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Tag: legumes

Scaling fodder innovations to improve livestock productivity in Zimbabwe’s semi-arid regions

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

Gogo Consilia Nyamunda in her pigeon pea field (CIMMYT)

When she first ventured into growing pigeon peas as a baby trial host farmer, Gogo Consilia Nyamunda doubted that intercropping them with maize would bring any benefits, especially given the weather had not been lenient over the past few years in Buhera district, in eastern Zimbabwe. “This year has been the hardest. I’ve never experienced such drought and heat stress, but it’s not just me—it’s affecting the entire country,” says Gogo Consilia. Yet, her production turned out to be better than that of farmers growing only maize, a popular crop in Southern Africa. Encouraged by the results, she expanded her efforts, dedicating half a hectare to pigeon peas. “From just 0.2 hectares of pigeon peas, I still managed to harvest 10 kilograms in these extremely dry conditions. It’s not just for feeding my chickens—other farmers are now interested in the seeds as well,” she explains.

Gogo Consilia Nyamunda is one of twelve farmers experiencing new feed production practices as part of the Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-Zim) project, rolled out since 2020 by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in partnership with CIMMYT, the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD), and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).

In the face of a changing climate, building the resilience of local farmers is crucial to safeguarding both their meal baskets and livestock feed. In this context, LIPS Zimbabwe has emerged as a strategic initiative, deeply rooted in farmer-driven trials to scale fodder production while maximizing the potential of mechanization for smallholder farmers in Buhera. By integrating improved agronomic practices with scalable fodder production, LIPS Zimbabwe is helping farmers withstand the challenges posed by climate change.

Empowering local farmers through fodder production

In the same district, Shirley Makoni also began as a baby trial farmer, intercropping maize with jack bean, a leguminous crop resilient to drought. Her case highlights the importance of diversifying crops and adapting to the realities of climate change: despite initial skepticism, Shirley found that jack beans not only survived the drought but also provided valuable feed for her cows. “I didn’t think anything would come out of it, but the cows love the leaves and seeds. They’ve gained weight, and the crop has been easy to manage,” she shares. While her maize and other crops failed due to the severe weather, jack bean proved to be a reliable source of feed, allowing her to bale the leaves and even share the harvest with others.

Shirley Makoni proudly holds her jack bean hay bale (CIMMYT)

One of the key strategies employed by LIPS Zimbabwe is the promotion of resilient fodder crops that can thrive under harsh climatic, semi-arid conditions where potential evapotranspiration far exceeds seasonal rainfall, which is often below 600 mm. This approach not only ensures a reliable source of feed for livestock but also contributes to the overall resilience of farming systems. The success story of farmers like Gogo Consilia Nyamunda highlights the transformative impact of these efforts.

“The idea of testing new innovations has paid off. Despite the poor sandy soils in Buhera, these fodder crops (jack bean and pigeon pea) have done well!” says Isaiah Nyagumbo, a Systems Agronomist leading the CIMMYT component of the LIPS-Zim project. “This means we now have a more diverse range of leguminous fodder crop species that can be grown in these semi-arid conditions, apart from the more common ones such as mucuna, lablab, and cowpeas.”

Some preliminary laboratory results also suggest that jack bean contains much higher crude protein than popular fodder legumes like mucuna. Jack bean could thus offer a new resilient feed option for farmers in these drought-prone regions and can be grown as an intercrop or in rotation with cereals.

Transforming fodder production through mechanization

Tying the LIPS Zimbabwe project together is the introduction of the mechanization component, from planting to processing the fodder crops, which is crucial for increasing the scale of fodder production in Zimbabwe’s semi-arid regions. By processing forage legumes such as jack bean, lablab, pigeon pea, mucuna, and cowpea, farmers can ensure a steady supply of nutritious feed for their livestock, even in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.

Local farmers in Buhera have been equipped with machinery such as a chopper grinder, hay balers, planters, and tractors, and trained to use and maintain the equipment. “Among the machinery at hand, the hay baler has been a great win for me, especially for the cows,” says Gandani Nhachi. “Last season, I made 27 bales of fodder, which has been vital for my herd. I’ve also grown my goat herd from 16 last year to 35 this year,” he proudly shares.

Building resilience for the future

As climate change continues to challenge farmers, initiatives like LIPS Zimbabwe are essential for building resilience. By combining traditional knowledge with modern practices, scaling fodder production, and embracing mechanization, farmers in Buhera are better equipped to protect their livelihoods and ensure food security. As Gandani puts it, “Climate change is inevitable, but with the right practices, we can still thrive. When I give my goats food, they multiply. Even if one side fails, all hope is not lost.”

Unlocking Zambia’s maize potential through crop diversity

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Publications.

While maize is the primary staple food crop in Zambia, its productivity on farmers’ fields reaches on average only about 20 percent of what it could achieve with good agronomic practices. Some reasons for this inefficiency are use of traditional varieties, low fertilizer use, and ineffective weed and pest control.

Closing the gap between potential and realized yields would have major benefits for farmers in Zambia, both in terms of income and food security at the household and national levels. One possibility to increase maize productivity is by increasing crop diversity through the inclusion of legumes in maize-based farming systems. This could be done through intercropping, growing legumes in the rows between maize plants, or crop rotations and alternating maize and legumes in the same field from season to season.

