Subhajit is a Monitoring and evaluation Analyst in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems program at CIMMYT. He is developing a sustainable way of data collection and improving the system of data processing, analyzing, and data modeling. Subhajit is engaged in the management of CSISA on-farm trial data.
Deepak is a consultant in the Sustainable Agrifood Systems program at CIMMYT. His area of expertise encompasses conservation agriculture, mechanization, precision agriculture, resource management and systems research.
The Coalition on Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation (SPG Coalition) brings together researchers, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners to advance a world with greater access to nutritious food and affordable diets. The Coalition recognizes that increasing the productivity of natural resources through climate adaptation and mitigation is instrumental to reaching this goal.
In a recent report, the SPG Coalition provides a path forward for NGOs, research institutions, and government agencies to strengthen agrifood and climate policies. The report contains real-life, evidence-based examples to further the sustainable production and conservation of natural resources, detailing the potential impacts on social, economic, and environmental conditions.
CIMMYT features prominently in the report as a leading organization focused on 4 main areas: climate-smart agriculture, nutrient-use efficiency (NUE), and pest and fertilizer management.
Nutrient-use efficiency and fertilizer management
While chemical fertilizers increase crop yields, excessive or improper use of fertilizers contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and increases labor costs for smallholders. Efficient NUE is central to nutrient management and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
In India, CIMMYT, along with the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), CGIAR Research Centers, and regional partners, tested digital tools like the Nutrient Expert (NE) decision support tool which measures proper fertilizer use for optimized yields and provides nutrient recommendations based on local soil conditions.
The majority of smallholders who applied the NE tool reported higher yields while emitting less GHG emissions by 12-20% in wheat and by around 2.5% in rice as compared with conventional fertilization practices. Farmers also recorded double economic gains: increased yields and reduced fertilizer costs. Wider government scaling of NE could enhance regional food security and mitigate GHG emissions.
The Feed the Future Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project, led by CIMMYT and USAID, advocates for climate-smart agriculture by linking smallholders with improved seed, providing capacity-building programs, and promoting efficient fertilizer use. With a vast network established with the support from the Government of Nepal, NSAF successfully provides smallholders with expanded market access and nutritious and climate-resilient crop varieties.
Climate-smart maize breeding
Since its arrival to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has devastated maize harvests for countless smallholders on the continent. Economic uncertainty caused by unstable yields and climate stressors like drought coupled with this endemic pest risk aggravating food insecurity.
CIMMYT and NARES Partner Institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa are spearheading a robust pest management project to develop, screen, and introduce genetically resistant elite maize hybrids across SSA. South Sudan, Zambia, Kenya, and Malawi have already deployed resistant maize varieties, and eight other countries in the region are projected to release their own in 2023. These countries are also conducting National Performance Trials (NPTs) to increase awareness of host plant resistance for the sustainable control of FAW and to sensitize policymakers on accelerating the delivery of FAW-tolerant maize varieties.
The establishment of FAW screening facilities in Africa permits more rapid detection and breeding of maize varieties with native genetic resistance to FAW, facilitating increased deployment of these varieties across Africa. The sustainable control of FAW demands a rapid-response effort, overseen by research organizations and governments, to further develop and validate genetic resistance to fall armyworms. Achieving greater impact for maize smallholders is critical to ensuring improved income and food security in Africa. It is also paramount for biodiversity conservation and removing labor burden on farmers applying additional synthetic pesticides to prevent further losses by the pest.
“The SPG Coalition report emphasizes the power of partnership to enhance financial and food security for smallholder communities in the Global South. This is fully in line with the recently launched CIMMYT 2030 strategy. It’s also an important reminder to assess our strong points and where more investment and collaboration is needed,” said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general.
We are all aware the immense challenges countries face due to climate change, particularly its impacts on vital sectors like agriculture, forestry and livestock. The agriculture industry is profoundly affected by unpredictable weather patterns and frequent incidences of extreme events such as floods, droughts and landslides. Consequently, finding effective solutions to address these issues becomes of paramount importance. Climate-resilient agriculture necessitates the adoption of sustainable crop and land management technologies.
