Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in Africa, accounting for around 65% of the total wheat production in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the old tradition of rainfed wheat cultivation in the highlands, irrigated production in the dry, hot lowlands is a recent practice in the country.
In the irrigated lowlands of Afar and Oromia, situated along the Awash River Basin, CIMMYT and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) have been supporting small scale farming households to improve yields since 2021. The Adaptation, Demonstration and Piloting of Wheat Technologies for Irrigated Lowlands of Ethiopia (ADAPT-Wheat) project supports research centers to identify new technologies suitable for target planting areas through adaptation and development, which are then released to farmers. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GMBH, EIAR leads on implementation while CIMMYT provides technical support and coordination.
In the Afar and Oromia regions of Ethiopia, farmers observe wheat trials of the new varieties released in partnership with CIMMYT and EIAR. (Photo: Ayele Badebo)
So far, several bread and durum wheat varieties and agronomic practices have been recommended for target areas through adaptation and demonstration. The seeds of adapted varieties have been multiplied and distributed to small scale farmers in a cluster approach on seed loan basis.
Cross-continent collaboration
The Werer Agricultural Research Center (WRC) run by EIAR has released two wheat varieties: one bread wheat line (EBW192905) and one durum wheat line (423613), both suitable for agroecology between 300-1700 meters above sea level.
Both varieties were selected from the CIMMYT wheat breeding program at its headquarters in Mexico. The new bread wheat variety exceeded the standard checks by 17% (Gaámabo and Kingbird) and 28% (Mangudo and Werer).
The lines were trialed through multi-location testing in Afar and Oromia, with both lines displaying tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Accelerated seed multiplication of these varieties is in progress using main and off seasons.
The ADAPT-Wheat project, working in the region since 2021, has released two new varieties for use in the Ethiopian lowlands. (Photo: Ayele Badebo)
“These new varieties will diversify the number of adapted wheat varieties in the lowlands and increase yields under irrigation” said Geremew Awas, a CIMMYT research officer working for the ADAPT project in Ethiopia. Hailu Mengistu, EIAR wheat breeder at WRC, also indicated the need for fast seed delivery of climate resilient wheat varieties on farmers’ hands to realize genetic gain and increase income and food security of the households.
These new varieties will be provided with a local name by breeders to make it easy for farmers and other growers to identify them and will be introduced to farmers through demonstrations and field days. Eligible seed growers who are interested in producing and marketing the basic and certified seeds of these varieties can access early generation seeds from the WRC.
Bram Govaerts receives Guillaume Grosso at CIMMYT’s global headquarters. (Photo: Jenifer Morales/CIMMYT)
The visit of Grosso was much more than a courtesy call. As the largest research center in CGIAR, CIMMYT plays a significant role. Grosso’s visit also came at an important moment for CIMMYT as it reorients its people and culture, operations, and research to address today’s challenges of food security, climate change mitigation, and agricultural development.
“CIMMYT was pleased to have Guillaume for a few days,” said CIMMYT’s Director General, Bram Govaerts. “We discussed areas where CIMMYT can most deliver value in CGIAR and shared all our important advancements in revamping our organizational capacity and forward-thinking vision to meet current food system demands.”
A central focus of CGIAR’s and CIMMYT’s work is the creation of resilient and inclusive food systems. Effective operations are essential for delivering research that will advance agrifood systems towards a sustainable, food-secure future.
Grosso joins CIMMYT colleagues for lunch. (Photo: Jenifer Morales/CIMMYT)
“I enjoyed speaking with CIMMYT’s scientists and staff, who embody a spirit of dedicated, collective action towards creating systems that produce more nutritious food for vulnerable populations. I am confident that the CGIAR-CIMMYT integrated partnership will only accelerate the needed inclusive transformation of our food systems,” said Grosso.
Grosso engaged with CIMMYT’s enabling units part of the operations and engagement chapters, which are driving forward the Excellence in Operations strategic pillar. This pillar is a cornerstone in supporting and expanding the organization’s global impact. Grosso also toured CIMMYT’s museum, which showcases over 55 years of the institution’s history and operational distinction.
Laboratory specialists share how CIMMYT distributes improved wheat lines annually to public breeding research programs and educational institutions. (Photo: Jenifer Morales/CIMMYT)
The new deputy executive managing director also learned about CIMMYT’s Excellence in Science pillar. He spoke with researchers and Mexican partners who gave him an overview of the center’s research portfolio in genetic innovation and resilient agrifood systems—critical areas which will support CIMMYT’s efforts to contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and CGIAR’s 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy.
Women and the milpa in Chiapas, Mexico. (Illustration: FMG/OpenAI, 2024)
With its transversal focus on gender and social inclusion, CGIAR’s Latin American regional initiative AgriLac Resiliente shows how, through sustainable agriculture, women in the Latin American countryside are a fundamental piece to building resilient and inclusive food systems.
One of the most inspiring examples comes from the Tzotzil women’s group of Tzabaló, in Larráinzar, Chiapas, Mexico. These women have found in the Chiapas Hub a platform that has allowed them to contribute significantly to the development of their households and environments.
“We are a group of women who have worked in pig and chicken farming for some years now. In 2022, we started working with CIMMYT and DAI (Desarrollo Alternativo e Investigación AC). We liked it a lot because we see that they are interested in women. They give us the opportunity to learn which awakens our interest in working in the field because we want to help our husbands, but with knowledge,” they said.
According to their testimonies, the opportunity to train in sustainable agriculture has been transformative. Previously, their participation in agricultural activities was limited. Now, with new knowledge acquired, they are producing healthy and nutritious food.
