connection with local service providers, she believes that her dream is completely achievable and can inspire many single rural female farmers like herself to encourage them to change perceptions about the role of women.
Cover photo: Jahanara Bibi standing by her farm, Coochbehar, India. (Photo: Manisha Shrestha/CIMMYT)
Women play an integral role in all stages of agrifood systems, yet their unpaid labor is often culturally and economically devalued and ignored. As agriculture becomes more female-oriented, women are left with a double workload of caring in the home and laboring in the fields, leaving no time for leisure. Training programs are often developed with only male farmers in mind, and women can be completely excluded when it comes to mechanization.
The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), established by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and implemented jointly with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is empowering women to become active participants in farming, improving their abilities and confidence through training, expanded access to machinery and better crop management practices. To celebrate International Day of Rural Women, here are stories from three of the women CIMMYT has helped.
Equality in agricultural opportunities
Nisha Chaudhary and her husband Kamal were engaged in agriculture, poultry and pig farming in Nepal, but struggled to provide for their family of seven; their combined income was never sufficient for them to make ends meet.
Through the CSISA COVID-19 Response and Resilience Activity, CIMMYT introduced Chaudhary to mechanization’s advantages and supported her to connect with banks, cooperatives, and machinery dealers to access financial support to introduce agriculture machinery into the family business. She became the first farmer in her village to acquire a mini combine rice mill and offer milling services. The following month, Chaudhary received additional tutoring from the Activity, this time in business management and mill repair and maintenance.
Learning about mechanization was eye-opening for Chaudhary, particularly as the Bankatti community that she comes from uses traditional methods or travels great distances to process grains using machines hired out by other communities.
Chaudhary’s primary income is now from her milling services, offering post-harvest processing services to 100 households and earning more than $150 USD each month; after deducting expenses, she is still able to save around $50 USD every month. She has bought four more cows, increasing the number of cattle she owns from 12 to 16, and is able to make her own for her livestock, saving an additional $20 USD per month.
Giving rural women the credit they deserve
As part of its response to the pandemic, CSISA launched a COVID-19 Response Activity aimed at supporting farmers and service providers to access subsidies and collateral-free loans via the Government of Nepal Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, designed to support agriculture-related businesses. Through this scheme, farmers received hands-on training in providing after-sales support to customers, as well as mentoring to learn how to operate machinery and use it to generate sales and income.
Smallholder female farmers have been subject to many hardships due to lack of access to finance. They are forced to sell produce at low prices and buy inputs at high prices, which makes them suffer financially and physically. Now, loans through appropriate intermediaries can foster rural entrepreneurship and the service delivery business model.
The KCC scheme gave Chaudhary financial security just when she needed it. Her next step, with her newfound confidence, respect of her community, and the support of a collateral-free loan from KCC, will be to launch her own poultry farm agri-business.
Eradicating discrimination in mechanization
The CSISA Mechanization and Extension Activity (CSISA-MEA) enables smallholder female farmers to discover the advantages of scale-appropriate mechanization and its benefits: increased productivity, reduced labor costs, improved financial stability and greater food security.
Rokeya Begum was a stay-at-home mother to three children in Bangladesh and aspired to give her daughter a good education. However, her husband found it difficult to sustain the family as a factory worker due to the high cost of their daughter’s education.
As a result, Begum opted to work in an agriculture machinery manufacturing workshop like her husband. She was initially hesitant to work in a male-dominated workplace but on the other hand realized that this job would mean she could pursue the dream she had for her daughter. She immediately began using her earnings to fund her daughter’s education, who is currently in high school.
Begum was part of the grinding and painting departments at M/S Uttara Metal Industries in Bogura, Bangladesh, for five years. Her weekly wage was equivalent to $12 USD â insufficient to support her family or sustain a decent quality of life.
CSISA-MEA included Begum in skills training, which proved to be a gamechanger. She participated in CIMMYT’s training on spray gun painting, as well as in fettling and grinding skills. As part of both training programs, she learnt how to handle an air compressor paint gun and painting materials, as well as different painting methods. She has also learnt more about keeping herself safe at work using personal protective equipment. “Before the training, I did not know about the health risks â now I don’t work without PPE,” she said.
Begum used to paint the traditional way with a brush, but now the owner permits her to paint with a spray gun with her increased expertise. As a result, she has been promoted from day laborer to contractual employee in painting and grinding, with a new weekly salary of $50 USD. Her confidence has grown to the extent that she is comfortable in an engineering workshop among male coworkers.