CIMMYT scientists, along with collaborators from the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the University of Zambia’s School of Agricultural Science, set out to determine which cropping systems might lead to increased productivity for maize farmers in Zambia and their results were published in the journal Field Crops Research.

“There is great potential in Zambia to increase yields to help ensure food security,” said Mulundu Mwila, PhD candidate and scientist at ZARI. “We wanted to determine the cropping systems that offered the most benefits.”

Setting up the study

For this research, ZARI and CIMMYT scientists established maize-based cropping systems trials, comprising maize monocropping, and maize-legume rotations and intercrops under both ‘conventional’ tillage, and Conservation Agriculture, across 40 farms in a variety of agroecological zones in Zambia.  The team also conducted household surveys in the same communities hosting the on-farm trials to determine the share of households with enough cultivated land to benefit from the tested cropping systems.

Researchers found that the tested cropping systems produced more maize per hectare compared to non-trial host farms in the same region. The greatest positive effect uncovered was that maize-legume rotations in Zambia’s Eastern Province had the potential to increase maize yield by 1 to 2 tons per hectare, per growing season. “The Eastern Province trials showed better results because of stable and adequate rainfall amounts and distribution and because of using groundnut as a rotation crop,” said Mwila.

Researchers attributed the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Southern Province to low levels of biomass production and nitrogen fixation, due to low and erratic rainfall, and to low residue incorporation because of livestock grazing. Conversely, the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Northern Province might be attributed to the high rainfall amount in the region, leading to high rates of leaching of residual nitrogen during the growing season as well as the use of common beans as the preceding crop.

Finding the right amount of land

With evidence showing the potential benefits of maize-legume rotations, the availability of land is a constraint for small farms across sub-Saharan Africa, thus it is important to quantify the land area needed for farmers to implement maize-legume rotations.

“Our findings match prior research showing the benefits of maize-legume rotations in Eastern Zambia” said Silva. “However, implementing maize-legume rotations remains a challenge for many smallholders due to small farm sizes.”

Nearly 35, 50, and 70% of the surveyed farms in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Provinces, respectively, had enough land to achieve the same level of maize production obtained on their farm with the yields of the maize-legume rotations tested in the on-farm trials. “With our findings showing increased maize yields, and our efforts to determine the amount of land needed for food and nutrition security at household level, the next steps can be to facilitate methods to disseminate this information to policy makers and to farmers that have enough land area to benefit from diversified cropping systems,” said Silva.

For farmers with not enough land to reap the benefits of maize-legume rotations, intercropping legumes within the maize has shown promising results. The researchers also call for further research to specify the contributing factors to small farms not seeing benefits from maize-legume rotations.

A tale of two worlds: contrasting realities in southern and northern Zambia during El Niño

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

From the densely lush landscape of Zambia’s northern province to the arid terrain of the south, a stark reality unfolds, intensified by El Niño. Zambia’s agriculture faces contrasting realities yet potential lies in adaptive strategies, a diversified crop basket, and collaborative initiatives which prioritize farmers. Despite persistent challenges with climate variability and uneven resource distribution, the country navigates unpredictable weather patterns, emphasizing the intricate interplay between environmental factors and adaptation strategies.

A healthy maize and groundnut stand in the northern Province (left) and a wilting maize crop in the southern Province (right). These photos were taken two days apart. (Photo: Blessing Mhlanga/CIMMYT)

Unpacking El Niño’s impact in Zambia

El Niño presents a common challenge to both southern and northern Zambia, albeit with varying degrees of intensity and duration. The 2022/2023 season had above normal rainfall amounts, with extreme weather events, from episodes of flash floods and flooding to prolonged dry spells, especially over areas in the south. In the 2023/2024 season, the southern region has already experienced irregular weather patterns, including prolonged droughts and extreme temperatures, leading to water scarcity, crop failures, and significant agricultural losses. Although the growing season is nearing its end, the region has only received less than one-third of the annual average rainfall (just about 250 mm). Dry spells of more than 30 days have been experienced and, in most cases, coincide with the critical growth stages of flowering and grain-filling. A glance at farmers’ fields paints a gloomy picture of the anticipated yield, but all hope is not lost.

In contrast, the northern province stands out receiving above-average rainfalls beyond 2,000 mm, providing a different set of challenges for crop production. In this region, incidences of waterlogging are prominent although the effects are not as detrimental as the drought in the southern province. In general, crops in the northern province promise a considerable harvest as compared to the ones in the southern province.

Maize stover and its competing use

The scarcity of resources in southern Zambia extends beyond water availability, with the competition for maize stover, a valuable byproduct used for animal feed which can also be retained on the soil surface for fertility improvement and soil moisture conservation. With limited access to alternative fodder sources, farmers face challenges in meeting the nutritional needs of their livestock while maintaining soil fertility and conserving moisture. The struggle to balance the competing demands for maize stover underscores the complex dynamics of resource management in the region. This is further worsened by the low maize stover yield expected due to the dry conditions.