“If we just stay at home, we don’t do much, but when we go out to the countryside, we feel free, we clear ourselves of so many tasks around the house, and we bring tender beans and fresh vegetables. Now we can produce our food free of toxins and store our maize in airtight containers without chemicals,” they pointed out.
The experience has given them not only autonomy in making decisions about their food but also a sense of freedom and purpose when working in the field where the power of group work has also been a major factor in their success.
“It is always better to work in a group than individually, but it is necessary to find a good manager or leader to guide you and teach you how to work. As a group, we have obtained knowledge that we share among ourselves, we learned to prune fruit trees, we no longer burn stubble to recycle nutrients, there is more production and the product is bigger, and we also expect good fruit production.”
Plot in Chiapas where sustainable practices have been implemented. (Photo: García, Ramírez and Meentzen/CIMMYT)
However, the path has not been without challenges. The community faces a sociopolitical context that makes collaboration between groups difficult, although these women persist and demonstrate with their achievements that female participation in agriculture is fundamental for community development.
“What we do, people see it badly and ask us why we go to the countryside to learn something that is not for us, that we leave because we don’t have chores at home, but we don’t get discouraged. When they see the results of the work, they ask us how we did it, and we tell them what we learned by not staying alone at home, and we invite them to join the group,” they mentioned, emphasizing that if you are in the group, it does not matter what political group you belong to because the only thing that matters is knowledge and the desire to improve oneself.
Their courage and determination have not only transformed their own lives but is also inspiring other women to join and follow this path of empowerment through sustainable agriculture.
These success stories are proof of the positive impact that the inclusion of women in the field can have. Their voice and experience are fundamental to building more resilient and sustainable food systems, where gender equity and the active participation of all actors are pillars for a prosperous future in rural areas of Latin America.
Directors from Excellence in Agronomy visit modules and platforms at CIMMYT’s South Pacific Hub in Oaxaca, Mexico (Photo: CIMMYT)
“It was a stunning experience for me to understand the operation of a hub and see farmers interact directly with field technicians, applying the principles of Conservation Agriculture. I remember a lady from Oaxaca telling us how productive she has become using la matraca, a simple, manual seeder and fertilizer,” says Mandla Nkomo during his recent visit to the Mixteca oaxaqueña in southern Mexico.
Mandla is the chief growth officer for the Excellence in Agronomy Initiative (EiA) which, “gathers more than 10 CGIAR Research Centers whose goal is to create solutions to problems that farmers face globally. EiA works on a foundation that is driven by demand to understand the challenges farmers are dealing with, and bring forth a development system for innovation that is capable of coping with those challenges and finding solutions that can be tested, validated, and scaled,” he mentions.
His searching for a system that triggers and diffuses innovation for farmers motivated Mandla to visit the hubs in Oaxaca, Mexico. “We are here because we wanted to study all the hubs and the projects based on the methods CIMMYT and its collaborators have developed in Mexico. One of the things we consider at EiA is the successful and sustainable transition from individual use to working within a partner network.”
“What we have seen here is the work of our colleagues from CIMMYT. For the last decade, they have come up with these hubs or innovation centers situated across different agroecological regions in Mexico. What is unique about the hubs is the ecosystem they are creating, which in my opinion, is what brings excellence in agronomy,” says Mandla.
The hubs are a management approach for innovation that was developed in Mexico based on initiatives like MasAgro-Cultivos para México. Due to its big impact, it’s being replicated in Asia, Africa, and in other Latin America countries. In addition, it lies in the heart of CGIAR initiatives.
About this methodology, Mandla says those who participate in it, are trying to understand the challenges that farmers truly face. Then a platform is developed to do proper research that responds to farmers’ needs. Subsequently, they test it in modules which provides proof of the impact these solutions are having as compared to conventional farming. Finally, these solutions are transferred to areas called extension, from which large-scale innovations are implemented.
During his visit to the research platform in Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan and to modules for innovation, extension areas, seed warehouses, post-harvest modules and machinery locations at different towns in Oaxaca, Mandla Nkomo and other visitors from EiA had the opportunity of learning not only how the South Pacific Hub operates but also witnessed how this management approach for innovation is socially and culturally relevant to one of the most diverse regions in the country.
“These days have been truly amazing. They have been very useful in refining the picture of what’s possible to do and scale. Mexico is a megadiverse country with varied agroecology. Our approach can be replicated in many parts of the world. I’m very excited with what we have seen. The country that gave us corn is now providing the world with solutions that will have major impacts on global food security. So, it is now our task (me and the whole EiA team) to find ways to pass this on to other latitudes”.
This terrible season of global conflict just hit a particularly grim milestone in Sudan with the one-year anniversary of the violent civil war last month. One consequence of the conflict is that Sudanese families are beginning to starve — and while emergency food aid is needed, so is investment in longer-term food production.
Political, economic, and social upheaval in the country has displaced over 8 million people and left nearly 25 million people in need of urgent food assistance, including more than 14 million children. The anniversary saw major donors mark the day with more than $2 billion in new aid pledges.
While these pledges are important, the international community also needs to rethink some of its aid strategies. Emergency food assistance for those at immediate risk of starvation is understandably a high priority now, but restoring food production within the country is just as important — otherwise donors risk racing from crisis to crisis and always falling short. It is time to break away from an aid-dependency model and invest directly in farmers.
In fact, challenges to Sudan’s agriculture were likely a contributing factor to the current conflict. The livelihoods of most people in Sudan depend on the agri-food sector, which has been under pressure in recent years. Economic stagnation, weather shocks, land conflicts, high inflation, and health crises made 9.8 million Sudanese severely food-insecure by 2021.