In the context of South Asia, Sri Lanka stands out as one of the most severely affected countries by the impacts of climate change. The nation contends with a multitude of hazards, ranging from floods and landslides in the western and southwestern regions, drought and pest outbreaks in the northern region and coastal erosion along the coastal belts. These examples underscore the growing complexity and challenges associated with managing climate risks and patterns, especially when multiple hazards occur simultaneously.
In response, Sri Lanka has implemented climate-smart agricultural interventions, including the development and introduction of stress-tolerant crop varieties, rainwater harvesting, the introduction of energy-efficient irrigation systems, implementation of soil and water conservation programs and crop diversification. However, the agricultural sector still faces formidable challenges. There is a lack of up-to-date information on climate change and its impacts, a fragmented institutional setup, overlapping mandates and limited capacity for information sharing. To address these issues, we require zone-based planning and institutional collaboration. Integrating spatial considerations into rehabilitation and development interventions is the main consensus among stakeholders. All ongoing and planned programs need vulnerability information, and there is a consensus among stakeholders on the need to integrate spatial considerations into rehabilitation and development interventions.
This is where the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) project becomes an invaluable asset in expediting Sri Lanka’s journey towards climate-smart agriculture. Recent evidence highlights the need for a comprehensive assessment of location-specific climate actions to bridge knowledge gaps within the country. Through the Atlas, we will quantify localized climatic risks today and, in the future, assess their likely impacts on agriculture and identify key adaptation options to mitigate these risks. This knowledge will strengthen Sri Lanka’s food security and reduce its vulnerability to climate-related hazards. By complementing traditional methods of risk characterization with novel approaches like intensity and frequency analysis of hazards and historical crop yields, our efforts will gain added efficacy.
ACASA, therefore, offers us a unique opportunity to foster collaboration, share knowledge and develop evidence-based innovative solutions to confront the challenges posed by climate change in Sri Lanka. It serves as a platform to connect hazards, practices, tools and adaptation options. By intertwining various aspects of climate change and gaining a deeper understanding of its spatial and temporal dimensions through the Atlas, Sri Lanka is steadfast in its commitment to building resilience and creating a sustainable future for generations to come.
Piece by P. Malathy, DG-Agriculture, Sri Lanka
The Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) will bestow on Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT, the 2023 Glenn Anderson Lectureship Award, during the upcoming International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP2023) in Lyon, France, on August 21, 2023.
The award honors the legacy of Robert Glenn Anderson (1924-81), eminent Canadian agricultural scientist and former CIMMYT wheat research director who helped ignite in India the “green revolution,” a rapid modernization of agriculture during the 1960s-70s and by which that nation went from grain shortages and hunger to becoming a leading grain exporter.
A bioscience engineer and soil scientist who is a PhD graduate from Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and has worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Govaerts will give the keynote address “Agrifood system for a food and nutrition secure world: From efficiency to resilience,” describing in part the relevance of CIMMYT and its partners’ work.
“Early warning and surveillance systems are key to building resilience in food insecure communities and regions,” said Govaerts. “Supporting this, in concert with national agricultural research systems and private partners, CIMMYT crop breeding programs yearly disseminate dozens of disease resistant, climate resilient varieties of maize, wheat, and dryland cereals, where they are most needed.”
“The Center’s science and partnerships have helped prevent the spread of deadly crop pests and diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia,” he added, “and we have new ‘Glenn Andersons’ who are doing exactly what is needed to strengthen global food security, with plant health innovations and systemic thinking.”
Borlaug’s wish: Take it to the farmer
Working with scientists, training specialists, extension agents, farmers, and communications and technology experts, a CIMMYT program led by Govaerts for over a decade in Mexico applied the admonition of Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel laureate and colleague of Anderson, to “take it to the farmer,” combining the right seed with the right conservation agriculture production practices embedded in integrated markets, while recognizing and incorporating farmer knowledge.
“Ongoing efforts of the Center and national and local partners are promoting the adoption of conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification to transform food systems throughout the Global South” Govaerts explained. “The training offered, and the advisory systems supported by CIMMYT’s work aim to empower women and disadvantaged social groups, while offering opportunities for fulfilling livelihoods to a new generation of farmers who will grow nutritious food for all.”