Implementing fodder trials, which include cultivating fodder crops like mucuna and lablab, intercropped or rotated with maize, offers a lifeline to farmers. While maize crops may wilt under the stress of El Niño-induced droughts, leguminous crops such as mucuna, lablab, cowpea, and groundnuts exhibit resilience, thriving in adverse conditions and providing a crucial source of food, feed, soil cover, and income for farmers. The ability of legumes to withstand environmental stressors highlights the importance of crop diversification in building resilience to climate change and ensuring food security in vulnerable regions.

Conversely, in northern Zambia, the abundance of agricultural resources allows for a more sustainable utilization of maize stover. Farmers have greater access to fodder alternatives and can implement integrated farming practices to optimize the use of crop residues. This enables them to mitigate the adverse effects of soil degradation and enhance livestock productivity, contributing to the resilience of their agricultural systems.

Use of more climate-smart crops

Drought-tolerant cassava grown in the northern province. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In southern Zambia, maize stands as the main crop, often supplemented with the integration of some leguminous crops integrated to some extent, to diversify the agricultural landscape. However, the relentless and longevity grip of El Niño has taken a negative toll on maize production, despite efforts to cultivate drought-tolerant varieties. As the dry spell persists, maize plants at the critical tasseling and silking stage face an uphill battle, as the dry and hot air has adversely impacted pollen and silk development.

The dissimilarity with the northern province, where cassava thrives from abundant water, is striking. This resilient crop, known for its drought tolerance, presents a promising alternative for farmers in the southern province grappling with erratic rainfall patterns. As climate change continues to challenge traditional agricultural practices, exploring resilient crops like cassava may offer a lifeline for communities striving to adapt and thrive amidst adversity.

In response to these radically different realities, the Sustainable Intensification of Farming Systems (SIFAZ) project, a collaborative effort of CIMMYT with FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia, and the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, also known as Ukama Ustawi, have jointly promoted sustainable intensification practices to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers.

The SIFAZ project is designed around the idea that strip crops and intercrops can add nutritional and economic value to Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems for smallholder farmers in Zambia. While traditional yield metrics provide some insight across the several intercropping treatments being tested on-farm, the true benefits of these cropping systems extend beyond mere output. SIFAZ recognizes the diversification synergy, emphasizing that “two crops are better than one.”

However, the outcomes of the SIFAZ project and the CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa have varied over the years between the two regions, reflecting the discrepancy in their agricultural landscapes.

Notably, regional differences in the adoption and success of these cropping systems have become apparent. In the northern province, crop-centric approaches prevail, leading to a higher concentration of successful crop farmers. Meanwhile, in the southern province, mixed systems that incorporate mixed crop-livestock systems achieve desirable effects. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring agricultural interventions to suit the specific needs and conditions of diverse farming communities.

Navigating the complex challenges of climate change requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges the unique realities of different regions. By embracing adaptive strategies, harnessing indigenous knowledge, and fostering collaborative partnerships, Zambia can forge a path towards a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future, where farmers thrive despite the uncertainties of a changing climate.

Tackling fall armyworm with sustainable control practices

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs, Explainers.

Typically looking like a small caterpillar growing up to 5 cms in length, the fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is usually green or brown in color with an inverted “Y” marking on the head and a series of black dots along the backs. Thriving in warm and humid conditions, it feeds on a wide range of crops including maize, posing a significant challenge to food security, if left unmanaged. The fall armyworm is an invasive crop pest that continues to wreak havoc in most farming communities across Africa.

A CIMMYT researcher surveys damaged maize plants while holding a fall armyworm, the culprit. (Photo: Jennifer Johnson/CIMMYT)

The first FAW attack in Zimbabwe was recorded around 2016. With a high preference for maize, yield losses for Zimbabwe smallholder farmers are estimated at US$32 million. It has triggered widespread concern among farmers and the global food system as it destroyed large tracts of land with maize crops, which is a key staple and source of farmer livelihood in southern Africa. The speed and extent of the infestation caught farmers and authorities unprepared, leading to significant crop losses and food insecurity.

Exploring the destructive FAW life cycle

It undergoes complete metamorphosis, progressing through four main stages including egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Reproducing rapidly in temperatures ranging from 20 to 38°C, moist soil conditions facilitate the egg-laying process, while mild winters enable its survival in some regions. The larval stage is the most destructive phase, feeding voraciously on plant leaves and can cause severe defoliation. They can migrate in large numbers, devouring entire fields within a short period if left unchecked.

Working towards effective FAW management

A farmer and CIMMYT researcher examine maize plants. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Efficient monitoring, early detection, and appropriate management strategies are crucial for mitigating the impact of FAW infestations and protecting agricultural crops. To combat the menace of this destructive pest, CIMMYT, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has been implementing research and extension on cultural control practices in Zimbabwe. One such initiative is the “Evaluating Agro-ecological Management Options for Fall Armyworm in Zimbabwe”. Since 2018, this project strives to address research gaps on FAW management and cultural control within sustainable agriculture systems. The focus of the research has been to explore climate-adapted push-pull systems and low-cost control options for smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe who are unable to access and use expensive chemical products.

