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The democratization of innovation

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Features.

When the Norwegian Red Cross hired Kristian Wengen and his consulting firm Tinkr to launch a “Scaling for Success” initiative, he found himself at a crossroads. From international aid projects aiming to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to private companies seeking to expand their market, everyone was talking about the challenges of scaling up – expanding and sustaining successful programs to reach a greater number of people – but there were few clear paths to solutions.

Wengen worked with CIMMYT to adapt the Scaling Scan. (Photo: Kristian Wengen)

The Scaling Scan has solutions to offer

But when Wengen came across a project using a tool called the Scaling Scan that identifies and analyzes 10 critical elements for assessing the scalability of any pilot project, he knew he had found a way forward. He was excited, but also worried because the project using the Scaling Scan had concluded.

Concerned he would lose access to the best tool he had found by far, Wengen connected with Lennart Woltering, who created the Scaling Scan for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in collaboration with a Dutch-supported project on private-public partnerships called the PPPLab. Woltering and Wengen began a dialogue regarding repurposing the Scaling Scan for Wengen’s context.

“What I like about the Scaling Scan is that it works on a very detailed level to produce systemic results,” said Wengen. “It brings a simple approach to the complex problems of scalability, which allow organizations to achieve efficient solutions, regardless of their geographic or demographic context.”

The Scaling Scan focuses attention on discrete components – from finance and business cases to technology and skills – which are necessary to successfully scale an innovation. But it also spurs insight into how each of these necessary ingredients complement each other as a project prepares to successfully transition, reproduce, and expand.

Wengen believes the most effective work of the Scaling Scan happens in team conversations, and it helps deliver clear feedback that can form the basis of discussions that go straight to the heart of the matter. While the challenges of scaling an innovation are complex, the Scaling Scan cuts through the noise and focuses attention on solving the most important problems, whether related to leadership, collaboration, or public sector governance.

Scaling the Scaling Scan

In their conversations, Wengen and Woltering identified opportunities for improving the Scaling Scan. For example, Wengen is building a digitized, web-based version that, like the original Scaling Scan, will be freely available. He calls it a scorecard, a smaller version which capitalizes on the ability of the Scan to promote productive dialogue that moves a project forward. “I am thrilled to help broaden the reach of the Scaling Scan, as making it available for a much wider audience will democratize innovation,” Wengen said.

“Kristian’s adaptations are exactly how I designed the Scaling Scan to work,” said Woltering. “I wanted it to be straightforward enough to be useful across a broad range of business and development applications and flexible enough to be tailored to the specific needs of a particular region, culture, or marketplace.” Seeing how Wengen has utilized the Scaling Scan across a variety of markets has spurred Wennart to develop the Scaling Scan website, where other interested practitioners can download the tool and share their own innovations. “The Scaling Scan truly has utility across the broadest geographies and socioeconomic ranges,” said Wennart.

Wengen is hoping his scaling scorecard will help drive success in a new collaboration he is undertaking with Innovation Norway, a state-owned organization that helps Norwegian businesses grow and export promising products and services. Wengen believes his scorecard will add immense value to a diverse set of projects ranging from business management software helping bakeries reduce waste and increase profits to zero-carbon ocean-going ships and virtual medical training systems.

This kind of transfer and growth shows that even the Scaling Scan itself can be scaled up from the tropics to the Arctic Circle, and Woltering can’t wait to see where the next successful adaptation will spring up.

Is food security possible without peace?

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

The intersection between agriculture and peace has been brought to the forefront of the news agenda this year due to the Ukraine crisis, which has caused widespread disruption to wheat supply chains – disruptions that are contributing to food insecurity for millions of people worldwide.

Agriculture was therefore a compulsory topic for the International Week of Science and Peace, and formed the main theme for an online fireside chat between Bram Govaerts, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the Hon. Sharon Burke on November 8.

Burke was the director of New America’s Resource Security program and a senior advisor to New America’s Future of War project in the Department of Defense. She served in the administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

Futureproofing security and food

“[Food] is a foundational element of all security,” explained Burke, when asked about the connection between the two. “We are facing global pressures. Everything that’s made us successful has also made us vulnerable – with biodiversity loss, with climate change. The challenge of having that foundational element of food security has never been harder than it is right now.”