A CIMMYT scientist since 2007 as a Post-doctoral Fellow, Maize and Wheat based Cropping Systems Management, and current director general, in 2014 Govaerts received the World Food Prize’s “Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application from the World Food Prize” for the development and spread of sustainable agricultural systems. He is A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and, in 2020, was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for outstanding contributions to the field of agronomy.
The Robert Glenn Anderson lecture series on the security of the world food supply was first given at joint meetings of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) and American Phytopathological Society (APS) in 1986 and an endowment fund was then established by the CPS. More recently, the Lecture has been given at the International Congresses of Plant Pathology (ICPP1998 to 2018).
As a Robert Glenn Anderson lecturer, Govaerts enters the hallowed company of other distinguished scientists who have been invited to give the address, including Norman E. Borlaug (1992); Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Emeritus Professor of Cornell University (2000), South African researcher Jennifer A. Thomson (2015); and late World Food Prize laureate and CIMMYT wheat director, Sanjaya Rajaram (2019).
For more information or interviews:
Ricardo Curiel
Communications manager to the director general
CIMMYT
r.curiel@cgiar.org
Nepal, like other South Asian nations, faces significant environmental challenges, including climate change and air pollution. The impacts of climate change in Nepal are profound, with species moving to higher elevations, glaciers melting and an increase in extreme precipitation events. Despite only contributing a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal ranks fourth on the Global Climate Risk Index. This vulnerability is attributed to the country’s unique geographical features, characterized by remarkable topographical variation spanning from 60 to 8,848 meters within just 190 kilometers from North to South. In addition to economic challenges and micro-climates, Nepal is highly susceptible to the consequences of climate change, particularly in the mid-and far-western hills and mountains.
To tackle these challenges, Nepal has taken proactive measures by implementing various adaptation strategies. Key initiatives include the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA), National Adaptation Plan (NAP 2021-2050), Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS-2015-2035) and the Green, Resilient, & Inclusive Development (GRID) plan. These initiatives have played vital roles in building resilience. Nepal has also launched the Climate-Smart Village program at the local level in all seven provinces, offering grassroots training on carbon and energy efficiency, biodiversity conservation and water management practices. Another notable achievement is the ‘The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas,’ which utilizes data from five major river basins and historical climate records to project future climate hazards and extreme events.
Furthermore, Nepal developed the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) in 2019, prioritizing eight thematic areas including agricultural and food security. The Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Report by the Ministry of Environment (2021) has also examined vulnerability and risks in eight thematic areas and one cross-cutting area for the preparation and implementation of the National Adaptation Plan. This report not only assesses the various dimensions (exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and risk) of climate change impacts across multiple sectors but also offers a range of adaptation options to address the adverse effects.
To successfully implement and translate the NCCP into action, it is crucial to identify where and how to invest. By aligning with the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA), Nepal reaffirms its commitment to addressing the intersection of agriculture and the environment. By leveraging the Atlas, Nepal will expedite its efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture, with a comprehensive understanding of various dimensions of risks and vulnerability. The Atlas will provide a detailed breakdown of risks specific to different commodities, enabling the development of effective mitigation and adaptation solutions.
By complementing ongoing efforts to manage risks and enhance adaptation strategies, the Atlas will serve as a testament to Nepal’s determination to strengthen its capacity to cope with climate change. It will make an invaluable contribution to climate change adaptation technologies, assisting government entities at all levels in formulating effective policy guidelines. By integrating research findings, indigenous knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies, the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) firmly believes that the Atlas represents another crucial step towards implementing a holistic approach to mitigate and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture.
Piece by Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, executive director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Nepal
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 country’s GDP. Additionally, 40% of the country’s 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.
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
India holds an impressive record in agricultural production. We are among the largest producers of milk, pulses, tea, spices, cashew, jute and bananas. Additionally, we rank as the second-largest producer of wheat, rice, fruits and vegetables. Our agricultural sector has experienced notable growth, with production increasing from 3 to 127 times since the 1970s. We have also witnessed a substantial boost in agricultural productivity, with yields per hectare rising from 0.7 to 2.3 tons during the same period.
Despite these achievements, we face pressing challenges that threaten our agricultural landscape. Water scarcity, soil degradation, pest and disease outbreaks, and the intensifying impacts of climate change need urgent attention.