Environment friendly practices are proving effective to combat FAW risks

To reduce the devastating effects of FAW, the project in Zimbabwe is exploring the integration of legumes into maize-based strip cropping systems as a first line of defense in the Manicaland and Mashonaland east provinces. By planting maize with different, leguminous crops such as cowpea, lablab and mucuna, farmers can disrupt the pests’ feeding patterns and reduce its population. Legumes release volatile compounds that repel FAW, reducing the risk of infestation. Strip cropping also enhances biodiversity, improves soil health and contributes to sustainable agricultural practices. Overall results show that FAW can be effectively managed in such systems and implemented by smallholder farmers. Research results also discovered that natural enemies such as ants are attracted by the legumes further contributing to the biological control of FAW.

Spraying infested maize crop with Fawligen in Nyanyadzi. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Recently, the use of biopesticides such as Fawligen has gained traction as an alternative to fight against fall armyworm. Fawligen is a biocontrol agent that specifically targets the FAW larvae. Its application requires delicate attention – from proper storage to precise mixing and accurate application. Following recommended guidelines is essential to maximize its effectiveness and minimize potential risks to human health and the environment.

Impact in numbers

Since the inception of the project, close to 9,000 farmers participated in trainings and exposure activities and more than 4,007 farmers have adopted the practices on their own field with 1,453 hectares under improved management. Working along with extension officers from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries & Rural Resettlement, the project has established 15 farmer field schools as hubs of knowledge sharing, promoting several farming interventions including conservation agriculture practices (mulching, minimum tillage through ripping), timely planting, use of improved varieties, maintaining optimum plant population, and use of recommended fertilizers among others.

Addressing FAW requires a multi-faceted approach. The FAW project in Zimbabwe is proactive in tackling infestation by integrating intercropping trials with legumes, harnessing the application of biopesticides, and collaborative research. By adopting sustainable agricultural practices, sharing valuable knowledge, and providing farmers with effective tools and techniques, it is possible to mitigate the impact of FAW and protect agrifood systems.

Afriseed: How improved legume seed can help transform Zambia’s agrifood systems

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Certified soyabean seed from Afriseed. (Photo: AFRI archives)

In Zambia, smallholder farmers obtain their seed from a variety of sources. Over 75 percent of farmers in Zambia have adopted certified maize seed and about 30 percent in southern Africa, overall. The private sector has been instrumental in creating demand for certified and timely delivery of seed to remote areas, and the Government of Zambia’s Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) has largely contributed to better accessibility to certified seed for farmers. In 2022–2023, of the three million registered smallholder farmers in Zambia, more than one million accessed certified seed through FISP.

Afriseed is a seed company in Zambia that has been gaining ground in local seed markets. It has emerged as a catalyst for helping smallholder farmers transition to new, high-yielding legume varieties. Afriseed provides solutions to help smallholders increase their agricultural productivity with improved seed varieties of cereals and legumes and assist them with technology transfer. The company aims to increase the food security and incomes of Zambia’s smallholder farming community, which accounts for 90 percent of agricultural output in the country. During the 2022–2023 farming season, a critical turning point was reached when Afriseed became a partner in the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub, or MasAgro Africa, a two-year project under CIMMYT, with the aim of scaling-up production of certified seed varieties of soybean and common bean.

Under the partnership, Afriseed promotes the cultivation of improved legume seed through a smallholder farmer seed multiplication approach. By engaging with practicing smallholder farmers and signing grower contracts, basic seeds are multiplied into certified seed for soybean and common bean. Certified seed is a known variety produced under strict seed certification standards to support varietal purity. In collaboration with the Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI), the country’s national seed authority, contracted farmers received training on climate-smart agricultural techniques and seed production guidelines. Through extension services to seed growers, smallholder farmers can adhere to the seed production guidelines set out in the National Seed Act to ensure the quality of certified seed produced.

Smallholder farmers hold improved, certified seed. (Photo: AFRI archives)

Afriseed has invested more than USD 335,000 toward supporting the production, aggregation, and processing of 317 t of certified climate-smart legume seeds—265 metric tonnes (MT) for soybean and 52 MT for common bean. Data have shown that the seeds were aggregated from 313 smallholder seed growers, 40 percent of whom were women, in Zambia’s Eastern Muchinga, Copperbelt and the Northern provinces. Seed aggregation improves access to quality seed varieties, increases crop yields and incomes, enhances integration into value chains, and creates market links for smallholder farmers.

Notable progress has been made with the contracted farmers, who have applied improved crop management practices and technologies on more than 600 ha of land to produce the seed. With this encouraging progress, Afriseed intends to scale up its last-mile seed distribution strategy to reach and directly help an estimated 35,000 underserved rural smallholder farming households with improved legume seeds in the 2023–2024 cropping season.

AID-I is one of the ways in which Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global food security and hunger initiative led by USAID, is taking immediate action to help cushion the blow of high fuel and fertilizer prices on farmers. One of the project’s initial actions is to strengthen local seed systems so that agribusinesses can reach smallholder farmers with a diversity of improved seeds varieties, including climate-resilient and more nutritious varieties for maize and legumes.

CIMMYT Director General reaffirms commitment to Zambia

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

Honoring a legacy of innovative development in Zambia and looking forward to meeting the nation’s goals for food security, Bram Govaerts, director general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), along with CGIAR Board Chair Lindiwe Sibanda, visited facilities and met with southern Africa collaborators of the Southern Africa AID-I Rapid Delivery Hub on June 2 and 3, 2023.