This is a central vision of CIMMYT as a Wallace center, which Burke referenced to highlight how conflict and food insecurity drive one another: “It’s this terrible knot where things are connected. But when we add in climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and other elements of our modern life, it’s more important than ever to understand how these elements fit together.”

“Peace, prosperity, and equity
 are more relevant than ever in the environment we are working in,” agreed Govaerts.

Govaerts then invited Burke to offer recommendations for the development of CIMMYT’s new strategy. She suggested three points to consider:

  • How is climate change going to shift what agricultural production and productivity means – 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now?
  • In that world, how does that reflect through your research and development priorities?
  • How do you continue to have that dialogue with farmers, so that you affect them, and they affect you, and what are the ways to make sure that you deepen that and the equity that’s inherent in that conversation?

Govaerts reflected on recent examples from history where conflict destabilized the global food system, such as the Arab Spring as provoked by consecutive droughts that heavily impacted wheat crops. Burke agreed that it was essential to build peace and secure food supplies simultaneously, always having peace as the end goal before any conflict even begins, and the importance of showing the systems effect to donors to encourage future investment.

“One of the reasons that I really love what CIMMYT does, is that you’re talking about not just food security as some abstract concept but as the people and the places where it’s created,” shared Burke.

CIMMYT’s role in peacebuilding

Burke highlighted the commitment from the United States Government to invest money in food security and food assistance, not just for necessary emergency aid but also for improving food production, farming, and last mile technology.

“How can we leverage this investment that is being made now in an emergency to be one that also builds resilience for this longer-term emergency that we are all facing?” she asked, encouraging research and development organizations to always evidence the impact of their work.

In her closing words, Burke expressed high levels of admiration for our scientists. “You get to actually touch the problem and deliver the solution and work in that two-way dialogue with farmers and that you get to bring that all together – how we think about a problem, how we come up with novel science and technology for solving the problem, and then you get to actually carry it to the field and make it work.”

“You’re not just thinking about peace or researching about peace – you’re delivering it!”

Ramiro Ortega Landa

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Ramiro Ortega Landa is a rural finance specialist with CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Mexico. He provides strategic advice and implementation support to agri-value chains development, articulated to climate goals, and delivers results to CIMMYT’s Global South partners for increasing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient investments to comply with the Paris Agreement.

Landa also develops, implements and manages climate-finance related projects and initiatives that entail innovative financial approaches which harness the power of disruptive technologies and business models, as well as boosting the potential of partnership structures to bring together CIMMYT and the private sector to improving the contribution of climate finance to low emissions and resilient agri-value chain development.

He identifies and supports new and existing partnerships related to agri-value chain development and climate-finance opportunities and initiatives, and provides strategic insights on the latest developments in climate finance, covering private sector and financial actors.

Tackling wheat price rises instigated by conflict

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Publications.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine undoubtedly impacts food security, as these two countries are responsible for more than a quarter of wheat traded globally. Developing countries that rely heavily on wheat imports are most at risk from this supply disruption.

Set against an existing backdrop of food insecurity and increasing poverty, the conflict exacerbates present challenges. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that a further 11 to 19 million people will be experiencing chronic hunger by 2023, on top of the existing 193 million people facing food insecurity, and at least 47 countries are expected to fall short of the Zero Hunger target, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a study at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), scientists theorized that the domestic price of wheat is determined by the international price. Their hypothesis also supposed that wheat production is constant and that no significant change in wheat consumption habits is expected in the foreseeable future.

Schematic diagram on the relationship between export-import price, producer price, and wheat consumption.

Scientists discovered that a 1 percent decrease in the global wheat trade could increase the producers’ price by 1.1 percent in the countries sampled. Furthermore, a 1 percent increase in the producers’ price could reduce annual per capita wheat consumption by 0.59 percent, daily calorie intake by 0.54 percent and protein intake by 0.64 percent. A 50% reduction in Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports could increase prices by 15 percent, leading to an 8% reduction in wheat consumption and dietary energy intake.