In India, we observe that minimum temperatures are rising faster than maximum temperatures. We also witness a more pronounced temperature increase during the rabi (winter) season than the kharif (monsoon) season. Rainfall is becoming more variable with increasing episodes of extreme rainfall. These climate risks increase our food and livelihood insecurity.
We need advanced technological interventions and optimized resource allocation to address these challenges. Our development path, “Amrit Kaal,” necessitates climate-friendly practices prioritizing low carbon, water, nitrogen and energy usage. To further realize this vision, adopting 5Ms based on better markets, regional planning for monsoons, improved mechanization, management of micro-irrigation and new fertilizers, and mainstreaming the insurance is pivotal.
India has undertaken research, development and policy initiatives to build resilience in our food production system. However, the growing challenges of climate extremes demand sustained global efforts. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) therefore, welcomes international collaboration to exchange experiences and knowledge in climate action. We believe that collective efforts and shared expertise will strengthen our adaptation strategies.
In this regard, the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) project can play a vital role. ICAR is glad to support ACASA and will deploy a team of young scientists to contribute to and benefit from this Adaptation Atlas. Furthermore, we are pleased to offer our website as a platform to host the Atlas, facilitating its broader utilization within our country. We thank the Borlaug Initiative in South Asia (BISA) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for initiating this project in India.
Together, let us pave the way toward a climate-resilient future for agriculture, safeguarding our farmers’ livelihoods and securing food for future generations.
Piece by Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) and Director General-Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), India
Working alongside smallholder farmers, the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project, has forged partnerships at the state and center levels to bridge the gap between innovation and the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems. In its current phase (2022-2025) in India, CSISA is helping mainstream innovation processes into the programing of national and state institutes through joint extension and research activities, including capacity building initiatives. Chaudhury Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (CCSHAU) is one of Asia’s biggest agricultural universities, located at Hisar in state of Haryana, India. Initially a campus of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, it became an autonomous institution in 1970 and contributed significantly to both the Green and White Revolutions in India.
Together with CCSHAU, CSISA recently initiated a landscape diagnostic survey (LDS) under the university’s rural agricultural work experience (RAWE) program for students graduating with an honors Bachelor of Science in agriculture. The twin objectives of this initiative were to gain an understanding of the existing challenges and opportunities for different cropping systems in Haryana through a bottom-up approach and to prepare students for careers in agriculture by building their practical skills in digital agriculture and big data management. This, explained CCSHAU Vice Chancellor B.R. Kamboj, who led the collaboration with CSISA, would provide recent graduates with the opportunity to “design a survey schedule, collect data in digital format, understand how farmers are adopting new technologies, and the learnings and challenges associated with each cropping system.”
Developing solutions for tomorrow’s problems
The predominant cropping systems practiced within the three ecologies of Haryana state are: the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS); the cotton-wheat cropping system (CWCS); and the pearl millet-mustard cropping system (PMCS). The landscape diagnostic survey was carried out in parts of Sirsa and Hisar districts (for CWCS), Rewari and Mahendergarh districts (for PMCS) and Panipat, Yamunanagar, and Kurukshetra districts (for RWCS). The entire survey design was based on farmers’ participatory engagement and the cropping system framework.
A thorough process of survey design, including the training of master trainers, followed by orientation for students, was undertaken by the university’s RAWE faculty with support from CSISA’s technical team and participating KVKs. Students collected data from farming households using questionnaires and analyzed them using different analytical tools and techniques. Based on farmers’ responses, important data points about the region’s three crucial cropping systems were recorded and a book entitled Cropping Systems of Haryana – Challenges and Opportunities was published earlier this year, documenting the research process, data generated, results, and conclusions.
This has been a unique experience for both students and faculty that culminated in a research program with hands-on training. In the long run, this approach to capacity building for students is expected to support fieldwork and studies that help develop solutions to tomorrow’s problems in agricultural development. “The commitment of CCSHAU to implement a strong RAWE program under the technical guidance of CSISA, with support from the district KVKs, and student participation made this publication a strong endorsement and reference for similar RAWE programs across states and central universities,” acknowledged Peter Craufurd, CSISA project lead for India.
