research: Systems science

CIMMYT calls for direct agricultural investment to address Sudan’s food crisis

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on June 26, 2024. Posted in Press releases.

Nairobi, Kenya — 26 June 2024 — CIMMYT calls upon the global community to take immediate and decisive action to address the worsening food crisis in Sudan. As the country teeters on the brink of a famine that could surpass the devastating Ethiopian famine of the 1980s, CIMMYT emphasizes the critical need for both emergency food aid and long-term investment in Sudanese agriculture.

Urgent humanitarian needs and long-term solutions

Recent reports indicate that the ongoing civil war in Sudan has created the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people facing acute food shortages due to the impact of climate change, blocked aid deliveries, failing agricultural systems and infrastructure, and continued conflict. In response, CIMMYT highlights the necessity of balancing emergency aid with sustainable agricultural development to prevent recurring food crises.

“The escalating food crisis in Sudan demands not only immediate emergency assistance but also strategic investment in the country’s agricultural sector to ensure food security and stability,” said Director General of CIMMYT, Bram Govaerts. “We must break away from the aid-dependency model and support Sudanese farmers directly, empowering them to rebuild their livelihoods and contribute to the nation’s recovery as well as todays food availability.”

CIMMYT’s commitment to Sudanese agriculture

CIMMYT, alongside other international organizations and NGOs, has been actively working in Sudan to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity as part of the Sustainable Agrifoods Systems Approach to Sudan (SASAS) project in collaboration with USAID. With the outbreak of the civil war, SASAS has pivoted to be acutely focused on interventions that support and underpin food security in Sudan, with 13 partners operating across 7 States as the largest operating consortium on-the-ground in the country. Activities range from the provision of improved seeds and agricultural technologies to vaccination campaigns and community resource (water, land) management.

Investing in agricultural resilience

CIMMYT’s initiatives have shown significant impact, even amidst conflict. For example, the Al Etihad women-led farmer cooperative in South Kordofan has empowered its members to improve their production and incomes through collective resource management, training on best practice farming techniques, provision of agricultural inputs, and structured business planning. This cooperative model is essential for building resilience and ensuring food security in Sudanese communities.

“Sudan’s need for food assistance is growing exponentially, but donors have provided only 3.5 percent of requested aid. This gets the story backwards. Food insecurity is at the root of many conflicts. Peace remains elusive without well-functioning agricultural systems, and it is unreasonable to expect viable agricultural production without peace,” Govaerts stated.

Call for global action

CIMMYT urges the international community to –

Increase funding: Support the UN humanitarian appeal for Sudan, which has received only 16% of the necessary funds.
Facilitate aid deliveries: Press all parties in the conflict to allow unobstructed humanitarian access, particularly through critical routes such as the Adré crossing from Chad.
Invest in agriculture: Commit to immediate agricultural development by supporting Sudanese farmers with training, resources, and infrastructure improvements so they can produce locally the needed food.
Do not forget: It is easy to overlook the war in Sudan with more publicized conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Leaders must continue to highlight the challenges Sudan faces and the global reverberation of their precarious food security situation.

A path forward

The confluence of conflict, climate change, and economic instability has overwhelmed Sudan. However, by investing directly in the country’s agricultural sector, the international community can help break the cycle of crisis, fostering economic activity and political stability. Let us not forget, no food without peace and you cannot build peace on empty stomachs, so no peace without food.

About CIMMYT

CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.

Media Contact: Jelle Boone
Head of Communications, CIMMYT
Email: j.boone@cgiar.org
Mobile: +52 595 124 7241

For more information about CIMMYT’s work in Sudan and other initiatives, please visit staging.cimmyt.org.

Unlocking insights from literature: exploring adaptation options in ACASA

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on May 8, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

To address the vulnerability of increased climate risks which impact agriculture, it is imperative to identify location-specific adaptation options. Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) is working on identifying commodity specific hazards at different geographical regions and the key adaptation options aligned with geography and hazards. This has been done for major cereal crops (rice, wheat, and maize), coarse grains (millets), oilseeds (coconut, mustard), legumes and vegetable crops (chickpea, potato), livestock, and fisheries. In ACASA, Systematic Literature Review (SLR) serves as a fundamental tool to identify key climate adaptation options and assess their effectiveness, considering agroecological factors.

Literature reviews are a customary approach for researchers to grasp existing knowledge and findings. The SLR methodically establishes clear research objectives, employs structured search queries to identify relevant literature, applies defined exclusion criteria, and extracts data for scientific analysis. This structured approach facilitates mapping the literature, validating findings, identifying gaps, and refining methodologies thereby minimizing biases, and ensuring comprehensive coverage of evidence.

Commodity-specific research questions, aligned with the problem/population, intervention, comparison/consequences, outcome, and time PICO(T) framework, have been used to guide the search process. By utilizing keywords specific to these questions, ACASA sourced literature from reputable databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and local databases of South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Local databases and gray literature further bolstered the understanding of local conditions and broadened the coverage of studied literature.

The searched literature was then filtered using the well-established Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) framework. PRISMA provides a minimum set of evidence-based literature to be used for further analysis. Let us look at maize as an example of a commodity under analysis in ACASA. For maize, a total of 1,282 papers were identified and based on four exclusion criteria pertaining to adaptation options, quantitative assessment, hazard, and risk only of which 72 papers were shortlisted. The PRISMA framework supported in getting a manageable dataset for in-depth analysis while ensuring transparency in the overall filtering process.