Farmer Malti Devi in her field, where she grew wheat through zero-till. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)
Harvesting the benefits of improved practices
Farmer and mother of six, Malti Devi has an infectious smile that hardly reveals the toil and labor of her everyday farm work in India.
She grows wheat on nearly 0.45 acres of leased land. Her husband, a barber, earns an ordinary income that is insufficient for a family of eight. Despite the challenges, Devi has managed to earn income through her efforts in the field and by working as a daily wager in nearby fields.
To support women farmers like Devi, CSISA made efforts to build relationships via on-the-ground partnerships with civil society, women’s cooperatives like JEEViKa in Bihar and Mission Shakti in Odisha, or self-help groups. The team provides in-field demonstrations, training, workshops on best practices and support with access to better seed varieties and extension services. CSISA’s integrated approaches reach these women with information and associated technology that best serves them, while being climate-smart and sustainable.
Devi expressed that due to zero-till practice encouraged by the CSISA team, she saved time in the planting season, which she devoted to working on other’s fields for extra income. “The traditional method would have left me struggling for time, on the field or at home. Practices like zero-till ensured our crop was harvested on time with reduced input costs and resources and enabled a good harvest for consumption, and we could also sell some produce.”
Devi has ensured self-sufficiency for her family through her efforts and hopes to make use of the support in better crop management on offer from CSISA for wheat and other crops.
Cover photo: Rokeya Begum has increased her workshop salary through support from CSISA. (Photo: Abdul Mumin)
Ten years ago, a foundation was laid on the principles of Norman Borlaug to translate agrarian challenges into opportunities through collaboration between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This major step toward sustainable food and nutrition security was taken through the establishment of the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) as an independent, non-profit research organization.
Today, BISA is a global name in agriculture research with a vision to promote food security, nutrition, stable livelihoods, and eco-friendly practices in South Asia. Given the prominent challenges of climate change in these economically fragile agroecosystems, the partnership between BISA, ICAR, and CIMMYT plays a pivotal role in developing improved wheat and maize varieties with climate-smart and conservation agriculture-based practices.
A decade of impact
One of the most significant outcomes of BISA’s work has been its contribution to building a vast, solid network for evaluating and disseminating new high-yielding and climate-resilient wheat varieties for India and other South Asian countries in close partnership with ICAR and CIMMYT. BISA’s transformative solutions and science-led research are critical to targeting stressed resources and attaining global food security.
With support from ICAR and CIMMYT, BISA has developed state-of-the-art research facilities at its three strategically selected research stations, having 1,200 acres of land that the Government of India, jointly with the respective state governments, generously granted to the project. Located in three disparate agro-climatic and socioeconomic environments, these sites are model research farms supporting agriculture research in South Asia. The learning labs at BISA emphasize that scaling climate-smart villages also strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, primarily through addressing challenges such as residue burning. BISA’s collaborative and inclusive approach is more relevant today when the world is grappling with various food and nutrition insecurity challenges.
Time for expansion
BISA envisages attracting countries from south Asia, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), as well as National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), national research institutes, private sector companies, and civil society organizations as active partners for expanding reach in the region. To this end, BISA has completed extensive work in Nepal and Bangladesh and has extended its services to Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
Still, more needs to be done in South Asian countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a strong commitment to harnessing the best of international scientific discoveries with local efforts. Collective action is to be garnered to provide trusted and effective mechanisms for developing and sharing cutting-edge agricultural technologies in the South Asian region.
Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICAR, with Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, discuss how BISA’s work can create food security in South Asia. (Photo: BISA)
To this end, a BISA High-Level Meeting was organized on September 1 and 2 in Delhi, with senior government representatives from the NARS in Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India. The meeting provided a forum to identify opportunities to co-create and deploy innovative, multidisciplinary solutions to effectively address the transboundary challenges related to food, nutrition, and environmental security faced by farming communities in South Asia. This platform strives to unite the scientific community and thought leaders to support research and development across the agriculture domain.
Delegates from these countries felt that there is a need for a robust program of germplasm exchange within the region, which is essential to strengthening agriculture’s resilience. All countries expressed a significant need to raise their capacity of young researchers in advanced research techniques related to genomics, phenotyping, climate-smart agriculture, precision agriculture, and digital technologies. Delegates also discussed BISA’s role as a research and innovation regional catalyst, innovation hub, and integrated research platform to build resilient agrifood systems and achieve long-term sustainability and resilience for food security in South Asia.