Rising costs of staple foods such as wheat can lead to violence and social unrest, as witnessed in 2007-11. It is therefore vital to ensure that import-dependent, resource-poor countries are supported to address their precarious food security. Steady public funding, investment in research, and enhanced production in wheat-growing nations can play an integral role in achieving a solution. In the long-term, closing the yield gap through research and investment, particularly in Africa, will lead towards self-sufficiency in wheat in Africa, contributing towards overall food security across the continent.

Read the study: Potential impacts of Ukraine-Russia armed conflict on global wheat food security: A quantitative exploration

This study was financially supported by the CGIAR Initiative on Foresight and Metrics for the Transformation of Food, Land and Water Systems (FMI). We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund.

Cover photo: Scientists from CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in wheat fields, Ethiopia. (Photo: Rabe Yahaya/CIMMYT)

From silver bullets to transition science in the CGIAR: reflections on the scalingXchange Call to Action

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Features.

The origins of the CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural research consortium for the poor, are closely related to the Green Revolution; a revolution mostly told as the work of one Northern hero with a superior technology that saved the world from starvation. Only recently has the notion that the introduction of that superior technology was one of many investments and innovations that kicked off as the Revolution started to gain ground – and that these investments and innovations came from both the North and South. Scaling of innovation happens in a larger system, often one that feels resistant to whatever we try to scale or, like in the case of the Green Revolution, aligned with what was being scaled and thus led to a tipping point and a completely new way agriculture is produced. The Revolution changed our relation to food, from which there was no going back.

In my ten years at the CGIAR – from 2005 to 2010 at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and then from 2017 to now at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) – major shifts can be observed in how scaling is approached.

First, scaling equals large adoption during the project, stemming from strong confidence that “if we build it, they will come”, or we just show how good our innovation is and others will scale it. From my own experience developing scale-appropriate drip irrigation in the Sahel, North Africa, I can say that approach hardly worked. When I re-joined the CGIAR in 2017, there was much more attention to the context in which the intervention is being scaled – we need to “create an enabling environment” for the innovation, and multiple innovations need to scale alongside “our”, mostly technical, innovation. It was very interesting to see up close how more and more colleagues have started to question whether scaling is “good” in the first place and whether it should be about “our” innovations.

COVID-19 and the major energy transitions that are going on in Europe and some states in the United States of America (USA) seem to have awoken a much stronger systems view, the realization that change takes decades, and that there are winners and losers in that process. I think we did a great job in questioning the “silver bullet” and “transfer of technology” mindset and see the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a transition process that requires radically different approaches and addresses multiple leverage points.

Scaling at One CGIAR

The major reform from 15 CGIAR centers to One CGIAR was the perfect opportunity to take scaling seriously as a science and an art. A range of methodologies have been developed, and informal networks of like-minded people have worked together a lot to push for a new paradigm on scaling. It is great that scaling is now well embedded in the One CGIAR strategy for the future. The big One CGIAR Initiatives have all reserved about 5 percent of their budgets to integrate scaling expertise. Also, scaling is very much recognized as a topic that requires a culture and mindset change within the organization to be much more effective.

Not surprisingly, the Call to Action from the Global South and its eight action points resonated a lot with me, especially since the following principles match really well:

  • It is not about reaching a target as fast as possible but about the whole environment for sustainability – more is not always better. Scaling can help us understand whether project outputs have contributed to something good (Action 1).
  • We need to reflect better on the viability of some innovations to go to scale – rather than promoting or selling our own solutions, supporting Southern solutions could increase viability (Action 7).
  • Problem owners should be in charge of scaling – scaling should be a locally owned process where those on the ground negotiate what is good and enough, and we, the research and development organizations, facilitate and support (Action 2).
  • The way projects are designed and implement set us up for failure. We create fake, highly controlled environments designed to prove that our innovation works – the gap with the reality on the ground could not be larger. The development community, with donors, need to rethink our approach (Action 5).
  • We need to invest in learning and the science of scaling. Organizations in the Global North need modesty in understanding that our role is not neutral and realize that there is so much we don’t know (Action 8).
  • Within organizations, scaling is a cultural issue tightly connected to change management. We need to shift mindsets and behaviors to allow better scaling to happen.