After filtering through PRISMA, a bibliometric analysis was conducted which contained research trend analysis, regional distribution patterns, adaptation option categorizations, and a co-occurrence analysis. Useful patterns in popularity of studied adaptation options, hazards, and their linkages were observed through this analysis. For instance, drought was the most studied hazard, while pest diseases and economics were major hazard impacts studied for the maize literature. In terms of adaptation options, stress tolerant varieties were the most popular adaptation option. Further, co-occurrence analysis provided linkages between adaptation options and hazards, and demonstrated that researchers have also studied bundled technologies.

SLR helped understand the effectiveness of certain adaptation options. Going ahead, this step will be fully realized through a “meta-analysis” which will be pivotal in quantifying the evidence and prioritizing adaptation options for different agroecologies. SLR has proven to be an effective research method to build a comprehensive database that can be used across different thematic areas of ACASA. Adaptation options enlisted through SLR can be further substantiated through expert elicitations via heurism, crop modelling, cost-benefit analysis, and other important pillars of ACASA to identify efficient and cost-effective options.

SLR also provided the ACASA team with the opportunity to identify certain literature gaps such as uneven geographical coverage and excessive emphasis on certain adaptation options versus the rest. Conceptualization of systematically reviewing climate adaptation options in the South Asian context by integrating bibliometric and meta-analysis adds novelty to the current efforts of ACASA.

Blog written by Aniket Deo, BISA-CIMMYT India; Niveta Jain, ICAR-IARI India; Roshan B Ojha, NARC Nepal; and Sayla Khandoker, BARI Bangladesh

Digging in the Dirt: Detailed soil maps guide decision-making, from the field to the policy room

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on April 9, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

When a non-farmer looks upon a field, they might just see it as an expanse of dirt and give no more thought to it. But to a farmer, that dirt is soil, the lifeblood of agriculture. Among other things, soil delivers necessary nutrients to crops, allowing them to grow and flourish.

About 95% of the food consumed around the world grows from soil, which is rapidly deteriorating because of unsustainable human activity. Around 33% of all soils around the world are degraded, meaning they can no longer sustain the same level of agricultural activity. This leads to lower crop yields, which potentially leads farmers to increase their use of fertilizer to overcome the damaged soil. But increased nitrogen fertilizer use has profound climate change effects, as poor fertilizer management, including overuse, can lead to nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) leaking into the air and nitrates into groundwater, rivers, and other water systems.

Sampling points in the state of Celaya, Guanajuato Mexico. (Photo: CIMMYT)

An important implement in the effort to preserve soil fertility is the practice of soil mapping, a process which produces detailed physical and chemical soil properties within a region. Things like the amount of nutrients, acidity, water conductivity, and bulk density, help guide decision making from individual farmers all the way to regional and national stakeholders.

The Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition, a United Nations initiative which aims to accelerate the transition to more sustainable food systems through a holistic approach to productivity growth to optimize agricultural sustainability, featured soil mapping as an innovative, evidence-based approach for accelerating sustainable productivity growth in its 2023 report.

A global soil mapping initiative is underway led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Soil Partnership with important contributions from CIMMYT scientist working in Mexico.

“Soil mapping of an agricultural region for chemical and physical soil properties offers a range of benefits that can significantly improve agricultural practices, land management, and overall productivity,” said Ivan Ortiz Monasterio, CIMMYT principal scientist.

Map for Phosphorus Bray 1. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Soil maps = blueprints

Using up-to-date soil information at the national scale can help to plan agricultural and land planning interventions and policies, by excluding areas with higher carbon content or fertility from urbanization plans, or by planning the implementation of irrigation schemes with high-quality water in salt-affected areas.

For farmers, there are many benefits, including the creation of nutrient management plans, which are perhaps the most important. These plans guide decisions about application rates and timing of inputs like fertilizers, help avoid over-application, and reduce the risk of runoff and pollution. This supports sustainable agriculture while reducing costs and minimizing nutrient pollution.

“There are many other benefits,” said Ortiz Monasterio. “From improved irrigation management, to informed crop decisions, to things like climate resilience because more fertile soils are better able to cope with the challenges of climate variation.”

No Stones, No Grit! A game-changing technology to process small grain introduced in Zimbabwe

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on March 12, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

Farmers thresh wheat at an irrigation scheme. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In Zimbabwe, the traditional, laborious, and time-consuming small grain processing may soon belong to the past, thanks to a game-changing technology: a multi-crop thresher. This scale-appropriate machine offers a smarter and less strenuous way to produce high-quality small-grain meals, including in drought-prone regions, without being contaminated with sand or stone particles.

“One of the main impediments to large-scale adoption of sorghum and millet in drought-prone areas is the laborious task of threshing. This has been solved by introducing multi-crop threshers, which form a central part in the business of mechanization service providers in rural Zimbabwe”, says Christian Thierfelder, principal scientist and project lead for the Mechanization and Extension Activity.

The introduction of the multi-crop thresher not only alleviates the physical strain of manual threshing but also enhances the overall quality of small-grain products. This innovation is a crucial step forward in promoting the production and consumption of small grains in Zimbabwe, contributing to food security and improved livelihoods for farmers.

This innovation was introduced by the Feed the Future Mechanization and Extension Activity, implemented by CIMMYT and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to address the challenges of traditional small grain processing and offer new market opportunities to farmers.

Small grain production and consumption has traditionally been a household favorite in Zimbabwe due to its rich nutritional content. However, the sand content and gritty texture, often associated with sorghum or millet meals, have led to a decline in consumers’ interest in it. The main culprit? The traditional method of manual threshing on the soil, a strenuous and time-consuming process that incorporates sand and gravel particles into the threshed grains (and then into flours), resulting in an unpleasant eating experience.