Bram Govaerts visited field experiments with the head of science at Zamseed (Photo: Katebe Mapipo/CIMMYT)

“CIMMYT’s work in Zambia and the region is geared to help national governments build resilience to climate change, diversify maize-based farming systems and improve productivity and production to address reduce hunger and poverty,” said Govaerts.
Southern Africa AID-I Rapid Delivery Hub aims to provide critical support to over 3 million farming households in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia via targeted interventions for demand driven seed scaling, improved soil health and fertilizer use efficiency, and rapid delivery of critical agricultural advisory services deep into rural communities.

CIMMYT research and innovation supports Zambia’s medium-term goal of “Socio-Economic Transformation for Improved Livelihoods” and its 2030 Vision of becoming “A Prosperous Middle-Income Nation by 2030.”

Govaerts and Sibanda toured Afriseed’s factory in Lusaka and its wheat field trials in Ngwerere. They also attended a field demonstration of Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags in the nearby district of Chongwe organized by the Catholic Relief Services, a local partner promoting low-cost post-harvest technologies for small-scale farmers in Zambia.
The delegation visited private partner Zamseed, a company commercializing and releasing CIMMYT-bred, Fall Armyworm tolerant maize seeds.

Southern Africa AID-I Rapid Delivery Hub has enabled the release of nearly 10,000 metric tons of certified maize and legume seed, which have been harvested by Zambian seed companies and community-based seed organizations, directly benefiting a million semi-subsistence farmers.

Govaerts also hailed Zambia’s commitment to creating a transparent seed system. “Thanks to this conducive policy environment, Zambia is a major hub in sub-Saharan Africa for hybrid maize seed production and export in Africa.”

Kevin Kabunda opened a partner meeting in which Bram Govaerts met AID-I farmers and partners from seed companies, educational institutions, CGIAR centers, and micro-finance and tech companies. (Photo: Katebe Mapipo/CIMMYT)

Besides Southern Africa AID-I Rapid Delivery Hub, CIMMYT and the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute have been collaborating for over two decades along with public and private partners in Zambia through different investments designed to create sustainable interventions that strengthen food systems and directly reach small-scale farmers.

Accelerating delivery of stress-tolerant, nutritious seed in Eastern and Southern Africa

Written by Alison Doody on . Posted in News.

AID-I staff inspect germination in Malawi (Photo: CIMMYT)

Accelerated delivery with a difference is underway in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia to ensure access to stress-tolerant seeds for underserved farmers in remote areas. Supported by USAID, the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project brings public-private and civil society together to address the impacts of climate change, pests and diseases, and food shocks on maize and legume systems.

One simple and cost-effective solution to tackle these threats is last mile delivery of stress-tolerant and nutritious seeds. Ensuring that farmers have access to a diverse range of seeds means they can choose the best varieties to suit their needs and their local environment.

Through AID-I, scientists at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) are working with over 20 global, regional, national, and local partners to strengthen maize and legume seed systems in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.

So far, in 2023, the team has set up over a hundred mega-demonstrations across Malawi and Zambia, to raise awareness and increase seed production by exposing communities to improved, climate-adapted and nutritious crop varieties. As learning centers, the mega-demonstrations give farmers a chance to see for themselves the advantages of improved maize and legume varieties and better farming practices including conservation agriculture and doubled up legumes systems.

Farmers plant mega-demonstration plots in Malawi (Photo: CIMMYT)

Spotlighted were drought-tolerant and nutritious varieties, expected to play a crucial role in the recovery of regional maize production. The Zambian and Malawian governments have also just released maize hybrids tolerant to fall armyworms, which will be scaled through the AID-I. The fall armyworm is an invasive pest that attacks more than 80 different crops but has a particular preference for maize. Without proper control measures, the pest can decimate crops, threatening food security, incomes, and livelihoods.

Alongside maize, the AID-I team is making seed of improved legume varieties, including beans, soybean, pigeon peas, cowpea, and groundnuts available at the last mile. Legumes are nutritious and good for the soil, providing valuable nutrients like nitrogen (N) so farmers can use less fertilizer, save money, and protect soil health.

AID-I supports strengthening of strategically located seed stockists of improved legume varieties and linking seed growers and buyers. These stockists, called agricultural development agents will also receive training in community seed production. Through connection with hundreds of agricultural development agents in the first farming season with seed suppliers, hundreds of thousands of farmers will be able to access a wide variety of improved seed.

Members of the CIMMYT leadership team with representatives from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) visit AfriSeed in Zambia (Photo: CIMMYT)

Building strong relationships between public and private sector organizations is an integral part of the project. On January 16, 2023, long-term CIMMYT collaborator and AID-I key partner, AfriSeed hosted senior government officials from the United States Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The visitors gained valuable insight into how private seed companies involved in the marketing and distribution of maize and legume seeds operate in Zambia and showed their crucial role in the country’s seed sector.

Increasing smallholder inclusion in markets boosts rural livelihoods

Written by Tawanda Hove on . Posted in News.