That this Call comes from researchers in the Global South is so powerful. It shows us that the current ways of working are not delivering and paints a picture of a better way of doing things, but at the moment, we are in uncertain limbo between the two. The guidance in the Call can help to incite momentum and change. I believe we are coming to a critical mass of people that can tip the scale and that the actions in the Call can become the new normal – so that the stories we tell in the future focus not just on external (Northern) innovations that lead to big change, but on the interplay between what is going in the South and how external “solutions” fit in.

Cover photo: Lead farmer Santa Bhandari harvests green maize for her buffaloes
Neulapur, Bardiya, Nepal. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Leading Norwich plant scientists call for action to mitigate food crisis

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in In the media.

Guidance from an interdisciplinary group of experts lists crucial actions for governments and investors to move towards long-term resilience in agrifood systems as part of a World Food Day campaign.

Plant health scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory, the John Innes Institute at Norwich Research Park, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have collaborated on guidance divided into short-, medium- and long-term priorities, designed to mitigate impending food crises and stabilize wheat supply chains.

In the short-term, wheat production must be increased and wheat flour can be blended with other low-cost cereals. Increasing the local, regional and global resilience of wheat supply is the medium-term solution, while long-term proposals center on ensuring diversity in agro-ecosystems.

Read the original article: Leading Norwich plant scientists call for action to mitigate food crisis

Sarah Wairimu Kariuki

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Sarah Kariuki is a markets and value chains specialist at CIMMYT in Kenya. Her research is mainly on cereal seed systems, specifically the demand for newer and improved varieties. Her other lines of work include research on how food markets can be made more efficient and assessment of consumer demand for higher-quality and safer foods. She holds a PhD in Development Economics from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Forging collaborative ties from south to south

Written by Andrea Carvajal on . Posted in News.

He Zhonghu presents at the Second International Wheat Congress in Beijing. (Photo: Fei Wei/CAAS)

More than 900 experts from 67 countries gathered for the Second International Wheat Congress, which took place from September 12-16 in-person in Beijing and online, to exchange ideas on how to improve the development of the wheat industry around the world, and call for increased global cooperation in the scientific and technological innovation of wheat to guarantee food security.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was honored to be one of the three organizers of this major world-class event, together with the Crop Science Society of China (CSSC) and the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS).

This Congress as part of Wheat Initiative activity was established three years ago after the merger of two important conferences: the International Wheat Genetics Symposium and the International Wheat Conference. On this occasion, with Future Wheat: Resilience and Sustainability as the central theme, key issues included: use of diversity; evolution and germplasm; Triticeae genome structure and functional genomics; breeding and new technologies; crop management under climate change; biotic and abiotic resistance and physiology; and processing quality, nutrition, and human health.

In her capacity as co-host of the congress, Claudia Sadoff, CGIAR Executive Managing Director, stressed that the global partnership between China and CGIAR has been of special importance in strengthening achievements in scientific research.

“The priority is to increase grain yields, disease resistance, climate resilience, and nutritional quality through breeding modernization,” said Sadoff. “This is especially important as we are facing a food system crisis, with wheat at its heart. The global food crisis requires a system approach to stabilize wheat supply.”

Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, reiterated this point, indicating that “meetings like this can be source of concrete proposals for consolidating enabling partnerships that will lead to the enduring transformation of wheat based agri-food systems worldwide”.

What’s next for global wheat?

Asking what’s next is a disturbing question when faced with a crop like wheat that is an important commodity for more than 35% of the world’s population, with global production exceeding 760 million tons in 2020. The same question that Alison Bentley, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, seeks to respond to build future resilience.

“It is important that we understand where the risks are in our global food system so that we can respond to and address the impacts,” Bentley explained, while presenting a roadmap for future wheat research and development, where food security and nutrition plays a decisive role taking in consideration the effects of climate change and population growth.

Zhonghu He, CIMMYT Distinguished Scientist and Country Representative for China, said, “Thanks to the fact that this Congress was a hybrid event, there was a large online participation of researchers, students and representatives of entities from developing countries – a fact that reiterates the importance of the work that we have been doing together and can promote even further in the face of the challenges that we face today in terms of conflict, high cost of living, climate change and COVID-19.”