In Zimbabwe and across the region, small grain processing has been characterized by the arduous task of manual threshing using sticks. Women, often at the forefront of this task, repeatedly beat the heads of small grains on hard surfaces, such as granite or hard clay, to separate the grains. Despite efforts to minimize contamination by threshing them into sacks or on plastic sheets, the gritty taste persists. The subsequent winnowing, roasting, and milling do little to eliminate tiny soil and stone particles from the final product (flour) as physical separation is technically challenging.

The multi-crop thresher for smooth results

“Powered by an 8 HP diesel engine, the multi-crop thresher is a perfect machine to process sorghum, millets, maize (husked or un-husked), wheat, cowpea, sugar beans, and soybean,” says Abdul Matin, mechanization specialist and technical lead of the Mechanization and Extension Activity. “It is locally made in Zimbabwe and designed to promote mechanization as a business as it can easily be transported. It has high threshing efficiency, is fuel-efficient, easy to operate, and women friendly.”

The operator simply feeds the crop into the inlet hopper, and as it passes through the threshing drum, the machine efficiently separates the grain from the chaff, releasing clean grain through the outlet chute. “The thresher will help reduce decline of small grain production in the country and complement government efforts to expand its cultivation in Natural Regions IV and V in Zimbabwe,” Matin added. When operating the machine efficiently, one can thresh up to 0.5 tons per hour for small grains.

The multi-crop thresher, a vital component of climate-resilient agriculture

The multi-crop thresher is an efficient post-harvest machine that can process various grains. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT organized awareness meetings, including the 2023 Seed and Mechanization Fairs, for farmers to witness the speed and quality performance of the multi-crop thresher. They could also assess the quality of pearl millet processed using the thresher and others threshing wheat in an irrigation scheme showcasing the efficiency of the process and improved grain quality.

“In our region, harvesting small grains was always laborious,” explains Paidamoyo Kaseke from Ward 4 in Chimanimani district, Manicaland province. “But thanks to the multi-crop thresher, it’s now much easier. It operates quickly and efficiently, delivering clean grains that we can promptly take to the mill. This technology has revolutionized our harvesting process, significantly reducing the time and effort required.”

“Not only do we promote new and effective technologies such as the multi-crop thresher in the project, but we also seek solutions for farmers without high incomes to be able to afford the thresher. That is why we are partnering with two Zimbabwean banks to make small-scale loans accessible to farmers at affordable rates and tenure times. This way, we can effectively scale the access to scale-appropriate mechanization solutions.” says Leon Jamann, chief of party for the Mechanization and Extension Activity.

As the 2023-2024 farming season has been dry with erratic rainfall, rainfed dependent farmers already face drought in large areas of Zimbabwe. However, the promotion of more climate-resilient small grains in 2023—declared by the United Nations the International Year of Millets—emphasizes their adaptability to climate change and their high nutritional value. The multi-crop thresher, a vital component of this initiative, ensures that farmers can efficiently process small grains despite the challenging climate conditions.

Women farmers turn the tide on soybean production

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on March 4, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

Juliana Moises tends her soybean plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

From the rich plateau landscapes of Angonia district in the Tete province of Mozambique emerges a tale of determination and hard work. Juliana Nicolau Moises, a mother of four, has been a devoted soybean farmer for more than a decade, tending to a crop whose pods carry the potential for value-added products, including milk and porridge for her children. But one wonders, what motivates smallholder farmers like Juliana to invest their efforts in soybean production.

“I have never looked back on producing soybeans,” reflects Moises. “This legume crop has allowed me to feed my family and meet my household needs, let alone the cash income from sales of the surplus crop. It has taken a lot of hard work and resilience to navigate through the complexities of soybean production.”

Entering her second season of implementing the Chinyanja Soy Use Case trials with CGIAR’s Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy, delivered in partnership with CIMMYT and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Moises eagerly anticipates a bumper harvest in the early planted fields. She has been avidly implementing trials on planting dates to establish the implications of early, mid, and late planting on soybean yield. Let alone the required attention to detail, she exudes a deep understanding of the significance of the trials by carrying out key agronomic practices to ensure a good harvest. This will not only nourish the health and wellbeing of her family but also symbolizes the fruits of her dedication.

Moises’s commitment extends beyond the trial she hosts as she implements her learning from the project to other fields, using innovative approaches like the double-row planting method. In soybean farming, this involves planting two rows of seeds on a wider ridge established on the traditional spacing that farmers use on maize. Traditionally, farmers in Angonia have been planting single rows of soybean on ridges spaced at 90 cm used for maize, thereby resulting in low soy plant populations and ultimately low yields. This different technique optimizes the plant population and land use efficiency, improving yields, and facilitating easier weeding.

Moises’s soybean plot in Angonia, Mozambique. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Despite the promise of enhanced production, challenges persist. Southern Africa continues to face a growing demand for soybeans, with annual productivity of 861,000 metric tons (mT) falling short of the 2-million-ton demand. In Mozambique, vibrant soybean farms blanket the landscape, yet smallholder farmers like Moises grapple with underdeveloped markets and climate-related adversities, such as droughts and floods currently worsened by the El Niño phenomenon.

“As a devoted soybean farmer, I have met my own fair share of challenges. One of our biggest challenges is the labor requirement across the production season,” shared Moises as she navigates through her fields. “We need machinery for planting, weeding, and harvesting in order to reduce the labor and drudgery associated with soybean production. In addition, markets remain a challenge.” Her unwavering commitment inspires neighboring farmers, creating a ripple effect of hope and determination in the community.

Sharing the same sentiments is Veronica Ernesto Gama, who teams up with her husband every year to tend to her soybean field. Having started in 2007, their yields have sustained the food basket of her family while meeting nutritional needs. “In the past, I used to just scatter around soybean seeds in one place, but after these trials, I have learned the significance of applying the agronomically recommended spacing and the need for quality improved seeds to ensure a bumper harvest,” said Gama.