Sudan is not alone, and it’s important that the donor community understand how. Eight out of 10 of the world’s worst food crises are driven by war, persecution, and conflict, in places such as Sudan, Yemen, the Palestinian territories, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The confluence of conflict, state fragility, climate change, and poverty is already overwhelming the international community’s ability to respond to escalating humanitarian needs. The international community has to put more emphasis on anticipatory action, because reaction is just not going to be enough anymore.
The need to get ahead of the growing scale of humanitarian disasters has provoked new thinking and partnerships among research, development, and humanitarian organizations, such as ours.
We are investing in better risk assessment, preparation for future food crises, and accelerated learning about how climate change is affecting agricultural productivity and production. The significant resources and expertise of the international research-for-development community can make humanitarian responses in fragile and conflict-affected states more effective and optimal.
Sudan will hopefully show how this kind of intervention can work. Our organizations are part of an international effort to partner with Sudan’s farmers to improve livelihoods in the country. We had started operating across six Sudanese states just before the outbreak of the current conflict, training farmers on how to manage their crops, livestock, and natural resources, and supporting them to access drought-tolerant seeds, with a specific focus on last-mile delivery to women and youth. When the civil war started last year, we quickly pivoted to supporting farmers in safer locations and focusing on the needs of internally displaced people in new areas.
Make no mistake: Implementing these interventions in the current conditions is a heavy lift. Roadblocks, skyrocketing fuel costs, denied travel permits, and breakdowns in telephone service all impede communication with farmers and the delivery of seeds, tools, and training. The threat of emergent violence is driving displacement and staff turnover.
Nonetheless, our coalition has continued to operate. Local partners, including cooperatives, microfinance institutions, and private sector players have shown themselves to be especially effective as the conflict has escalated. These cooperatives, strengthened by farmer training, enable farmers to improve their production and incomes by pooling their resources.
For example, the 72-member Al Etihad women-led farmer cooperative in South Kordofan has initiated multiple enterprises, guided by a structured business plan that steers them toward a more empowered role in local food value chains.
Through the program, last-mile seed retailers have helped nearly 6,000 farmers access agronomic advisories and seeds at a subsidized price. This has empowered farmers like Fatna Mohammed, a 48-year-old widow and mother of three, to build a better livelihood from her small-scale groundnut and vegetable production. She reports that an increased harvest of 18 sacks of groundnut, up from five sacks, enabled her to invest in her farm and better feed her family.
This unique last-mile delivery network, carefully tailored to local realities and drivers, is helping Sudanese communities to survive the current crisis and it can be activated for the rebuilding period — which cannot come soon enough.
Sudan, as with many war-affected nations, is caught in a doom loop of insecurity: Any restoration of political stability requires economic activity, but any economic activity requires political stability. Both depend on physical security, which is hard to achieve without political stability and economic activity.
While a cessation of violence and the restoration of civil order is ultimately up to the parties to the conflict, a direct, international investment in farmers is a way to potentially break the cycle, simultaneously addressing the growing hunger crisis and helping build the preconditions for peace.
Fanta Mohamed, a 48-year-old widow with three children, lives in Aldagag village in South Kordofan. For years, Fanta has worked on her small farm to feed her children. Fanta used local seeds, and her agricultural yield was very poor. It made her wonder where she was going wrong. Fanta, like thousands of women farmers in remote and hard-to-reach areas of South Kordofan in central Sudan, has limited access to quality inputs and agricultural extension services.
In South Kordofan, Mercy Corps, aided by USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), trained 15 local farmers and producers in the Farmer Field School methodology and climate-smart agriculture with the support of officials from the State Ministry of Agriculture.
“At SASAS, we work to empower women farmers, especially those who live in remote areas such as South Kordofan. We help them with agricultural inputs such as improved seeds, new agricultural skills, and techniques to increase their production and help enhance food security amid the looming food crisis in Sudan,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party.
Women farmers apply new agricultural techniques in South Kordofan. (Photo: CIMMYT)
To address the challenges of poor seed quality, Mercy Corps contracted local supplier Alzahra Seed for Trade to sell improved seeds at a subsidized price and expand access by establishing last-mile seed retail networks. Alzahra Seed for Trade would also deliver agronomic extension training to farmers in remote villages such as Aldagag.
Fanta recalls how she and other women farmers came to know about the improved seeds. “We were at a coffee gathering at my neighbor’s house, when one of the women told us that Alzahra Seed for Trade’s retail agent had brought improved seeds from Dilling town for sale. We were not even aware of the existence of improved seeds,” she said.
With accessible and affordable improved seeds in Aldagag, Fanta was one of the smallholder farmers who bought seeds from a retailer in her village. She bought groundnut and vegetable seeds and received basic agronomic extension training from the retailer who offered it as an embedded service. In addition to getting access to improved seeds, Fanta was visited by an extension officer from Alzahra Seed for Trade.
Women farmers participate in an agronomic extension training. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Fanta recalls how she managed her farm before she was introduced to improved seeds. “In the seasons before I got the training, my farm looked disorganized. Like other farmers in my area, I didn’t care about the distances between the plants. Local seeds yielded about four or five sacks of groundnut per one feddan (unit of area in Sudan),” she shared. Post training, Fanta planted two feddans of groundnut using the improved seeds and followed the agronomic guidance. “I harvested 18 sacks from the two feddans–much higher than before.”
Increased income provides women farmers with greater financial resources, and many of them feel empowered. “Women famers in my area who have used improved seeds and followed new agricultural techniques have become stronger and feel confident enough to have a voice within our community,” said Fanta.