Sieglinde Snapp (right), director, Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program, CIMMYT, poses with Mr, and Mrs. Banda, who are part of seed producers who sell seed to fellow farmers. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Smallholder farmers have long been considered purely subsistence producers without the capacity to participate in commercial value chains. This has led to their exclusion from many agribusiness enterprises which typically focus on medium- to large-scale growers.

Through the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and partners are supporting smallholder farmers to enter viable legume value chains. Soybean is one crop experiencing a rapidly expanding market. This is a unique opportunity for small-scale farmers to access a legume value chain, one that drives sustainable intensified farming for improved income and livelihoods.

In the Kasenengwa District, in eastern Zambia, Josephine Mbewe produces soybean for local oil production and grain traders who export the commodity to neighboring countries like Zimbabwe and Malawi. She is one of many farmers who are benefitting from the Agriculture Development Agent model, a concept that has been developed by CIMMYT’s implementation partner Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and scaled up in the AID-I project.

“For years we always wanted to produce for the market, but the costs were just too high. In addition, we didn’t exactly know who to sell to so this model really helps us as we sell our products locally but knowing that our aggregated produce will go to distant consumers. This model is helping us to have access to high quality inputs such as improved seed, crop chemicals, fertilizers, and other related products,” Mbewe said.

The Agriculture Development Agent model aims to create a consortium of village based agrodealers who double as seed producers multiplying seed and selling it to surrounding farmers. The same dealers buy back the grain and sell it to oil pressing companies and export commodity trading companies.

The AID-I project scales promising innovations with proven ability to address some of the systemic constraints that have discouraged agribusinesses from engaging with smallholder farmers.

“This is a model that is leveraged on community social capital where trust exists between the ADA and the local farmer,” said James Nguluwe from CRS. “Issues related to seed diversion or side marketing of the harvested crop are kept at a bare minimum as farmers don’t want to spoil their relationship with the Agriculture Development Agent and their general reputation within the community.”

“The model is also catalytic to the use of improved seed as farmers have to produce using a particular seed type. The interactions with ADA over soya seed, production and reverse purchase set up has seen the farmers extending to procure improved maize varieties as well, as opposed to times past where they would recycle seed and reap poor harvests,” he said.

Paitana Mwanza, an ADA agreed and spoke of his positive experiences of the model.

“I have had no contractual breach with the farmers. When they buy the seed, we agree on a separate grain buy back arrangement – the farmers have always delivered as per agreement.”

For years, farmers have been growing recycled seed and use of improved seed has been very uncommon among smallholder farmers. Having a financial incentive where ADAs provide an assured market is proving to be a good enough incentive to facilitate behavioral change.

Agribusiness agents face high costs associated with aggregation of produce, which the Agriculture Development Agent model overcomes. Farmers are organized and supported by ADAs, who are registered market players that have been extensively trained in business practices, seed handling and seed and grain production. As such, both grain traders and processors can make a realistic profit through this innovative system that facilitates small-scale farmers accessing new markets.

One of the key objectives of the AID-I project is to ensure that participating in market systems is a choice for smallholder farmers and exclusion from viable value chains is a thing of the past. The Agriculture Development Agent model promises to transform not only eastern Zambia but the whole country at large.

Government of Zambia and CIMMYT strengthen ties in agricultural development

Written by Tawanda Hove on . Posted in News.

Bram Govaerts, Sieg Snapp, Minister Mtolo Phiri and Prassana Boddupalli pose at the conclusion of the high level meeting between CIMMYT and the Government of Zambia. (Photo: Tawanda Hove/CIMMYT)

Senior government officials in Zambia have embraced the rollout of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center’s (CIMMYT’s) new innovations which target smallholder farmers and agriculture-based value chain actors in the country.

On January 17, 2023, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts met with Minister of Agriculture Reuben Mtolo Phiri. The Minister reassured Govaerts that the investments made by CIMMYT in the country had the Government’s full support.

Earlier this year, a delegation led by Cary Fowler, the US Special envoy for Global Food Security met the Minister and his team at the Government complex in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, to deliberate on a variety of agriculture development issues concerning the country.

Govaerts’ visit came off the back of the new Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), a CIMMYT-led project funded by the United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID). The project seeks to scale up promising innovations that could transform the maize and legume value chains within the southern African region, with a focus on Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.

“As the Government of Zambia, we intend to create a private sector driven economy for which agriculture plays a critical role. Having progressive partners like CIMMYT helps us achieve this cause and this new program is received with open arms,” said Phiri.

The aims of the AID-I project include strengthening seed systems, the promotion and adoption of stress-tolerant maize and legume varieties, demonstration of good agriculture practices that respond to the effects of climate change and addressing systemic constraints in maize and legume value chains.

Through AID-I, CIMMYT experts are working with over 20 global, regional, national and local partners including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Catholic Relief Services (TLC), Total Land Care (TLC), the International Water Management Institution (IMWI) and World Vegetable Center.

Also attending the meeting was AID-I Technical Lead and CIMMYT Scientist Hambulo Ngoma who discussed some of the latest project activities.

“As this project focuses on accelerated delivery, we have set up more than 40 demonstrations in eastern Zambia with the intention of showcasing stress-tolerant varieties for maize and legume under conservation agriculture. In addition, we are showcasing other good agriculture practices such as strip cropping which not only enhances intensified crop production but is a biological control for fall armyworm,” Ngoma said.