The power of collaboration

Addressing these challenges head-on is CGIAR’s Excellence in Agronomy Chinyanja Triangle Soy Use Case, a collaborative effort aimed at strengthening the soybean industry primarily by empowering farmers with improved agronomic practices and decision support. Solidaridad, an international non-government organization (NGO) pursuing digital platforms for scaling agronomy, serves as the demand partner of the Excellence in Agronomy Chinyanja Triangle Soy Use Case, while CGIAR provides technical support. Solidaridad’s role is vital in catalyzing demand for the product or service in question. Research outputs drawn from the trials will be used to develop a mobile phone application on the Kvuno, a social enterprise borne out of Solidaridad. The platform will support farmers with onsite advisories on planting dates, site-specific fertilizer recommendations, variety selection, and crop configurations.

To date, the initiative has drawn the willingness of 70 farmers in the Angonia district of Tete province, who are implementing different suites of trials, including nutrient omission, planting date, plant configuration, and fertilizer usage. Excellence in Agronomy has come at an opportune time for smallholders’ journeys in soybean production, emphasizing the importance of optimized spacing and improved agronomic practices.

As the story unfolds in Mozambique, women like Moises and Gama are the unsung heroes driving soybean production. Their dedication, coupled with initiatives like Excellence in Agronomy, paint a picture of progress and potential. Their commitment inspires many surrounding farmers who draw inspiration on the trials in their fields. As the sun continues to rise over the dusty soils of Angonia, it showcases not just Moises’s fields, but the bright future of soybean production in the hands of resilient women farmers.

Reaching farmers in Zambia

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on February 16, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

Farmers are guided on how to use Atubandike and VIAMO. (Photo: CIMMYT)

It is challenging to disseminate information across far-flung areas of rural Zambia as extension officers must travel vast distances to reach farmers. The Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) MasAgro Africa Rapid Delivery Hub, managed by CIMMYT and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) helps alleviate these issues by engaging with existing mobile phone networks to reach farmers with agronomic information, weather data, and soil information.

To introduce farmers to these specific tools: Atubandike and VIAMO, AID-I conducted a community sensitization and engagement exercise in Zambia. Atubandike emphasizes farmer learning and feedback using mobile phones for disseminating knowledge about the new generation of drought-tolerant varieties, sustainable intensification practices, and collecting farmer feedback to enable demand-driven delivery under AID-I. VIAMO, accessible via a basic mobile phone, provides agronomic information for every farmer in a specific area. The platform comes in different languages and farmers access information on various crops such as maize, beans, and groundnuts in their native language, provide feedback on information content, and connect with other farmers.

An AID-staff facilitates a training session. (Photo: Nancy Malama/CIMMYT)

In Choma District, Morgan Katema, who provides extension services to farmers, explained that going digital is one way of reaching farmers through technology to ensure that all farmers have access to extension services. “In this case, lessons will be available through mobile phones and farmers will ask agriculture-related questions and get a response. This is a good initiative because farmers can access information on the spot instead of waiting for an extension officer to reach them, and information can be accessed after working hours, and the VIAMO initiative will help us overcome the challenge of long distances between farmers as we will no longer need to travel long distances,” Katema said.

Judith Simuliye, a farmer who grows maize and groundnuts, said, “I was told about this meeting by the camp officer, and I am happy to learn about this project. I have learned how to manage my crop by using the right seed varieties and how to space the crops.”

During the meeting, two community facilitators were selected through a voting process, after farmers nominated community members who are literate, trustworthy, energetic, and able to use a smart phone. Facilitators register farmers on the VIAMO platform, assist them in accessing the information they require, and support them in their learning journey.

Namasumo Rithay, a farmer in the village of Kalalasa, said, “Mobile phone access to extension services has come at the right time. We have faced a lot of challenges with the poor rain patterns and pests. Through this meeting organized by AID-I, we have learned how we can obtain information to mitigate these challenges through our mobile phones.”

A participant casts her vote. (Photo: Nancy Malama/CIMMYT)

An additional community meeting was held in the village of Namuswa and was attended by 150 farmers. AID-I and Atubandike Research Associate, Brian Mpande, informed farmers that AID-I, with the assistance from VIAMO, will help them overcome the challenges of climate change by delivering timely and useful information via their phones.

CIMMYT joins global efforts to curb greenhouse emissions and strengthen food systems

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on February 14, 2024. Posted in News.

The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) took place from November 30 to December 12, 2023, in Dubai, UAE. The conference arrived at a critical moment when over 600 million people face chronic hunger, and global temperatures continue to rise at alarming rates. CIMMYT researchers advocated for action into agriculture’s mitigating role in climate change, increasing crop diversity, and bringing the tenets of sustainability and regenerative agroecological production systems to a greater number of farmers.

Directly addressing the needs of farmers, CIMMYT proposed the creation of an advanced data management system, training, and protocols for spreading extension innovations such as digital approaches and agronomic recommendations to farmers via handheld devices to harmonize the scaling in Africa of regenerative agriculture—diverse practices whose outcomes include better productivity and environmental quality, economic feasibility, social inclusivity, and nutritional security.

CIMMYT presented research showing that in times of fertilizer shortages, targeting nitrogen supplies from inorganic and organic sources to farms with minimal access to nitrogen inputs can improve nitrogen-use efficiency and helps maintain crop yields while limiting harm from excesses in fertilizer use. Examining how food production is driving climate change, CIMMYT promoted ways to lessen climate shocks, especially for smallholder farmers who inordinately suffer the effects of climate change, including rising temperatures and extended droughts. Improved, climate-resilient crop varieties constitute a key adaptation. Boosting farmer productivity and profits is a vital part of improving rural livelihoods in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

When asked about CIMMYT’s contribution to COP 28, Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT’s director general, highlighted the inclusion of agriculture in the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action as part of various potential solutions for climate change, an effort that CIMMYT supported through advocacy with leaders and government officials.