Sudan, the third largest country in Africa, has long been an epicenter of food production, due to its fertile lands and rich history of agricultural cultivation. But modern Sudan faces chronic food insecurity rooted in social and geopolitical challenges. A situation that has been exacerbated by the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023. The armed conflict has caused a sudden, further decline in agricultural productivity, displacing large populations and pushing millions of Sudanese into high levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.
In response to this crisis, CIMMYT, through the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), is supporting agricultural development by creating robust and sustainable food production systems. SASAS adapts a modular and multi-crop approach to implement an integrated agrifood system that underpins food security, employment, and equity.
As the planting season of 2024 approaches, the project strives to strengthen food production to support the people of Sudan during these challenging times.
Experts speak: SASAS focuses on five key areas
Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party, highlights how the agricultural innovations of the project are impacting multiple regions in Sudan. The focus of the project is on five broad intervention areas: promoting agricultural production for smallholder farmers, improving value chains and business development, supporting community management of natural resources, and providing horticultural and livestock services such as vaccination campaigns.
Further in the video, Murtada Khalid, country coordinator for Sudan, explains how the SASAS Food Security Initiative (SFSI) will provide 30,000+ farmers with a diversified package of four inputs: fertilizer, seeds, land preparation, and agricultural advisory services, to prepare for the upcoming 2024 sorghum and groundnut planting season. SFSI is a critical element of SASAS that uniquely provides agricultural development aid during a time of conflict to directly improve the food security situation in Sudan.
How women farmers benefit from SASAS
SASAS works directly with women farmers and pastoralists to ensure an equitable approach to food security in the country. Hear farmers from the women-led El-Harram Agricultural Cooperative in Kassala, Sudan, explain how SASAS has positively impacted their lives and families.
Ali Atta Allah, a farmer in Kassala expresses her gratitude for SASAS support. “They provided us with seeds including jute, mallow, okra, and sweet pepper. We planted them, and they thrived.” Ali highlighted the financial gains—a bundle of jute mallow sells for 500 Sudanese Pound (SDG). The income from the entire area amounts to 200,000 to 300,000 SDG. “The seeds provided by SASAS are of superior quality,” she affirmed.
Aziza Haroun from El-Ghadambaliya village, shares her story of how improved seeds provided by SASAS activities helped double her yields compared to previous years. “We used to farm in the same land and the yield was poor. Mercy Corps, a SASAS partner, introduced us to a new method of planting legumes as natural fertilizer. Now our yield has increased significantly,” she said.
Women farmers show their harvested vegetables, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)
The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to contribute to a food crisis threatening the lives of over 18 million people. Farmers, especially smallholders and vulnerable women, are facing extraordinary challenges in obtaining needed agricultural inputs, and access to markets is diminishing.
In Kassala State, East Sudan, which hosts hundreds of thousands of people displaced by ongoing armed conflict including Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) is working with women farmers to prepare and safeguard the upcoming growing season. This work is critical to help meet the unprecedented demand for vegetables in the region and achieve sustainable development goals.
“At SASAS, we are working to empower women farmers, especially those who lost their traditional livelihood resources, and help them to acquire skills and techniques to increase their agricultural production to help improve food security,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party in Sudan.
Women farmers participate in a training on vegetable growing, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)
SASAS works with the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative, a women-led farmers group, based in Kassala, to help increase vegetable production. SASAS trains El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative members on modern agricultural techniques, irrigation techniques, pest control, and organic fertilizers to increase crop yields.
“SASAS trained us on new ploughing and land preparation techniques, which we never used before and then provided us with improved seeds of okra, tomato, chili, and mallow, and encouraged us to use legumes as organic fertilizers,” said Imtithal Atta, a farmer from the Alsawagi neighborhood in Kassala. “In the past, I used to buy vegetable seeds from the local market, but they grow poorly. The improved seeds given by SASAS are germinating extremely well. My income has doubled; I almost made $250 from my first harvest of vegetables.”
The ongoing conflict has interrupted traditional livelihood activities in many regions. In some areas, farmers missed the harvest, leading to a dramatic reduction in agricultural production and debilitating price increases for cereals and vegetables. SASAS is helping to restore agricultural production in key growing regions by ensuring farmers have timely access to necessary production inputs, including fertilizer and climate-adapted seeds.
SASAS staff examine the germination of vegetables in women-led farms, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“For years, I have worked tirelessly on my family’s farm, season after season, without earning a good income, and I was not sure what was wrong. Luckily, this cultivation season, SASAS trained us on new ploughing techniques to better prepare the land for cultivation, using organic fertilizers to enrich the soil and offering us improved vegetable seeds,” said Fatima Ahmed, a woman farmer and a mother of three children from the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative.
“Thanks to SASAS, both the quality and the quantity of my agricultural products have greatly improved. I am so happy that I got some good money from my vegetables. I feel empowered and now I can have a strong voice within my community. I am more confident and gained the courage to participate in important decision-making processes within my family and express my opinions without fear,” said Ahmed.
A critical part of SASAS are efforts to diversify food production in Kassala, where malnutrition among children under 5 years old, and breastfeeding, lactating, and pregnant women, are prevalent.
Women farmers process their onions, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“I used to go to the main market in town to get my daily needs from vegetables, but now I buy what I need from women farmers closer to my home. They are selling me fresh vegetables at a good price. The taste of the vegetables is quite fresh and healthy, this is something I have been missing for a long time,” said Hanan, a resident of Alswagi.