Hambulo Ngoma receiving a verbal vote of confidence from Zambian Minister of Agriculture Mtolo Phiri. (Photo: Tawanda Hove/CIMMYT)

The Minister appreciated the rationale of the project and indicated that participatory variety selection for farmers was crucial if they were going to maximize their yields and returns from farming.

Phiri further emphasized that CIMMYT and partners’ investment in legume value chain strengthening came at a welcome time as upscaling soya bean production was a key priority in the Government’s strategic plan for agricultural development because of its export-ready market within the region.

“Markets such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania can readily take up the soya we produce, and we are looking to export legumes such as soya and groundnuts to East Africa. This project therefore fits very well within our strategic road map,” Phiri said.

The demonstration plots set up by CIMMYT experts will help farmers grow the right varieties for their agro ecologies and have greater response capabilities to the export market opportunities the Government is facilitating.

The Minister also indicated that he hoped CIMMYT would assist in strengthening the country’s capacity to deal with fall armyworm. CIMMYT Global Maize Program Director B.M. Prasanna reassured Phiri that through the Zambian Agriculture research Institute (ZARI), CIMMYT had already released three fall armyworm-tolerant varieties. He also discussed how the AID-I project would be instrumental in scaling up their uptake, especially amongst smallholder farmers who have minimal disposable income to buy enough pesticides to control the pest.

Concluding the meeting, Govaerts spoke of CIMMYT’s commitment to supporting Zambia achieve its food security and agricultural export goals.

“As CIMMYT, we want you to recognize us as a listening partner. We are of the conviction that we can only combat climate change and achieve shared prosperity through the strength of convening power, where we leverage on each other’s strength.”

As the project is focused on scaling existing promising technologies and innovations, rapid transformative results are on the horizon for the people of Zambia.

Strengthening partnerships with government and private sector in Malawi

Written by Tawanda Hove on . Posted in News.

CIMMYT scientists and private sector partners photographed during a dinner hosted by CIMMT Director General Bram Govaerts in Lilongwe, Malawi. (Photo: Tawanda Hove/CIMMYT)

Goal 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals calls to “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) answered this call to action by recently hosting a collaborative dinner to strengthen ties between the Center, the private sector and government partners in Malawi.

Hosted by CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts, the dinner followed a visit by US Special Envoy for Global Food Security Cary Fowler, Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator, USAID Bureau of Resilience and Food Security and other USAID staff to discuss and witness the new Accelerated Innovation for Delivery Initiative (AID-I) in action.

“The challenges of today do not require a single sector approach but a pluralistic one in which partners from the private, public sectors agree to work hand in hand with science for impact organizations like CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers,” said Govaerts in his keynote address at the event. “I am very grateful for your support and your presence today is a testimony or our harmonious solidarity and spirit of collaboration in addressing food and nutrition security.”

Govaerts engages with government and agro industry captains in a dinner hosted in Lilongwe, Malawi. (Photo: Tawanda Hove/CIMMYT)

The meeting was attended by seed industry players, agricultural input distributors, food processors and Government representatives including Director of Agriculture Research Services Grace Kaudzu, who expressed her appreciation for the gathering.

“As government, our role is to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and progressive development partners are always welcome. Such gatherings enable us to hear the needs of colleagues and partners from other sectors to create this environment,” she said.

Malawi has established an ambitious roadmap where legume exports and maize production are to be significantly scaled up. The AID-I project dovetails with this roadmap as it focuses on strengthening maize and legume seed systems and addressing systemic constraints in both value chains.

The dinner further facilitated private sector players to meet various CIMMYT specialists ranging from seed system experts, soil scientists, breeders and plant physiologists. According to Peter Setimela, a seed system specialist at CIMMYT, such meetings are critical as they enable a diversity of partners to know what the other has to offer.

“CIMMYT has a lot of expertise which these private sector partners can take advantage of,” Setimela said.

The AID-I project seeks to scale up existing and high potential innovations, technologies and business models as opposed to initiating new ones. This only makes sense considering that the implementation period is only two years and scaling up existing innovations give greater prospects for success.

CIMMYT Regional Representative Moses Siambi labelled the event a success citing the huge turnout of the partners.

“The effectiveness of our interventions is dependent on the strength of the relationships we have with our partners. Such a massive attendance is indicative of cordial relations between CIMMYT and the private sector in conjunction with the government,” Siambi said.

Govaerts closed the event by stressing that through harnessing the potential of convening power, the future is bright regardless of the reality of climate change and geopolitical conflicts.

Scaling impact of dryland crops research through regional crop improvement networks

Written by Susan Otieno on . Posted in News.

A section of key speakers at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

The formation of regional crop improvement networks took center stage at a meeting held in January 2023 in Accra, Ghana. The meeting convened more than 200 scientists and stakeholders in dryland crops value chains from 28 countries from Africa and across the globe to co-design a network approach.

The meeting followed a series of consultative visits and discussions between three CGIAR research centers — the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) — African National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs), and other common-visioned partners during 2021 and 2022. These earlier discussions gathered insights, brainstormed, and co-designed approaches to empower national programs to deliver impact through their crop improvement programs.