“Our participation addressed some of the pressure points which led to this significant recognition. It further cleared our role as an active contributor to discussions surrounding the future of food and crop science,” said Govaerts.

Unlocking the potential of crop genetic diversity

“The diversity stored in today’s gene banks contains the potential to unlock genes that can withstand drought and warmer temperatures,” said Sarah Hearne, CIMMYT’s director of Genetic Resources at a side-event: Crop diversity for climate change adaptation and mitigation contributing to resilient and nature positive futures for farmers globally.

Sarah Hearne presents on the potential of crop diversity to help combat climate change impacts on agrifood systems. (Photo: Food Pavilion/COP 28)

Hearne explained the process that characterizes plant DNA to identify the ideal, climate-adaptable breeding traits. This classification system also opens the door for genetic modeling, which can predict key traits for tomorrow’s climatic and environmental conditions.

“Our thinking must shift from thinking of gene banks to banks of genes, to make vibrant genetic collections for humanity, opening up genetic insurance for farmers,” said Hearne.

Working towards a food system that works for the environment

With an increased strain on food production, sustainability becomes critical for long-term human and environmental health. Sarah Hearne and Tek Sapkota, agricultural systems and climate change senior scientist, from CIMMYT participated in a panel discussion: Responsible consumption and sustainable production: pathways for climate-friendly food systems. They shared how progress in genetic innovation and fertilizer use can contribute to sustainable consumption and a resilient food system.

Fertilizer use remains highly skewed, with some regions applying more fertilizer than required and others, like sub-Saharan Africa, not having sufficient access, resulting in low crop yields. However, to achieve greater food security, the Global South must produce more food. For that, they need to use more fertilizer. Just because increased fertilizer use will increase greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions, institutions cannot ask smallholder farmers not to increase fertilizer application. Increased GHGs emission with additional fertilizer application in low-input areas can be counterbalanced by improving Nutrient-Use Efficiency (NUE) in high-output areas thereby decreasing GHGs emissions. This way, we can increase global food production by 30% ca with the current level of fertilizer consumption.

Tek Sapkota speaks on how sustainable and efficient fertilizer use can contribute to a resilient food system. (Photo: Food Pavilion/COP 28)

“This issue needs to be considered through a holistic lens. We need to scale-up already proven technologies using digital extensions and living labs and linking farmers with markets,” said Sapkota.

On breeding climate-resilient seeds, Hearne addressed whether farmers are accepting new seeds and how to ensure their maximum adoption. Hearne detailed the partnership with CGIAR and NARS and the numerous technologies advancing the selection of ideal breeding traits, considering shortened breeding cycles, and responding to local needs such as heat or flood tolerance, and traditional preferences.

“Drought-tolerant maize, developed by CIMMYT and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), has benefited over 8 million households in sub-Saharan Africa, which proves that farmers are increasingly receptive to improved seeds. With a better selection of appropriate traits, we can further develop and distribute without yield penalties,” said Hearne.

Regenerative and agroecological production systems

Researchers have studied regenerative and agroecological production systems for decades, with new and old research informing current debates. These systems restore and maintain ecosystems, improving resource use efficiency, strengthening resilience, and increasing self-sufficiency. In his keynote presentation, Sapkota presented 3 examples of regenerative agriculture and agroecological systems: conservation agriculture, cropping system diversification and site-specific nutrient management and their impact on food production, climate change adaptation and mitigation.

“As the science continues to develop, we need to harness digital capacity to co-create sustainable solutions alongside local, indigenous knowledge,” said Sapkota. “While we should continue research and innovation on cutting-edge science and technologies, we should also invest in knowledge sharing networks to spread access to this research; communication is fundamental for further adoption of these practices.”

Researchers gather to reflect on and lead CIMMYT’s Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) efforts with renewed commitment and partnership

Written by Nima Chodon on January 26, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

SAS Program Director Sieg Snapp and GESI researchers gather in New Delhi from across CIMMYT – Asia, Africa, and Latin America. (Photo: Adeeth Cariappa/CIMMYT)

“As we look towards 2030, CIMMYT is focused on building inclusive value chains, advancing mechanization, and confronting seed system challenges. We are championing demand-driven technologies and improved agricultural needs,” said Sieglinde Snapp, program director of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program, highlighting during the discussions the importance of integrating gender perspectives in research. “We are committed to integrating gender perspectives in all these initiatives, recognizing the vital role of women in agriculture and ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities for all genders,” she added.

Farah Deba Keya presents her study analyzing constraints for women farmers’ active participation in mixed farming systems in Bangladesh. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The one-day meeting on October 13, 2023, in New Delhi, India, hosted under CIMMYT’s SAS program, brought together diverse groups of participants—totaling over ten senior gender researchers working in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, namely Sieg Snapp, Vijesh Krishna, Moti Jaleta, Michael Euler, Angela Meentzen, Monica Fisher—along with a cadre of junior and senior researchers and students collaborating with CIMMYT on gender research. The coming together of these GESI researchers provided a valuable opportunity for collaboration, sharing insights, and strategizing enhanced gender and socially inclusive research-for-development approaches within CIMMYT’s programs.

Monica Fisher, a senior researcher working in Africa, emphasized CIMMYT’s dedication to making gender equality and social inclusion more visible and relevant in agriculture globally. She said, “The significance of GESI research, particularly in bridging the gap between the Global South and the Global North, cannot be overstated. Our objective is to deepen our engagement in these areas.”