More than 900 experts from 67 countries united to discuss improved collaboration in wheat research and development. (Photo: Fei Wei/CAAS)

China and CIMMYT

China and CIMMYT have worked side-by-side on wheat and maize research for the past 40 years in areas such as varietal breeding, genomics research, sustainable farming systems, and training. China is the largest wheat producer and consumer in the world, and China has always considered CIMMYT as a strategic win-win partner for wheat research.

These four decades of work are reflected in results, such as the fact that more than 26,000 accessions of wheat preserved in CIMMYT’s genebank were introduced and are stored in China. This has enabled collaborative research on this cereal to add up to 10.7 million tons of grain, worth $3.4 billion USD. It has also enabled more than 200 Chinese scientists and students working in wheat to visit CIMMYT®s global headquarters in Mexico to receive training courses and complete thesis research.

In recognition of the partnership between China and CIMMYT, six wheat varieties derived from CIMMYT germplasm received national awards in China and seven scientists were awarded the China Friendship Award, the highest recognition of international scientists for their contribution to China. In 2016, CIMMYT received the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award from China State Council.

The 3rd International Wheat Congress will be held in Australia in 2024.

Annual Report 2021 launched

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

Today, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is excited to share with you the Annual Report 2021: From Discovery to Scaling Up.

Read the CIMMYT Annual Report 2021Read the web version of the Annual Report 2021

Download the Annual Report 2021 in PDF format

Download the financial statements 2021

Our latest Annual Report captures the three ways in which CIMMYT science makes a difference:

  1. The scientific pathway from discovery and validation: In 2021, we embarked on an ambitious initiative to apply environmental genome-wide association methods to predict how today’s maize, rice, sorghum, cassava, groundnut, and bean varieties will perform in the future under climate scenarios, and help them succeed in three or four decades from now.
  2. Translating science to innovation: Last year, we made important strides in boosting the resilience of maize and wheat to a hotter and drier world — and to the threats of ever-evolving and invasive pests and diseases.
  3. Scaling up innovation for farmers and society: In collaboration with dozens of public- and private-sector partners in the countries where we work, in 2021 we scaled up sustainable technologies and farming practices for hundreds of thousands of farmers.

CIMMYT director general Bram Govaerts presented the current challenges: “A global food crisis fueled by conflict, trade disruptions, soaring commodity prices and climate change.” He also expressed CIMMYT is ready to respond to the immediate and long-term threats facing humanity. “We have solid, science-informed solutions, policy recommendations and proven methodologies that will help avert the global food security crisis that looms,” he said.

We want to thank all our funders and partners for their collaboration and support, year after year.

Drought and heat tolerance in bread wheat landraces

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Publications.

Climate change is predicted to cause losses of more than 20% in agricultural production by 2050. With a growing global population, crops adapted to the effects of climate change, such as drought and heat, are necessary for the maintenance of productivity levels to meet the demand for food.

Scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in collaboration with scientists from the Universidad AutĂłnoma Agraria Antonio Narro, set out to analyze bread wheat landrace traits against seven climactic variables: mean temperature, maximum temperature, precipitation, precipitation seasonality, heat index of mean temperature, heat index of maximum temperature, and drought index. The method used genome-environment associations (GEA) and environmental genome-wide association scans (EnvGWAS), which have traditionally been poorly applied in this type of research.

Based on a sample of 990 bread wheat landraces from the CIMMYT genebank, the study discovered proteins associated with tolerance to drought and heat. With these results, new genotypes with resistant alleles can be selected for breeding programs to produce resistant varieties adapted to extreme environments and the effects of climate change.

Read the study: Worldwide Selection Footprints for Drought and Heat in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

This work was implemented by CIMMYT as part of the Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) Initiative in collaboration with Universidad AutĂłnoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN), made possible by the generous support of the MasAgro project funded by the Government of Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER). Any opinions, findings, conclusion, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of SADER.

Cover photo: Field hand collecting wheat in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Advice for food systems in crisis featured in GAP Report

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

Farm worker Charles Gitero checks wheat Robin for traces of disease at Ndabibi Farm, Naivasha, Kenya. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Expertise from CIMMYT on transforming food systems in a crisis-stricken world features in the yearly Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report 2022, released October 4.

