Tag: communications

Maize and wheat science to sustainably feed the world

Written by Emma Orchardson on July 28, 2021. Posted in Features.

As the world turns its attention to the policy-shaping discussions during this week’s Pre-Summit of the UN Food System Summit, the need for science and innovation to advance the transformation of food, land and water systems is clear.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), with its 50-year track record of impact, success and high return on investment, is essential to these efforts.

Our new institutional brochure, Maize and wheat science to sustainably feed the world, links CIMMYT’s mission, vision and excellence in science to the urgent needs of a world where an estimated tenth of the global population — up to 811 million people — are undernourished.

CIMMYT is also a crucial wellspring of response capacity to CGIAR — the largest global, publicly funded research organization scaling solutions for food, land and water system challenges.

View and download the new CIMMYT Brochure.

Maize and wheat science to sustainably feed the world explains why we do what we do in light of these challenges.

CIMMYT leads maize and wheat research for food systems that deliver affordable, sufficient, and healthy diets produced within planetary boundaries.
Our research is focused on smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries and on improving the livelihoods of people who live on less than $2 a day.
CIMMYT science reaches them through innovation hubs, appropriate technologies, sustainable sourcing, and helps to address their needs and challenges through public policy guidance.

Applying high-quality science and strong partnerships, CIMMYT works for a world with healthier and more prosperous people, free from global food crises and with more resilient agri-food systems.

Annual Report 2018 launched

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on June 24, 2019. Posted in News.

Read or download the full report in PDF format

Read the web version of the report

In 2018, CIMMYT continued to innovate and forge strategic alliances to combat malnutrition, tackle the effects of climate change and respond to emerging threats.

Building on the release of a new wheat genome reference map, our researchers more precisely tagged genes for valuable traits, including disease resistance, heat tolerance, and grain quality, in more than 40,000 CIMMYT wheat lines.

In collaboration with our partners, CIMMYT released 81 maize and 48 wheat varieties. More than 40,000 farmers, scientists and technical workers across the world took part in over 1,500 training and capacity development activities. CIMMYT researchers published 338 journal articles.

As the maize-hungry fall armyworm spreads from Africa to Southeast Asia, CIMMYT joined with more than 40 partners in an international consortium to advance research against the devastating insect pest.

CIMMYT used a scaling approach to extend the benefits of crop research to more farmers and consumers in developing countries in transformative and lasting ways. Smallholder farmers in Mexico, Pakistan and Zimbabwe are benefitting from the use of appropriate machinery and implements for efficient and climate-smart agriculture. A manual developed with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations offers technical and business advice for local entrepreneurs offering mechanized services, such as sowing or threshing, to smallholder farmers.

As part of taste tests in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, consumers indicated their willingness to pay a premium for quality protein maize (QPM), which contains enhanced levels of the amino acids needed to synthesize protein.

A CIMMYT-led study on gender has explored the lives and viewpoints of 7,500 men and women from farming communities in 26 countries, providing invaluable information that will lead to better productivity and food security.

2018 showed us that the passion and values of staff and partners help CIMMYT to have major impact on the livelihoods of smallholders and the poor. This Annual Report pays tribute to them.

Read or download the full report in PDF format

Read the web version of the report

Updated Web Wheat Atlas 3.0 prioritizes user experience

Written by on November 21, 2014. Posted in Features.

EL BATAN, Mexico (CIMMYT) — Got a question about wheat? Whether you are a scientist, a researcher or simply interested in learning more about the vital staple crop that provides 20 percent of the world’s calories, the Wheat Atlas can help.

The online resource developed by the Global Wheat Program (GWP) at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) provides statistics on wheat production and trade, wheat varieties, production challenges and international wheat nurseries, which evaluate the suitability of wheat to diverse environments.

“Although the primary users are wheat scientists, we know from anecdotal evidence that donors and policymakers are also using it,” said Petr Kosina, who led the development and recent revamp of the interactive website.

The Wheat Atlas was the brainchild of Hans Braun, GWP director, he explained, adding that the project evolved into a collaboration involving Kosina, web master Paul Moncada, senior scientist David Hodson and Tom Payne, head of the Wheat Germplasm Bank, which stores seeds. CIMMYT’s Geographic Information Services team created maps.

Improvements include a redesign of site structure and navigation based on user trends observed in data provided by Google Analytics and a 2013 survey. The website now features daily wheat news on the homepage.

“The work is ongoing,” Kosina said. “We’re in continuous ‘beta mode’, improving the functionality of the site and user experience. For example, we’re developing an online submission form for users to input data on newly released wheat varieties and a wheat scientists’ ‘hall of fame’. Before the end of the year we’ll also improve data visualizations.”

The website provides up-to-date information on new wheat varieties being released worldwide, as well as data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Bank and the U.N. Development Programme.

Since the official launch of the Wheat Atlas in 2009, web traffic has increased to an average of 2,200 unique visitors a month, said Kosina, who works closely with webmaster Moncada.

“We’re very happy with recent access statistics, which have improved since the Search Engine Optimization we did earlier this year, but we need secure funding for bigger plans and development,” he said. “We need a new source of funding.”

The Wheat Atlas was supported until 2013 by the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, which aims to reduce the devastating impact of stem rust disease on wheat, led by Cornell University.

The CIMMYT library has a large historic database of scientific publications with descriptions of new wheat varieties compiled over a 15-year time span, Kosina said.

“My dream is to consolidate this database with the Wheat Atlas and GRIS, the world’s largest database of wheat germplasm, with more than 160,000 accessions, and make it available online in the Wheat Atlas – this would be absolutely unique and smashing,” he added.

Every two years, the site managers gather information to provide a snapshot of the most important wheat varieties grown by farmers in developing countries, including acreage estimates. Mina Lantican in CIMMYT’s socio-economics program is conducting the 2014 review as part of an impact assessment study.