“The vegetables produced by members of the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative has led to an increased supply in the local market. I buy vegetables from women farmers and sell them here in the neighborhood market. This has cut my transportation cost as I used to buy vegetables from markets a long distance away,” said Osman, vegetables trader, also in Alswagi.
Gender and social inclusion are fundamental themes for the Latin American regional initiative AgriLac Resiliente, which is why numerous regions bordering Guatemala and Honduras have been selected to implement priority actions with a gender approach.
In order to integrate a guideline that clears up why gender and social inclusiveness are relevant matters and incorporate it in all InnovaHubs activities in Guatemala and Honduras, social inclusion and gender experts from AgriLac have implemented a participatory process in the South Pacific and Chiapas Hubs to gather information and document research results to facilitate the Hub model for replication, developed by CIMMYT in Mexico and other countries.
In this way, Alejandrina Garcia in Oaxaca, Alejandro Ramirez in Chiapas, and Angela Meentzan, head of the AgriLac Gender and Social Inclusion Team, conducted individual and group interviews to learn how the different actors involved in the hubs perceived their own participation: farmers, workers, managers, and staff of the hubs, as well as partners who participated in this participatory process.
There are numerous and successful cases of rural women’s participation in the centers of Oaxaca and Chiapas that have been collected in this process. “It is expected that these case studies will become part of an annex to the guideline, just to illustrate why the participation of rural women is essential in their own vision,” said Meentzen, who highlights the case of Juanita, a Tzeltal woman from La Providencia in Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico.
“About five years ago, I started working alongside CIMMYT. Before we knew them, we were only planting maize and beans, but then we couldn’t produce any more. The plants stopped growing, and we had a lot of problems with pests, so we used to burn all the stubble. When the engineers came, they invited us to join them. At first, we weren’t that interested, but we let them teach us. They taught us how to grow other crops like sunflowers, peanuts, vegetables, and fruit trees like lemon and soursop,” said Juanita.
“Now we don’t burn all the stubble and we have crops all year round. We also grow other types of plants and use a lot of organic products that they taught us how to prepare. Our production has increased, and we sell more and more at the market. My daughter and I take care of the sale of the crops: beans, corn, vegetables, squash, corn, and flowers; the latter have given us such good results that we have earned some extra money,” said Juanita.
“The benefits we got from our land allowed us to give our children a future. Some of them have graduated from college and have jobs; others are about to graduate, but they have all learned to work the land. It feels a little harder, but I have been able to take care of both: my family and the land. I don’t know how I did it, but I did it,” said Juanita proudly, noting that the scientific knowledge gained from the research platform and Hub modules has had a real and positive impact on her and her family.
Photo: Juanita, a Tzeltal woman from La Providencia in Ocosingo, Chiapas, stands in her field. (Garcia, Ramirez and Meentzen/CIMMYT)
In 2023, Mexico, with CIMMYT’s support, rejected 1,463 risky agricultural shipments, preventing 258 quarantine-worthy pests from entering the country. CIMMYT highlighted climate change’s role in pest spread, emphasizing Mexico’s commitment to safeguarding food production and ensuring global food security.
Experts of a visiting team from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have lauded the premium quality rice (PQR) value chain process in northern Bangladesh.
They made the admiration while visiting the Bengal Auto Rice Mills at Pulhat in Dinajpur and exchanging views with its owner, PQR farmers, local service providers (LSP) and traders on PQR production, milling and marketing.
Dr. Zachary P. Stewart, Production Systems Specialist of the Center for Agriculture-Led Growth, Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security of the USAID from Washington led the team during their three-day tour in Northern Bangladesh that ended on Saturday.
John Laborde and Muhammad Nuruzzaman from the USAID’s Bangladesh Mission, Program Director of Sustainable Agrifood Systems at CIMMYT in Mexico Dr. Sieglinde Snapp and CIMMYT Country representative for Bangladesh Dr. Timothy J. Krupnik accompanied by him.
The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia CSISA-III project, funded by USAID and implemented by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), has been actively engaged in expanding and enhancing PQR value chains since 2016 in the Khulna division and since 2019 in the Rangpur division in Bangladesh.
The team members visited the entire Auto Rice Mills to observe the process of milling, sorting and packaging of PQR rice.
Owner of Bengal Auto Rice Mills Mr. Zahangir Alam informed that previously he sourced BRRI dhan50 (Banglamoti) from the southern part of Bangladesh.
However, since establishing a connection with CSISA in 2019, he has been procuring 30 percent to 40 percent of the total annual demand for BRRI dhan50 for producing PQR from the CSISA-beneficiary PQR farmers’ groups and others locally.
He highlighted how farmers have benefited from direct paddy purchases from them and obtaining high-quality and admixture-free rice.
“With assistance from CSISA, I have successfully branded this variety using its original name (BRRI dhan50) since 2020,” Zahangir Alam added.
Lead farmer Md. Azad expressed the advantages they have experienced from cultivating BRRI dhan50 through CSISA and higher yield of the BRRI dhan50 variety compared to the BRRI dhan28.
He highlighted their affiliation with the Bengal Auto Rice Mills, which has enabled them to fetch prices 7-8 Bangladesh Taka (BDT) higher per kilogram of paddy than those for BRRI dhan28.
During the visit, Agronomist from Bangladesh Office of IRRI Dr. Sharif Ahmed provided an overview of the PQR initiatives conducted by CSISA.
He also facilitated the tour alongside Md. Alanuzzaman Kurishi, Hub Coordinator at CIMMYT’s Dinajpur Field Office and Abdullah Miajy, a Specialist in Agricultural Research and Development at IRRI’s Rangpur Hub.