As a partner to the GAP Initiative, CIMMYT’s submission to the report is part of the Stories of partnership and productivity growth section. It explores the interdependency and vulnerability of food systems to market shocks and the long-term impacts of these shocks on vulnerable communities, particularly in the Global South.

To build agricultural resilience that can overcome threats of food insecurity and malnutrition, CIMMYT recommends targeted expansion of agricultural production and high levels of investment in research and capacity development.

Tek Sapkota, Agricultural Scientist and System/Climate Change Specialist with CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, was a speaker at the launch event, which explored the outlook for agricultural productivity growth in the face of conflicts, COVID-19 and climate change. Presenters also examined where agricultural productivity is stagnating or falling and its repercussions for food security and the environment, and how to accelerate sustainable productivity growth at all scales of production.

Read or download the report: 2022 GAP Report

About the Global Agricultural Productivity Report:

The Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report is a source for productivity data, analysis, and policy recommendations that inspire action. In collaboration with partners in the private sector, NGOs, conservation organizations, universities, and global research institutions, the annual report and year-round engagement provides a roadmap toward progress.

Because error has a price

Written by Alison Doody on . Posted in Publications.

A systematic review conducted by a team of scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has revealed that many farmers around the world incorrectly identify their crop varieties, with significant impacts on their farming practices, yields, profits, and research.

The review, published this month in Outlook on Agriculture, brings together information from 23 published studies to sketch crop variety misclassification among farmers, its determinants, and the implications of classification errors on the farm and in research.

“We found that seven out of ten farmers incorrectly identified the grown variety when they were asked to identify the variety by its specific name. When farmers were asked if the grown variety was either improved or local, three out of ten farmers made incorrect classifications,” said Michael Euler, first author of the study and agricultural resource economist at CIMMYT.

Whether farmers correctly identify crop varieties has a knock-on effect on their farming practices, which in turn affects their crop yields and income. This can bleed into research, impacting experiments and evaluation studies of agricultural technologies and methods. For example, scientists might assign treatment and control groups based on incorrect farmer variety classification, potentially leading to biased estimates and data discrepancies.

“Varietal misidentification can lead to improper agronomic management, forgone farm revenue, and seed system malfunctioning. From a monitoring and evaluation perspective, the potential presence of bias in estimates due to varietal misclassification is problematic as it may mask the true costs and benefits of seed technologies,” said Euler.

Immature wheat seeds. Ciudad Obregon, Mexico 2017. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

The study is the first systematic review of the use of DNA fingerprinting – a method that uses molecular markers to identify crop varieties – to assess how accurate farmers are in identifying their varieties and the impacts this has on seed markets, crop performance, farm profits, and research.

“The use of DNA fingerprinting to identify crop varieties in farmers’ fields has emerged only recently. The review of existing literature, nonetheless, shows its potential to strengthen the functioning and effectiveness of seed markets, supply chains, and extension services,” said Vijesh Krishna, co-author of the study and senior scientist at CIMMYT.

The results of the review show that cases of farmers misidentifying varieties are widespread, causing problems for farm productivity and profits, as well as research. The authors also found that DNA fingerprinting can shed light on what drives farmers to misidentify varieties and how they can minimize misclassification.

“Varietal misidentification is not only related to farmer and farm characteristics but also depends on the properties of the seed system through which seeds are obtained. We need more comprehensive modeling approaches to improve our understanding of the system-level drivers of farmer varietal misclassification,” said co-author and CIMMYT senior agricultural economist Moti Jaleta.

However, like most technologies, DNA fingerprinting has its limitations. It may not always be feasible in all settings, and the costs may offset the benefits in areas where formal seed markets are already well-functioning.

“DNA fingerprinting is considered a reliable method to accurately identify varieties grown by farmers and is increasingly seen as the ‘gold standard’ for varietal identification. However, it requires a high-quality reference library, a well-designed sampling strategy, and accurate tracking of plant samples from collection sites to the point of analysis,” said CIMMYT senior scientist and co-author David Hodson.

Based on the results of the analysis, the authors recommend integrating DNA fingerprinting into existing national data collection toolboxes to accurately estimate adoption and turnover rates of improved crop varieties and to evaluate existing genetic crop diversity on farms. Understanding and promoting genetic crop diversity are crucial steps for enhancing food security and increasing the climate and pest and disease resilience of crops.