Lessons from the field
The survey helped build students’ capacity to design and understand data collection methods, analysis, and management with actual field exposure. Additionally, the qualitative data-gathering experience allowed them to develop their understanding of farmers’ perspectives in adopting or rejecting a particular technology or recommendation. Sharing her experience of the field sessions, RAWE student Muskan– group leader for the rice-wheat cropping system survey, said, “This process of data gathering, and field exposure is very motivating. I have a better understanding of our farmers’ practices and challenges.”
Another participating RAWE student and group leader for the cotton-wheat cropping system survey, Nilanchal Nishan said, “this exposure has helped me understand how policies and technology advancements affect farmers and their interaction with these changes over the years”.
“The entire process, from training to data management and curation, was fascinating for us,” said Aman Kumar, who led the pearl millet-mustard cropping system (PMCS) survey. He added that such field exposure will make students more aware of the trends and prevalent practices in the agricultural sector and help them choose their future field of research and study in a way that is in sync with real-time developments. These sentiments were echoed by RC Aggarwal, deputy director general for education at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), who called for more collaborations and capacity development exercises of this nature to be initiated in other state agriculture universities.
Read the full publication: Cropping Systems of Haryana – Challenges and Opportunities
Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a reality that profoundly affects our lives. Among the most vulnerable regions to climate change, South Asia stands out because it is home to over 100 million farmers and produces over 285 million metric tons of milled rice and 128 million metric tons of wheat (FAO 2020-21). Among 193 countries worldwide, South Asian countries rank in the top quarter for climate risk and are experiencing rising meteorological and climate-related disasters. These pose significant challenges to farmers and the 216 million people in South Asia living in extreme poverty (World Bank, 2018), further jeopardizing their food security and livelihoods.
Considering this, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is working with national agriculture research systems in South Asia to develop the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA).
The Atlas brings together spatially explicit South Asian data on the nature and evolving patterns of climate hazards. It will assess climate risks using gridded, village-scale analyses and through historical crop yield data and satellite signatures. The Atlas will consider the exposure of smallholder populations, farms and crop and livestock enterprises. It will assess the vulnerability or adaptive capacity of those populations and impacts on the region’s critical commodities. Importantly, the Atlas will provide a unique set of on-line tools and a portfolio of adaptation options to underpin better decisions regarding investments in agricultural technologies, climate information services, and policies. The project will also focus on building the capacity of concerned stakeholders such as multi-lateral agencies, government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector in the use of Atlas assets, through training materials, tutorials, and periodic workshops. This will enable informed investments and policy decisions to benefit 100 million farmers in South Asian region. For wider use, the Atlas will be embedded online as an open-source, web-enabled and interactive and dynamic tool for easy access by all concerned stakeholders.
Drawing on the expertise and experience of South Asian nations such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which have suffered from extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and severe flooding in key crop-producing areas, ACASA represents an example of collaboration and knowledge exchange to reduce farmers’ risks and offer them ways to adapt.
BISA and CIMMYT are pleased to anchor this remarkable collaboration that leverages multi-disciplinary expertise and perspectives to address the complex challenges posed by climate change, linking the detailed characterization of climatic risks with mitigation technologies and policies to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. The proposed work will contribute actively to the CIMMYT2030 Strategy where one of the 5 impact areas is centered around Climate adaptation and Mitigation. The entire strategy designs a path toward a Food and Nutrition Secure world through science and innovation in the midst of a global climate crisis.
Established in 2011 by CIMMYT and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is a non-profit international organization that applies advanced technologies to improve food systems and food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and the environment in South Asia, home to more than 300 million undernourished people.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and CIMMYT call on policymakers and research-for-development organizations to stay informed about the evolving El Niño event and its potential implications in the Limpopo Basin. El Niño is considered the biggest climate oscillation on Earth. IWMI and CIMMYT have utilized various methodologies and climate models to project and assess the potential impacts of the El Niño event.
What are the crucial practices, especially under the changing climatic conditions about the evolving El Niño event?
Read the full story.
Nepal is an agricultural country, where the sector provides the major source of income for half the population. Despite this, the sad reality is that the country is not able to produce enough crops to meet its needs, and major grains like rice, maize, and cereals are mostly imported.