As the world searches for effective solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change while navigating the cost-of-living crisis, delivering food security goals alongside robust economic value is more imperative than ever in agricultural research.
CGIAR plays a vital role in this mission, aiming to transform food, land, and water systems in collaboration with its 15 Research Centers, such as CIMMYT. Now, a new study published in World Development comprehensively analyzes CGIAR’s fiscal impact on global agricultural over nearly 60 years.
Additionally, investment in productivity gains for staple crops in developing countries has aided entire populations by securing lower food prices and generating large local growth multipliers, thus achieving a greater impact on poverty reduction when compared to productivity growth in other sectors.
CIMMYT contributes 40% of total CGIAR varietal impact
At least 221 million hectares in at least 92 countries were occupied by CGIAR crop technologies in 2020. Between 2016 and 2020, CIMMYT maize varieties accounted for 24.5 million hectares (11%) of this figure, while CIMMYT wheat varieties made up almost 74 million hectares (33%).
An example of how these CIMMYT varieties impact farmers can be seen in sub-Saharan Africa, where using improved maize seed led to an overall average increase of 38.9% in yields to 1,104 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha), equal to an increase of 429 kg/ha. With increased yields come increased profits and employment security for farmers and their families.
The frequency with which technologies are upgraded also signifies the impact of agricultural research and development (R&D) on crop productivity and the economy. On the 221 million ha planting area, many farmers utilize second or third generation technologies. For example, average varietal generation in maize is estimated to be 1.1, meaning that 10% of farmers use a second-generation variety, and most wheat farmers were also using second or third generation modern varieties. This highlights that ongoing crop research continued to impact productivity, even when the size of the adoption area remained constant.
Expanding the impact
As CGIAR’s reach and capacity have grown, economic benefits are now apparent in an increased number of global regions compared to when its work began. Initially, most economic benefits came from wheat and rice farming in Asia; however, 30% of CGIAR crop technologies now occupy sub-Saharan Africa, generating a significant share of its impact. This region remains heavily reliant upon CGIAR-related varieties, so continued investment is encouraged to maintain and build on the positive outcomes achieved to date.
“Considering the urgent need to attain nutrition security, CIMMYT always seeks ways to assure global food systems,” said Bram Govaerts, director general of CIMMYT. “This thorough analysis is a strong validation of CIMMYT’s work and its significance not just for farmers and their immediate families, but for communities and generations into the future. Our collaborative partnerships with CGIAR Research Centers and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) are integral in delivering successful projects that enable smallholder farmers to maximize the potential of their land.”
While similar studies have been undertaken in the past, this work takes a unique approach by drawing on a wider range of evidence built on country- and crop-specific data, such as the adoption of crop improvement technologies and productivity impacts per hectare, thereby providing a more granular assessment of CGIAR’s economic inputs.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced the worst impacts of climate change on agriculture over the past decades and projections show such effects are going to intensify in the coming years. Diminished agricultural production has been the primary impact channel given the high reliance on rainfed agriculture in the region. Combined with a growing population, food security for millions of people is threatened.
Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a sustainable cropping system that can help reverse soil degradation, augment soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce labor requirements while helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. It is built on three core principles of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification.
CA was introduced in southern Africa in the 1990s, but its adoption has been patchy and often associated with commercial farming. A group of researchers, led by Christian Thierfelder, principal cropping systems agronomist at CIMMYT, set out to understand the reasons why smallholder farmers adopt CA, or why they might not or indeed dis-adopt. Their results were published in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems on March 12, 2024.
Conservation Agriculture plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“Conservation Agriculture can cushion farmers from the effects of climate change through its capacity to retain more soil water in response to high water infiltration and increased soil organic carbon. It is therefore a viable option to deal with increased heat and drought stress,” said Thierfelder. However, even with these benefits, adoption of CA has not been as widespread in countries like Malawi.
“There are regions within Malawi where CA has been promoted for a long time, also known as sentinel sites,” said Thierfelder. “In such places, adoption is rising, indicating that farmers are realizing the benefits of CA over time. Examining adoption dynamics in sentinel sites can provide valuable lessons on scaling CA and why some regions experience large rates of non- or dis-adoption.”
Thierfelder and his co-authors, Innocent Pangapanga-Phiri of the Center for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), and Hambulo Ngoma, scientist and agricultural economist at CIMMYT, examined the Nkhotakota district in central Malawi, one of the most promising examples of widespread CA adoption.
Total LandCare (TLC), a regional NGO working in Malawi has been consistently promoting CA in tandem with CIMMYT in the Nkhotakota district since 2005.
Results from both individual farmer interviews and focused group discussions revealed that farmers that implement CA saw higher yields per hectare than those who practiced conventional tillage practices. In addition, farmers using CA indicated greater resilience in times of drought, improved soil fertility, and reduced pest infestation.
Why adopt CA?
The primary factors enhancing CA adoption in the Nkhotakota district were the availability of training, extension and advisory services, and demonstration plots by the host farmers. Host farmers are farmers that have been trained by a TLC extension officer and have their own plot of land to demonstrate CA methods. In addition, host farmers train other farmers and share knowledge and skills through farmer field days and other local agricultural exhibitions.
“Social networks among the farmers serve a vital role in CA adoption,” said Ngoma. “Seeing tangible success carries significant weight for non-adopter farmers or temporal dis-adopters which can persuade them to adopt.”
Maize demonstration plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)
During focus group discussions facilitated by the authors, farmers indicated that demonstration plots also removed fear for the unknown and debunked some myths regarding CA systems, for example, that practitioners show ‘laziness’ if they do not conventionally till their land.