Having accurate estimates of adoption and turnover rates of varieties, combined with seed supply system assessment, can also help researchers and decision-makers pinpoint any bottlenecks or loopholes in the “lab to farm” process, according to the authors.

“The review aims at helping researchers and policymakers strategize to more effectively assess the functioning and effectiveness of seed diffusion systems to deliver modern seeds to smallholders,” concluded Krishna.

Read the full study: Because error has a price: A systematic review of the applications of DNA fingerprinting for crop varietal identification

Cover photo: Farmer examines wheat seed. Ciudad Obregon, Mexico 2017. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Opinion: Feeding people on this warming Earth requires future-proofing our agri-food systems. Here’s how.

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in In the media.

The existing model of funding for agricultural research and development (R&D) is not equipped for the challenges it needs to meet, according to an opinion piece for MarketWatch, penned by Bram Govaerts, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Elizabeth Cousens, President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation.

To tackle climate change, address hunger and malnutrition, and revive rural livelihoods, Cousens and Govaerts call for increased and more balanced investment in R&D for agri-food systems, using a participatory model to take advantage of knowledge sharing.

Co-designed projects, such as MasAgro, which involve local communities and value chain actors, can be vital in bridging the R&D gap.

Read the article: Opinion: Feeding people on this warming Earth requires future-proofing our agri-food systems. Here’s how.

The world cannot ignore the global food crisis and its consequences

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in In the media.

Climate change is an undoubted contributor to the global food crisis. Natural disasters and poor weather is leading to 193 million people facing acute food insecurity.

While food aid is vital, improving food systems and reducing reliance on food imports is the route to a long-term solution. In an article for the Des Moines Register, Cary Fowler, US government food security envoy, details the importance of developing reliable local production and well-functioning markets to support farmers.

The United States government’s Feed the Future initiative is addressing some of these challenges, such as by supporting the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to develop drought-tolerant maize, which is now planted on 17 million acres in Africa. This variety is making a significant difference to food security.

Read the article: Opinion: The world cannot ignore the global food crisis and its consequences

CGIAR’s “GDI Oscars” celebrate the stars behind advancing Gender, Diversity and Inclusion in our workplaces

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

More than 200 staff came together to celebrate the winners of CGIAR’s first-ever Inclusive Workplace Awards on September 15 at a special online ceremony that rolled out the red carpet from Peru to Penang.

In early June, a call for nominations went out across CGIAR for the Inclusive Role Model, Inclusive Leader, and Inclusive Team Awards, each with clearly stated selection criteria.

When the nomination period closed in early July, more than 150 staff had submitted nominations – indicating the value of CGIAR’s collective work towards creating even more inclusive workplaces.

“It’s our very own GDI Oscars,” said co-host Fiona Bourdin-Farrell, CGIAR’s Global Director of People and Culture, setting the celebratory tone in the first few minutes of the event.

“The Inclusive Workplace Awards allow us to recognize the stars among us who have demonstrated in words and deed their personal commitment to advancing gender, equity and inclusion in our workplaces.”

Inclusive Team Award

The final award of the day, the Inclusive Team Award, went to the CIMMYT Women in Crop Science Team for proactively adopting better ways of working to create an inclusive and respectful team culture.

Members of CIMMYT’s award-winning Women in Crop Science group.

Accepting the award on behalf of the team, Alison Bently, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, said that the Women in Crop Science Team grew out of the significant underrepresentation of women in crop science.

“We established the group to identify and try to collectively address some of the causes of underrepresentation,” she said. “And importantly,” she added “to develop tangible actions broadly covering operational equality, recruitment and retention, and raising awareness and visibility.”

Winding up her acceptance remarks, Alison said: “I think it’s important to say that there’s much work that remains to be done. But the CIMMYT Women in Crop Science Team is committed to working with and supporting colleagues here at CIMMYT, across the CG[IAR], and in the international community to build a more inclusive and diverse community.”

Read the original article: CGIAR’s “GDI Oscars” celebrate the stars behind advancing Gender, Diversity and Inclusion in our workplaces