BISA’s farm-ready research, from setting up climate-resilient villages and developing viable alternatives to rice residue burning to facilitating an open exchange of elite germplasm and cutting-edge technologies, reflects not only the vision of CIMMYT but also the philosophy of our mutual inspiration, Borlaug, who believed strongly in sharing knowledge and “taking it to the farmer”.
Cover photo: Delegates from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India meet to deliberate on the significant issues in South Asia’s agriculture sector. (Photo: BISA)
Saiful Islam is a Research Coordinator and Cropping Systems Agronomist with the Innovation Science for Agroecosystems and Food Systems in Asia research theme in CIMMYTâs Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Bangladesh.
Currently, he has experiments run by local collaborators at over 50 farmersâ fields in the north-west region of Bangladesh. Capacity development with researchers, extension agents, and farmers is an important part of the teamâs work. He and their team share results through publications, ranging from scientific articles to extension leaflets, and scale recommendations for farmers through the innovation networks.
Islam works closely with farmers, farmer organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and agricultural research and development institutions to help rural people with food and nutritional security for a given community.
TAFSSA inception workshops in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. (Credit: CIMMYT/CGIAR)
CGIAR, in collaboration with government agencies and other relevant stakeholders, held country launches of the Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) Initiative in three of its four working locations: Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
TAFSSA, which also operates in Pakistan, aims to deliver a coordinated program of research and engagement, transforming evidence into impact through collaboration with public and private partners across the production-to-consumption continuum. The end result will be productive and environmentally sound South Asian agrifood systems that support equitable access to sustainable healthy diets, as well as contributing to improved farmer livelihoods and resilience, while conserving land, air and groundwater resources.
A vision for South Asian agrifood systems
The three country-level launch events provided a platform for CGIARâS partners to discuss TAFSSA’s five key areas:
Facilitating agrifood system transformation through inclusive learning platforms, public data systems, and collaborations.
Changing agroecosystems and rural economies to increase revenue and sustain diverse food production within environmental constraints.
Improving access to and affordability of sustainably produced healthful foods through evidence and actions across the post-harvest value chain.
Addressing the behavioral and structural factors of sustainable healthy diets
Building resilience and limiting environmental impact.
The three inception events in Nepal, India and Bangladesh also provided a space for open debate on creating partnerships to achieve common goals, through multidisciplinary conversation on each focal area. Breakout sessions were also held according to emphasis area, explaining the initiative and its components clearly and providing opportunities to brainstorm with participants on how to build more stakeholder-responsive activities.
More than 70 participants attended each inception session, both in-person and online, representing government agencies, CGIAR and its research centers working on TAFSSA, international organizations working in the region, academic institutions, and other key stakeholder groups.
Project endorsements
At the launch event in Nepal on June 9, Temina Lalani Shariff, regional director for South Asia at CGIAR, described TAFSSA as a gateway to the rest of CGIAR’s global research efforts. She explained, âMore than 100 partners from around the world will exchange their knowledge, skills and expertise through CGIAR’s new platform to work together for agriculture development.â
Purnima Menon, TAFSSA co-lead and senior research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), presented the project in India on June 15. âThe research portfolio and engagement plan weâre proposing is really intending to cut across the food system,â said Menon. âWe want to engage people in production systems, people in the middle of the value chain, and consumers, to build the research portfolio. The idea is to do so in a way that is interlinked with the five new CGIAR impact areas and that amplifies CGIARâs research on the ground.â
Introducing TAFSSA in Bangladesh on July 18, Timothy J. Krupnik, Initiative lead and senior agronomist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), stated, âThe approach weâve taken while developing this Initiative was to first look at agrifood crisis issues in South Asia. We evaluated key challenges in this region which has worldâs highest concentrations of hunger and poverty.â He highlighted climate change, resource constraints and social structural inequalities, all of which will be addressed by TAFSSA through several focus areas.
Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Chairman of the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) welcomed these ideas at the TAFSSA Bangladesh launch. âIf we want to create an intelligent society or nation, if we want sustainability, we must provide nutrition for all,” said Bokhtiar. “In this region, I believe that combining science, technology and innovation in the TAFSSA initiative will deliver good results.â
Shariff also attended the launch in Bangladesh, where she remarked, âWe are here to share a common path to work together to confront the challenges. For that, cooperation is the essential component which is common across Nepal, India and Bangladesh.â
At each of the launch events, TAFSSA was announced as a flagship initiative in South Asia by Martin Kropff, managing director of Resilient Agrifood Systems (RAFS) at CGIAR. He expressed confidence that it would be the first regional program to deliver significant development results and acknowledged that the planned collaboration and partnership with national research institutes would ensure TAFSSAâs success.