“This suggests that CA uptake could be enhanced with increased, targeted, and long-term promotion efforts that include demonstration plots,” said Ngoma.
Similarly, the longer duration of CA exposure positively influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt CA methods as longer exposure might allow farmers to better understand the benefits of CA practices.
Why not adopt CA?
Farmers reported socioeconomic, financial, and technical constraints to adopt CA. An example is that farmers might not have the labor and time available for weed control, a necessary step in the first few years after the transition to CA.
“Weed control is an important challenge during the early years of CA adoption and can be seen as the ‘Achilles heel’ of CA adoption,” said Thierfelder. CIMMYT scientists therefore focused a lot of research in recent years to find alternative weed control strategies based on integrated weed management (IWM) using chemical, biological, and mechanical control options.
Examining the stover in a maize plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)
In most cases, the benefits of CA adoption are seen only after 2 to 5 years. Having such a long-term view is not always possible for smallholder farmers, who often must make decisions based on current conditions and have immediate family obligations to meet.
As a contrast to adopters of CA, non-adopters reported a lack of knowledge about CA as a whole and a lack of specific technical knowledge needed to transition from more traditional methods to CA.
This scarcity of technical support is often due to the lack of strong agriculture extension support systems. Since CA adoption can be complex, capacity building of both farmers and extension agents can therefore foster adoption and implementation of CA. This reinforces that farmer-to-farmer approaches through host farmers could complement other sources of extension to foster adoption.
Next steps
The authors identified three policy recommendations to accelerate CA adoption. First, there is a need to continue promoting CA using farmer-centric approaches more consistently, e.g., the host farmer approach. Using a farmer-centered approach facilitates experiential learning and can serve as a motivation for peer-to-peer exchange and learning and can reduce misinformation. The host farmer approach can be augmented by mega-demonstrations to showcase CA implementation at scale. In addition, rapid and mass extension delivery can be enhanced by using digital technologies.
Second, CA promotion should allow farmers the time to experiment with different CA options before adoption. What remains unclear at the policy level is the types of incentives and support that can be given to farmers to encourage experimentation without creating economic dependence. NGOs and extension workers could help farmers deal with the weed pressure soon after converting from full to minimum tillage by providing herbicides and training.
Third, there is a need to build and strengthen farmer groups to facilitate easier access to training, to serve as conduits for incentive schemes such as payments for environmental services, and conditional input subsidies for CA farmers. Such market-smart incentives are key to induce initial adoption in the short term and to facilitate sustained adoption.
Collaboration among diverse seed value chain actors is essential to improving seed systems for dryland crops in Kenya and contributing to food security in an era marked by climate change. This holistic approach is essential at a time when sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly becoming pertinent in semi-arid and high-potential areas, as emphasized by participants attending a multi-stakeholder seed systems meeting in Nairobi.
The Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop in February 2024 brought together various stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the private sector. The main aim of this meeting was to identify practical ways to address critical challenges in the seed system for key dryland crops—pigeon pea, chickpea, groundnut, millets, and sorghum—essential to the livelihoods of millions in Kenya. Organized by CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), this collaborative effort aimed to gather insights and jointly develop a seed systems strategy to strengthen a seed supply system that matches grain demand for these essential grains.
A group photo of the participants in the Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)
While moderating the discussion, Patrick Ketiem, director of agricultural mechanization research at KALRO, highlighted the importance of the situation. “The demand for drought-tolerant dryland crops and varieties is a clarion call for breeders to innovate further,” he explained. This reflects a broader trend across the country, where even high-potential areas are shifting to dryland crops in response to unpredictable weather patterns.
Addressing farmer needs
The workshop allowed participants to delve into the intricacies of seed systems, from varietal preferences to market readiness, highlighting the importance of collaboration among breeders, distributors, and farmers. Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, emphasized the importance of integrating passion with science to make a tangible difference in the lives of farmers. “Our work is not just about developing varieties,” Siambi remarked. “It’s about improving livelihoods and ensuring that the benefits of our research reach the smallholder farmer,” he explained, emphasizing the broader impact of CIMMYT’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity, food security, and livelihoods in the face of climate change.
Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, engages in a conversation with a participant. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)
Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, explained the vision for the Dryland Crops program, referencing the journey of the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project, which was a culmination of a decade of research aimed at introducing new, diverse, and farmer-preferred crop varieties to farming communities through a variety of seed delivery models.
“The essence of our endeavor is to ensure that the genetic gains from our breeding efforts result in real benefits for the farmers,” he said. “Developing seed varieties with the end-user in mind is crucial to ensure that crops not only reach the farmers but also meet their specific needs effectively.”
Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, provides insights on the future of the Dryland Crops program, leveraging ten years of research from AVISA. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)
Improving seed systems
The workshop discussions also highlighted the importance of innovation in seed delivery models and the need for increased investment in the dryland crops sector as essential strategies for addressing current challenges and capitalizing on new opportunities. Investment decisions will be guided by granular data on local grain demand, enhancing seed production planning. Additionally, insights from institutions such as the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the State Department of Agriculture, consolidating per capita consumption data, will aid in determining the requisite seed supply per capita. Moreover, there is need for a mechanism for facilitating knowledge through consolidating data from existing projects that tackle comparable challenges related to food security and seed accessibility.
Lusike Wasilwa, crops systems director at KALRO, who represented the organization’s director general at the event, stressed the importance of seeds in agriculture. “From genes to gains, our focus is on developing climate-smart, nutritious crops that not only enhance soil health but also ensure food security in Kenya,” Wasilwa said. She further highlighted the importance of soil health and market development in achieving sustainable food production in arid and semi-arid lands, promoting biodiversity, and sustainable land management practices.