One factor influencing this is an aging population of farmers, alongside decreasing interest in agriculture among the country’s youth. Many young people do not see agriculture as a viable option for employment, opting instead for work opportunities outside the country. However, there are still some youth who see agriculture as a profitable business, like Pradeep Morya.
“It is better to work hard in your home country rather than going abroad and working tirelessly every minute and hour,” says Morya, a 24-year-old farmer from Banke, Nepal, who finds happiness in living close to his family and helping to support national food security. “I love being in the field,” he explains. “I have cultivated spring maize on one hectare. My day-to-day business is to provide care to the spring maize along with pumpkins and beans that I have added for additional income on a small plot of land.”
Working alongside his eldest brother, Morya has cultivated 30 kattha of land (equivalent to 0.36 hectares) using the spring maize varieties Pioneer 1899 and DK 9108. His brother, a member of Mahatarkari cooperative in Duduwa, western Nepal, has been providing him with the knowledge and expertise needed for maize cultivation.
Mahatarkari is one among 50 cooperatives working in partnership with the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer project (NSAF), which is implemented by CIMMYT. NSAF works with the cooperatives to provide technical knowledge and training to farmers, to hone their potential and support them in the adoption of modern technologies which can improve their livelihoods. After participating in programs organized by NSAF, Morya makes sure that the suggestions he receives — on soil preparation, weed management, harvesting, and more — are implemented in his field.
Returning to the family farm
A few years back, the situation was different. Like many youths in the country, Morya also went abroad to try his luck on the international job market. He worked hard for two years in Malaysia but was forced to return to Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had imagined my shining future abroad. However, when I reached there, the reality was different,” recalls Morya. “I returned to my own country just before the lockdown in April 2021 with some small savings. Upon my arrival in Nepal, I was clueless about my future. I dropped my education after grade five. With no educational qualifications and skills in hand, it was difficult to get a decent job.”
Since the country was in lockdown, Morya chose to stay at home and support his family on the farm. It was here that his eldest brother guided him into farming, and Morya soon learned the knowledge needed to run the farm and began earning money from it. This attracted him towards farming as a longer-term career option, and he has now discovered a prosperous future in agriculture.
“Agriculture needs continuous effort,” he says. “With the support of technology, it is easy and efficient to work. I work every day so that I can reap crops on a large scale to make a profit. I manage weeds, irrigation, and control pests.”
“I also have livestock. I get adequate fodder for my cows and buffalo from weeds and from the spring maize. I sell milk in the market. In addition to this, I also make sure to produce off-season vegetables so that I receive a decent price for additional income.” With the support of his family, Morya has recently purchased an e-rickshaw, which he uses to transport and sell his produce.
To further support his endeavors, Morya has also been participating in Nepal’s Maize Commercialization Network and using the Geo Krishi mobile app to learn about current market prices. “Before knowing about the commercialization of crops, it was hard to receive good amounts from buyers,” he explains. “Now, I make a call to the local retailers and buyers to learn the best value of my grain. Sometimes I also explore the market. Then, I analyze the rate and sell my maize.” He uses a similar system for his off-season vegetables, selling either in the local market or directly to consumers for a premium price. “I make a saving of around 1500 Nepalese rupees (approximately US$ 11) per day,” he says.
A prosperous life
With the profits from his agricultural business, Morya has been able to fulfill his dream of purchasing a bike, as well as contributing to the construction of a new eight-room house, where his family is now living comfortably. “I love to roam on my bike with my friends in the evening. I also take my mother for a ride,” says Morya with a bright smile. “Now, I have a dream to live a prosperous life with my family.”
Thanks to the support provided by the NSAF project with generous funding from USAID, young people like Morya can pursue a better life for themselves and their families. Agricultural training programs have not only helped young people fulfill their basic needs, but also to achieve their dreams. It is hoped that ongoing efforts to empower farmers through science and innovation will continue helping young farmers like Morya break the chain of unemployment, for both their own benefit and that of Nepal.