The day-long meeting covered various topics, including the dynamics of technology adoption, gender roles in agriculture, and the feminization of Indian agriculture. Discussions underscored the need for increased financial support for GESI research, the importance of addressing disparities in research focus, and the crucial role of intersectionality in agricultural contexts.

A notable segment of the meeting was dedicated to presentations by students on their ongoing research in gender-related topics. These young researchers brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, highlighting the evolving nature of gender roles in agriculture and the impact of technology on gender dynamics in various regions. Their contributions underscored the importance of fostering a new generation of researchers committed to gender equity and social inclusion in agricultural development. Hari Krishnan K. S., a student working with CIMMYT opined, “My study, supervised by CIMMYT’s gender researchers, revealed that the concept of masculinities transcends gender, focusing instead on effective farming practices. It highlighted the diverse influences on agricultural decision-making and the varied reactions to technology adoption in Punjab’s agriculture. This reflects the critical role of CIMMYT’s gender-focused research in shaping my approach and understanding as a student in this field.”

Contributing his perspective, Vijesh Krishna, lead researcher working in India, highlighted the need for innovation in research approach. According to him, “To revolutionize GESI research, a shift towards longitudinal data analysis and cross-country data utilization is needed. Building evidence and documenting changes in gender dynamics due to policy and social transformations are essential.” He further encouraged the fostering of in-house capacities to mainstream gender considerations across disciplines, enhancing collaboration, and developing skills for the effective communication of research findings to stakeholders.

Snapp believes that the meeting was not just a gathering of minds but a milestone in CIMMYT’s ongoing journey towards agrifood systems development. “It reaffirms the organization’s commitment to impactful research that acknowledges and addresses the nuances of gender and social dynamics in agriculture, paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future in the sector.”

Sieglinde Snapp explains initiatives to support urgent and relevant GESI research and efforts within CIMMYT’s programs (Photo: CIMMYT)

As the meeting concluded, Snapp spoke of the resolve to make GESI efforts urgent and relevant. She proposed three initiatives: firstly, renaming the SAS gender team the “Paula Kantor Gender and Development Centre” to reflect a broader scope and purpose; secondly, establishing a mentorship program to offer career guidance, networking opportunities, and professional development support; and finally, the introduction of a prestigious “Research Excellence in the Field” award in Paula Kantor’s honor.

“These initiatives aim to enhance the impact and recognition of the organization’s gender-focused efforts, promote professional growth, and honor excellence in the field, embodying CIMMYT’s commitment to gender-focused efforts,” she explained.

The meeting minutes are available here.

Soybean rust threatens soybean production in Malawi and Zambia

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on January 25, 2024. Posted in Blogs.

Healthy soybean fields. (Photo: Peter Setimela/CIMMYT)

Soybeans are a significant source of oil and protein, and soybean demand has been increasing over the last decade in Malawi and Zambia. Soybean contributes to human nutrition, is used in producing animal feed, and fetches a higher price per unit than maize, thus serving as a cash crop for smallholder farmers. These are among the main factors contributing to the growing adoption of soybean among smallholder producers. In addition, soybean is a vital soil-fertility improvement crop used in crop rotations because of its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. To a large extent, soybean demand outweighs supply, with the deficit covered by imports.

Soybean production in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow by over 2% per annum to meet the increasing demand. However, as production increases, significant challenges caused by diseases, pests, declining soil fertility, and other abiotic factors remain. According to official government statistics, Zambia produces about 450,000 tonnes of soybean per annum, with an estimated annual growth of 14%. According to FAOSTAT, this makes Zambia the second largest soybean producer in the southern African region. Although soybean was traditionally grown by large commercial farmers in Zambia, smallholders now account for over 60% of the total annual soybean production.

Production trends show that smallholder soybean production increased rapidly in the 2015–2016 season, a period that coincided with increased demand from local processing facilities. As smallholder production continued to increase, in 2020, total output by smallholder farmers outpaced that of large-scale farmers for the first time and has remained dominant over the last two seasons (Fig 1). However, soybean yields among smallholder farmers have remained low at around 1 MT/HA.

Figure 1. Soybean production trends by smallholders and large-scale farmers. (Photo: Hambulo Ngoma/Zambia Ministry of Agriculture, Crop Forecast Survey)

Soybean production in the region is threatened by soybean rust caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi. The rust became prevalent in Africa in 1996; it was first confirmed in Uganda on experimental plots and subsequently on farmers’ fields throughout the country. Monitoring efforts in the U.S. have saved the soybean industry millions of dollars in fungicide costs due to the availability of accurate disease forecasting based on pathogen surveillance and environmental data.

Soybean rust disease is spread rapidly and easily by wind, and most available varieties grown by farmers are susceptible. The above-normal rainfall during the 2022–2023 season was conducive to the spread of the fungus. A recent survey of over 1,000 farm households shows that 55% and 39% of farmers in Zambia and Malawi, respectively, were affected by soybean rust during the 2022–2023 season. The lack of rust-tolerant varieties makes production expensive for smallholder farmers who cannot afford to purchase fungicides to control the pathogens. It is estimated that soybean rust can cause large yield losses of up to 90%, depending on crop stage and disease severity. Symptoms due to soybean rust infection may be observed at any developmental stage of the plant, but losses are mostly associated with infection from the flowering stage to the pod-filling stage.