Lusike Wasilwa, the crops systems director at KALRO, who represents the organization’s director general at the event, emphasizes the importance of seeds in agriculture. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)
Cross-cutting issues
The workshop also addressed regulatory and control measures in seed production with Stellamaris Mulika, principal seed inspector from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), highlighting the importance of stringent quality control measures to ensure the dissemination of quality seed of superior crop varieties.
The importance of gender inclusivity and youth engagement in agriculture was also acknowledged, reflecting women and youth’s critical role in legume and cereal variety selection, diversifying seed sources, and meaningfully contributing to the seed value chain. Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), proposed several interventions to increase investment capacity for farmers and aggregators, mainly from the assurance of high yields from certified seeds to farmers, serving as a motivation.
Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, highlighted the need for government support in investing in the grain sector, citing the school feeding program as an initiative to pull seed demand. Mutheu urged the government to expand the crop types in legumes and cereals, such as chickpeas, included in these school feeding programs to increase demand. This, she argued, would gradually establish an inclusive seed system for increasing uptake of these underutilized but opportunity nutrient-dense crops.
Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, and Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), discuss the vital role of youth in the seed systems value chain. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)
The consensus was clear: to enhance the seed systems for dryland crops, there must be collaboration across the entire value chain—from breeders to farmers, from policymakers to the private sector. This integrated approach is critical for Kenya’s climate change adaptation, food security, and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
Spearheaded by CIMMYT with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the AVISA project seeks to improve breeding and seed systems of dryland crops, as well as the livelihoods of small-scale producers and consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. CIMMYT is leveraging this opportunity to advance research and expand its influence through its 2030 strategy that shapes the future of agriculture as a driver of food and nutrition security, and climate resilient, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development.
For decades, women farmers like Maureen Bwalya from the Musa camp in Kasama district of northern Zambia, have upheld the tradition of cultivating cassava on ridges. These small piles of soil created by hand hoes, 30-50 cm tall and 50 cm wide are intended to reduce water logging and facilitate cassava growth. But forming row after row takes a significant amount of physical labor. Establishing ridges follows a traditional practice known as chitemene, a Bemba word which means “place where branches have been cut for a garden.”
Chitemene, a slash and burn technique once common in Zambia, involves cutting down standing trees in the Miombo woodlands, stacking the logs, and then burning them to create a thick layer of ash believed to enhance soil fertility. The ashen fields are initially cultivated with pearl millet and followed by crops like cassava. As years progressed, this method has been associated with adverse environmental impacts disrupting the ecosystem balance due to increasingly shortened fallow and recovery periods. However, with the ever-changing climate, Bwalya and other farmers recognize the need for sustainable practices that require less labor.
Alternatives to the traditional methods
Since childhood, Maureen Bwalya, a mother of seven from Musa Camp in the Kasama District of northern Zambia, has dedicated her life to cassava farming. Thriving under very low fertility and acidic soils, cassava has offered a lifeline amid the challenges of rural agriculture. When the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project was introduced in the northern province, where cassava is a strategic crop, Bwalya saw a valuable opportunity for change to cultivate better practices that not only improve cassava yields but also replenish soil fertility in her fields.
“When I started these trials, it was a tough transition,” said Bwalya, reflecting on her journey. “Shifting from ridge planting to flat land cultivation posed its challenges as this practice was new to me. But with time, I have learned the advantages of intercropping: increased yields, less labor, and enhanced productivity, all of which enrich my farming practices.”
Maureen Bwalya gazes through her plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Implemented over the last five years by CIMMYT, in collaboration with FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, SIFAZ aims to advance the intensification of farming practices and catalyze widespread adoption among farmers in Zambia. In the Musa camp, key partners took on the challenge of advancing better farming techniques with cassava. Their collective objective was clear: to identify methods that minimized labor intensity while maximizing yields. Through rigorous trials, including comparing flat land planting against traditional ridge systems and experimenting with intercropping cassava with common beans and groundnuts, promising results have been seen.
The outcomes yielded thus far have been nothing short of inspiring across farmers. It has become clear to farmers and researchers that cassava planted on flat land, particularly within a Conservation Agriculture (CA) framework, was not only feasible in high rainfall areas but also yielded significantly higher returns. Despite observing fewer root structures, the roots themselves proved to be robust and weighty, ultimately translating to increased productivity for smallholder farmers. Furthermore, farmers have confirmed that cassava from the CA plots tastes better than the one from the ridged portions.
“As a cassava trial implementer,” Bwalya said, “I undertook various trials exploring intercropping cassava with beans and groundnuts, across both flat and ridge systems.”
Thriving and innovating
Her six-hectare plot has become a hub of experimentation, with 0.3 hectares dedicated to the ongoing trials. Encouraged by the successes and promising yields witnessed on flat land, Maureen extended these sustainable practices to the remaining expanse, intercropping maize with cassava. Her results have been noticed, drawing the interest of over fifty neighboring farmers, inspired by her flourishing plot.
As the harvesting season approaches, Bwalya faces no shortage of opportunities to market her produce. From cassava cuttings to nutrient-rich leaves and tubers, she never runs short of eager buyers in local markets, ensuring a steady income for her family.
Navigating through the different trials across the Kasama district, pockets of adoption in some farmers’ fields are noticeable. Through collaborative partnerships and community engagement, SIFAZ strives to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools stemming from the trials to become more food secure in the face of evolving climatic challenges.
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