Authors: Vimbayi Chimonyo (CIMMYT – scientist, crop modeler); Frédéric Baudron (CIMMYT – cropping systems agronomist); Dorcas Matangi (CIMMYT – assistant research associate)
Food systems in marginal areas of Zimbabwe are vulnerable to climate variability and economic shocks. During the COVID-19 outbreak, governments imposed strict lockdowns that adversely affected local food systems and supply chains. Rural communities that already had difficulty feeding their families found themselves in a more desperate situation. The recurring challenges and the COVID-19 outbreak made it clear that there is a need to transform local food systems to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security. The transition is even more urgent owing to the acute labor shortages due to the accelerated trend of rural labor outmigration and an aging population in smallholder farming communities of the country. Agroecology has emerged as an approach to facilitate and champion a transformative shift to sustainable local food systems.
The Agroecological Initiative is at the forefront of providing science-based evidence for the transformative nature of agroecology and its potential to bring about positive changes in food, land, and water systems, including identifying institutional innovations to promote uptake. Agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture that emphasizes integrating ecological principles and practices into farming systems. The 13 principles of agroecology guide sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.
The initiative employs a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating ecological and social methods to co-create and manage localized food systems and monitor the 13 interconnected principles. While agroecological methods hold promise, the transition process is labor and knowledge-intensive and requires addressing power dynamics within and beyond households to address food and nutrition security. Building on the findings of the completed ACIAR-funded project Farm Mechanization and Conservation Agriculture for Sustainable Intensification (FACASI) and Harnessing Appropriate-scale Farm Mechanization in Zimbabwe (HAFIZ), CIMMYT is working in Zimbabwe with 200+ farmers and four service providers in Murehwa and Mbire districts as ambassadors of the community through Agroecological Living Landscapes (ALLs).
Mechanization plays a crucial role in the initiative implementation in Zimbabwe, covering a wide range of farming and processing equipment. The equipment ranges from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated and motorized tools. The machinery eases and reduces drudgery associated with agricultural practices, relieves labor shortages, improves productivity and timeliness of agricultural operations, optimizes resource utilization, enhances market access, and helps mitigate climate-related hazards.
“Machinery supports synergies, reduces labor, and reduces human and wildlife conflict as it reduces livestock grazing time because you can now make feed for your cattle and cutting grass reduces veld fires,” said Musandaire.
Within the Agroecology Initiative, CIMMYT considers mechanization in its technological, economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions when contributing to the sustainable development of localized food systems and actors. In Mbire and Murehwa, a service provider model was adopted to introduce appropriate scale machinery within the respective communities. The service providers were equipped with a two-wheel tractor, ripper, mower, chopper grinder, and bailer. Training was offered on equipment operation, repair, and maintenance.
The business aspects were also discussed to broaden the participants’ knowledge of service provision. Important aspects covered include business model, entrepreneurship, record keeping, cost and profit calculations, customer care, target setting, and machinery operation planning.
To date, the service providers offer services including ripping, transportation, chopper grinding for livestock feeds and humans, and baling and mower for grass cutting at a fee.
“Mechanization has proven efficient and relevant in our district since livestock is one of our main value chains. Our service providers make hay bales for us, which we buy to feed our livestock. They also grind feed which is good for pen-fattening,” said Chimukoro, councilor in Mbire.
Preliminary findings indicate that appropriate scale mechanization enhances synergies in smallholder farming systems by facilitating more efficient and integrated agricultural practices.
“Our trailer reduces labor and saves time better than scotch carts. We used to leave much biomass in the fields because we didn’t know how to transport and process it after aggregation. But now we can recycle our biomass,” mentioned Mushaninga, local leadership in Murehwa.
By streamlining labor-intensive tasks and promoting holistic farm management, mechanization encourages complementarity among various elements of agroecosystems, contributing to more sustainable and productive smallholder farming. Target communities can pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable food system through the Agroecological Initiative.
The world’s food systems are under threat by escalating armed conflicts, economic stagnation, the effects of the climate crisis and natural resource degradation. Against this backdrop, the next seven years are crucial in meeting the challenges of keeping the world’s growing population fed and secure.
Recognizing that business as usual will not be sufficient, CIMMYT has embarked on a journey to proactively face the new challenges of the 21st century. This novel approach to agrifood systems is the core of CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy, which has the potential to shape the future of agriculture.