Soybean plants affected by soy rust. (Photo: Peter Setimela)

Mitigation measures using resistant or tolerant varieties have been challenging because the fungus mutates very rapidly, creating genetic variability. Although a variety of fungicides effective against soybean rust are available, the use of such fungicides is limited due to the high cost of the product and its application, as well as to environmental concerns. Due to this restricted use of fungicide, an early monitoring system for detecting rust threats for steering fungicide might only be relevant for large-scale producers in eastern and southern Africa. With the massive increase in the area under soybean production, soybean rust is an important disease that cannot be ignored. Host-plant resistance provides a cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and much more sustainable approach for managing soybean rust in smallholder agriculture that characterizes the agricultural landscape of eastern and southern Africa.

To advance the use of rust-tolerant varieties, the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub, or MasAgro Africa, is presently concluding surveys to assess farmers’ demand and willingness to pay for rust-tolerant varieties in Malawi and Zambia. The results from this assessment will be valuable to seed companies and last-mile delivery partners to gain a better understanding of what farmers need and to better serve the farmers. This coming season AID-I will include rust tolerant varieties in the mega-demonstrations to create awareness about new varieties that show some tolerance to rust.

Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-Zim)

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on January 25, 2024. Posted in Uncategorized.

The livestock sub-sector is one of the most important arms of the agricultural sector, contributing to the livelihoods of 70% of Zimbabwe’s rural population. Sustainable livestock production depends on the maintenance of healthy and productive animals which requires paying particular attention to the problems of both endemic and introduced animal diseases and zoonotic. Climate relevant livestock production practices such as fodder management and conservation, water harvesting, and manure management have been identified as solutions to increasing livestock productivity.

The Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-Zim) project, funded by the European Union (EU) focuses on increasing agricultural productivity in Zimbabwe’s semi-arid, agro-ecological regions IV and V. Led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and in partnership with CIMMYT, the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (Cirad) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), LIPS-Zim is working in 10 districts of Zimbabwe, i.e. Matabeleland South Province (Beitbridge and Gwanda districts), the parched Matabeleland North Province (Binga, Hwange and Nkayi districts), Midlands (Gokwe North district), Masvingo (Chiredzi and Zaka districts), Manicaland (Buhera district) and Mashonaland East (Mutoko district). LIPS-Zim is conducting research that seeks to increase livestock feed productivity and well as reducing diseases and mortality of livestock.

Main objectives

Core to the project is to increase the adoption of climate-relevant innovations (e.g feeding) in livestock-based production systems and improve the surveillance and control of livestock diseases. CIMMYT’s main thrust in this project is based on the recognition that at least 50% of the arable land area in semi-arid region IV and V of Zimbabwe is still put to maize despite extension recommendations for farmers to grow the more resilient small grains in those regions. Given the above, and to address their food and feed needs, farmers in those regions need drought-tolerant and nutritious maize varieties that are resilient in those dry environments. CIMMYT’s work is thus focusing on testing the feed value of these nutritious and drought tolerant maize varieties when intercropped with various legumes such as mucuna, cowpea, lab-lab and pigeonpea. CIMMYT is also testing the later, along with climate smart production techniques such as conservation agriculture and water harvesting practices.

Enhancing partnerships for agricultural development

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on January 19, 2024. Posted in News.

Annual AID-I meeting participants gather for a group photo. (Photo:Christabel Chabwela)

Implementing partners of the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project, or MasAgro Africa, converged in Arusha, Tanzania, for the project’s first annual review and planning meeting. The event, which brought together 58 participants from 28 allied organizations coordinating and implementing activities as part of the flagship USAID-funded initiative, provided an opportunity to review progress towards targets set at the project launch in September 2022. During the event, partners also took time to collaboratively plan for stronger implementation in the project’s second year, while discussing challenges faced in the previous year and coming up with practical solutions for these. Similar planning meetings took place in Malawi and Zambia during the same month.

Speaking during the meeting’s opening session, USAID Tanzania Mission Feed the Future Coordinator Melanie Edwards expressed excitement about the achievements of in-country partners in the past year. “The Tanzania component of the project was performing very well,” she said, “and it was exciting to see the proposals coming, meaning that the number of partners was expanding.” Edwards noted that there is still a lot more to be done by the AID-I project and a call for new partner proposals was going to be issued soon to augment ongoing work. She also emphasized the importance of expanding the number of partners and was eager to see planned activities for the second year of the project.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of Tanzania—a key partner in the AID-I initiative—Abel Mtembenji outlined the government’s priorities: increasing productivity, creating decent jobs, enhancing extension services, improving resilience for food security, and expanding market and credit access. Mtembenji was pleased that AID-I interventions aligned with these and encouraged stakeholders to coordinate their efforts with the Tanzanian government to enhance the sustainability of project activities. He further encouraged stakeholders to notify the government of their initiatives to foster collaboration during implementation. Mtembenji recognized the support from USAID, through CIMMYT and thanked all partners for their participation and contribution to agricultural development in Tanzania.

Showcasing early successes

The AID-I initiative provides targeted assistance to up to three million African smallholder farmers by improving soil health and fertilizer management; strengthening local seed systems; connecting to financial products and services; and delivering extension and advisory services. An update presentation made by SAS Program Manager Grace Mwai revealed that through its 42 partners across Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, AID-I had in the past 12 months set up 125 mega-demonstrations for the 2022-2023 season. Forty-two of these were managed by farmer groups themselves, with 60% managed by women.

Across all three project countries, AID-I also reached approximately 5.3 million farmers with various agronomic advisory messages through radio and television, 160,000 listeners through interactive voice response (IVR) messages. Over 9,000 farmers were linked to inputs and outputs markets, of which 40% were women. Mwai added that the project had also conducted 5,143 seed company demonstrations—of which 2,400 took place in Tanzania—and had harvested and processed 13,000 metric tons of certified maize and legume seed, which was expected to directly benefit around one million smallholder farmers across the hub.