“We understand that the challenges facing food security are complex, varied and rapidly changing. For instance, the effects of COVID-19 and Ukraine-Russia conflict on food systems are still being felt today. With that in mind, we set out to develop a strategy that is both robust and nimble. The best way to create a sustainable and inclusive strategy was to engage directly with CIMMYT scientists and staff, the people on the front lines of this effort to deliver food and nutrition security to the world,” said CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts.
Looking back to move forward
The first step in crafting the 2030 Strategy was looking at where does CIMMYT want the world to be in 2100. In answering this question, CIMMYT crafted a long-term vision of how it wants to engage in a changing world and achieve the transformation to a food and nutrition secure world within planetary boundaries. CIMMYT has integrated the use of foresight and specifically a set of 2030 Food and Agriculture scenarios to explore potential changes in intervention areas over the strategic period and help prepare engagements in different contexts across the globe. These scenarios are a decision-making tool that has underpinned the development of the strategy to ensure that it is context-driven and focused on the most pressing challenges facing the agrifood systems in which CIMMYT operates.
From the future CIMMYT looks back at its history and examines how its core business has evolved over the years to proactively meet ever-changing needs across the world.
At each stage of CIMMYT’s evolution, it has taken its strengths and the skills it has built and added to its experience, and expanded on what it delivers while maintaining the core strengths.
In CIMMYT’s earliest days, the mission was developing and improving germplasm and agronomic practices, then CIMMYT began working more closely with farmers (1980s), broadened emphasis in genetic improvements (2000), embarked on sustainable multidisciplinary projects (2010s), and most recently, advancing technologies in participatory innovation systems (2015-2022). All leading to the mission codified in the 2030 Strategy: accelerating food systems transformation by using the power of collective action.
Now, in 2023, CIMMYT’s progress is being shaped by the CGIAR mission statement: “To deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.”
Building the Strategy
To define the 2030 Strategy, CIMMYT responded to the following core questions:
“As an organization, we have concentrated on strategies that foster collaboration and adapt them for a non-profit international organization whose vision is not to grow as an institution but to deliver greater value for the communities they serve, to innovate for the end users of their products and to ensure a better future for our global community,” said Govaerts.
The tools used to develop the elements of this strategic plan leveraged the framework provided in the CGIAR Research and Innovation Strategy to guide the process. Staff from across the Center engaged in a consultative process to develop the objectives for following strategic components: Excellence in Science and Innovation, Excellence in Operations, Talent Management, Resource Mobilization, Partnership, and Influence.
Developing the Excellence in Science and Innovation component serves as an example of this collaborative, bottom-up approach. Planning was led by the Emerging Thought Leaders Group, made up of 24 early and mid-career scientists across the breadth of CIMMYT’s global and program portfolio. The group worked collaboratively with CIMMYT researchers and staff to first delineate the challenges facing agri-food systems and then workshopped solutions which now serve as the foundation of the 2030 Strategy.
“Each component complements the others,” said Govaerts. “This is our answer to the core questions. Only by working collectively can we initiate sustainable solutions that reach everyone.”
Together, the components create a network to support CIMMYT’s three pillars: Discovery (research and innovation), SystemDev (working collaboratively to innovate foundational systems), and Inc. (incubating startups and new ways of doing business in the agri-food system space).
CIMMYT is leading the way in shaping a sustainable and prosperous agricultural landscape
The goal to facilitate food security where sustainable agriculture is part of the solution to the climate crisis and agriculture provides an avenue to build household resilience and enables communities to pull themselves out of poverty requires the strategic use of resources. CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy, built from the bottom up on a foundation over 50 years’ experience and the expertise of scientists, staff, and farmers maximizes resources, enhances dynamic partnerships, and both retains and recruits a world-class staff in a world of growing challenges to food security.
Read the 2030 Strategy: Science and Innovation for a Food and Nutrition Secure World: CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy
It is official: the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced the beginning of the global climate heating event El Niño on July 4, which means that extreme weather events will affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people on all continents from now until midyear 2024. El Niño is considered the biggest climate oscillation on Earth. It occurs when winds and water temperatures change periodically in the Pacific Ocean. The last occurrence was in 2016, which according to the WMO remains the hottest year on record.
What can we do to mitigate El Niño’s effects in the food systems that sustain livelihoods in the Global South?
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