Partners demonstrate seed packages to meeting participants. (Photo: Christabel Chabwela)

To highlight achievements from the first project year, partners showcased their products through posters and display items like seed packets during a structured session based on the World Café method. This activity allowed participants to interact and ask questions about various innovations being scaled under AID-I. More than ten partners displayed their products, and all participants at the meeting were given 15 minutes to visit other tables and share how many tons of seed they had produced and how many farmers they could reach during the season.

On the second day of the meeting, partners organized themselves into three small groups based on the three AID-I pillars—Seed Systems, Agriculture Advisories, and Market Linkages—to discuss forthcoming activities and what they hoped to do better in the coming season. The meeting concluded with discussions on issues including financial reporting, establishing and nurturing collaborations, and leveraging technology for improved project outcomes. During his closing remarks, Legume and Seed Systems Specialist under AID-I, Peter Setimela, emphasized the importance of timely proposal submission for the second year.

The status of women in agri-food systems

Written by Leslie Domínguez on May 8, 2023. Posted in Features.

To provide a comprehensive overview of women and gender issues in agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently released “The status of women in agri-food systems,” which provides compelling examples of policies and programs with a review of what has worked and specific recommendations. The report concludes that increasing women’s empowerment is essential for women’s well-being and has a positive impact on agricultural production, food security, diets, and child nutrition.

Despite the importance of agrifood systems for women’s livelihoods and the welfare of their families, women’s roles are marginalized, and their working conditions are likely to be worse than men’s–irregular, informal, part-time, low-skilled, labor intensive and thus vulnerable.

The International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT) recognizes the pressing need for gender equality measures in agri-food systems and has initiated many specific projects to address gender equality. In addition, CIMMYT is committed to introducing a gender component into all its research, programs, and interventions.

“It is an acknowledgment that gender and social equity has always been a critical component of the sustainability of any initiative, regardless of the crop and the geographic area affected,” said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT’s Director General. “CIMMYT is now more intentional about addressing gender equality issues and we recognize the same old methods might not be the most effective.”

FAO: the collection of high-quality data are paramount for monitoring, evaluating and accelerating progress on gender equality in agrifood systems

In the past, many initiatives have relied on surveys to gather data from farmers, producers, consumers, and other stakeholders. However, in traditional rural societies, survey-based data collection might not be the best way to evaluate women’s agency, as the deeply rooted cultural restrictions might not allow them to talk openly about sensitive issues, like their relationship with a spouse.

As part of the Accelerating Genetic Gains in Maize and Wheat for improved livelihoods in Asia and Africa (AGG) project, in Bihar India, CIMMYT researchers developed an innovative storytelling approach to data collection: using vignettes, farmers are given short stories to relate to their household circumstances. Stories are also easier to remember and help build a connection with the characters quickly.

This storytelling method debunked some long-held ideas about women’s role in agriculture in this area of India, creating a more nuanced view of how and why women engage in agriculture. This method will lead to richer qualitative data, which can improve the development and sustainability of gender interventions.

FAO: Social protection programs have increased women’s employment and enhanced women’s resilience.

CIMMYT’s partnership with the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) specifically supports women farmers by improving their access and exposure to modern and improved technological innovations, knowledge and entrepreneurial skills. CSISA works in synergy with regional and national efforts, collaborating with public and private-sector partners.

FAO: interventions must be designed to close gender inequalities and empower women.

While CIMMYT has produced many improved maize varieties, CIMMYT researchers discovered that these new varieties may fall short in meeting the needs of women and the poorest of farmers. We need to explore novel approaches to evaluating farmer demand for seed, considering new questions instead of continuing to look for gender-based differences in preferences.

A first step in that direction is to determine how demand for maize seed differs among farmers according to their needs, priorities, and resource limitations. Gender is a large part of that equation, but the CIMMYT researchers also advocate for other considerations, like how maize fits into household food security and livelihoods, decision-making dynamics around maize production, and seed accessibility.

Internal efforts at CIMMYT

While the FAO report is focused on women in the agri-food system, CIMMYT has also engaged several internal initiatives to ensure a more diverse portfolio of researchers and to cultivate a stronger sense of inclusion at CIMMYT and in the wider scientific community.

At CIMMYT, between 20 and 25 percent of staff in the science career track–careers involving field, lab, data, and socioeconomic work–are female. In 2022, Alison Bentley, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, and Nele Verhulst, cropping systems agronomist started Women in Crop Science at CIMMYT. The group aims to connect and build a network of women in the science career track and commits to achieving a more inclusive environment at CIMMYT and within the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The group recently received the Inclusive Team award at the inaugural CGIAR Inclusive Workplace Awards.

CIMMYT is also helping to develop the next generation of women scientists through the annual Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum Awards, which recognizes scientific excellence and leadership potential. To date., over 60 women scientists have received leadership training and professional development opportunities meant to support them as they join the community of scholars who are fighting hunger worldwide.

Cover photo: Women sorting out maize seed at the Mgom’mera Seed Company warehouse in Lilongwe, Malawi. (Photo: CIMMYT/Kipenz Films)

Aniket Deo

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on July 21, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

Aniket Deo is a generalized specialist who has worked towards improving farmer’s incentives. He has expertise in analytics, food systems, algorithm design, operations research, techno-economic analysis, decision support systems, value chain analysis, agriculture economics, and resource budgeting. His vision is to digitize the agricultural sector for effective and data-driven decisions.

Mohammed Abinasa Jilo

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on July 20, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

Mohammed Abinasa Jilo is a Research Officer with CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) program in Ethiopia. His areas of expertise and interest include systems research, conservation agriculture and precision agriculture.