“The idea is to add value to the existing capacities in National Agricultural Research and Extension Services, through networks where the partners agree on the goals and resources needed to achieve desired outcomes. So, it’s really a collaborative model,” said Harish Gandhi, breeding lead for dryland legumes and cereals at CIMMYT. He added that the teams have been learning from and aiming to add value to existing models such as the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), USAID Innovation Labs, and Innovation and plant breeding in West Africa (IAVAO).

Paradigm shift for African National Agricultural Research Institutes

Making the opening remarks, Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director General, Paul Bosu said that at the very least, African countries should aim to feed themselves and transition from net importers to net exporters of food. “Dryland legumes and cereals, especially millet and sorghum, are very well adapted to the continent and offer great opportunity towards achieving food security”, said Bosu. He applauded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners for investing in research on these crops.

Representing West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), Ousmane Ndoye noted that research in dryland legumes and cereals is a valid and needed action amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in different parts of the world. He added that the first and crucial step to increasing food production especially in sub-Saharan Africa is the availability of sufficient quantities of seed.

Director General of Uganda’s National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO), Ambrose Agona observed that a paradigm shift should occur for desired transformation in agriculture. He noted that African governments ought to commit adequate budgets to agriculture and that seed funding should serve to complement and amplify existing national budgets for sustainability.

He commended efforts to consult NARIs in Africa and noted that the quality of ideas exchanged at the meeting strengthen the work. “The NARIs feel happier when they are consulted from the very beginning and contribute to joint planning unlike in some cases where the NARIs in Africa are only called upon to make budgets and are excluded from co-designing projects”, said Agona.

Participants following the proceedings at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

Challenge to deliver effectively

During his remarks at the meeting, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts noted that the focus legume and cereal crops are key to transforming and driving diversification of food systems in Africa. “It is therefore an honor and a privilege to work together with partners to improve cereal and legume systems. We will put forward our experience in breeding and commit to innovative systems approaches towards achieving impact and leverage what we are already good at, to become even better,” said Govaerts.

Referencing his visit with the United States Special Envoy for Global Food Security Cary Fowler to Southern Africa in January 2023, Govaerts narrated witnessing firsthand a food, energy and fertilizer crisis impacting Zambian and Malawian farmers. He challenged the meeting participants to envision the future impact they would like to see their breeding programs have as they design and strategize at the meeting. He pointed out that farmers are more interested in the qualities and characteristics of varieties released than the institutions responsible for the release.

CIMMYT Global Genetic Resources Director and Deputy Director General, Breeding and Genetics, Kevin Pixley also underscored the need to generate more impact through adoption of improved varieties in Africa. Pixley noted that on average, fewer than 30 percent of farmers are using improved varieties of sorghum, millet, and groundnut across the countries with ongoing work.

The meeting heard One CGIAR’s commitment to deliver resilient, nutritious and market preferred varieties as part of its Genetic Innovation Action Area, alongside improving systems and processes for sustainability from CGIAR Senior Director Plant Breeding and Pre-Breeding, John Derera. Speaking in the capacity of IITA’s Breeding Lead, Derera noted the progress made in IITA cowpea breeding program, including its modernization, owing to strong partnerships, cross learning and germplasm exchange between institutions.

PABRA Director & Leader of the Bean Programme at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Jean-Claude Rubyogo, pointed out that despite remarkable achievements, such as those witnessed in the bean research, more effort is needed to tackle the challenges of climate change and also increase understanding of consumers traits.

Commenting on innovative pathways to improve adoption of improved varieties, the Director General of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) in Zaria, Nigeria, Mohammad Ishiyaku observed the tendency for some seed companies to continue selling specific seed varieties for years, even when the productivity of the variety is low. He noted the seed companies always claimed consumer preferences concluding then that amidst investor demands, breeders ought to keenly investigate the expectations of consumers and famers to arrive at the best parameters for breeding choices.

A group photo of over 200 scientists and stakeholders in dryland crops value chains that participated at the Drylands Legumes and Cereals Network Meeting in Accra, Ghana in January 2023. (Photo: Eagle Eye Projects)

International Year of Millets, 2023

The gathering commemorated the International Year of Millets by listening to a keynote address on “Millets for food and nutritional security and mitigating climate change – #IYM2023” by Lake Chad Research Institute, Nigeria, Research Director, Zakari Turaki. The keynote was followed by statements on the importance of millets for various countries and wider Africa from: Sanogo Moussa Daouda, representing Director General of Mali’s Institut d’Économie Rurale (IER); Ibrahima Sarr, Director of Senegal’s Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles’s Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques; Hamidou Traore, Director of Burkina Faso’s Institut de L’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles; and Ambrose Agona, Director General of NARO, Uganda.

High-level statements on approaches to gender integration in agricultural research and development were delivered by Scovia Adikini, NARO millet breeder, Geoffrey Mkamillo, Director General of Tanzania’s Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Francis Kusi of Ghana’s Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), and Aliou Faye, Director of Senegal’s Regional Center of Excellence on Dry Cereals and Associated Crops (CERAAS).

AVISA Achievements

Finally, this meeting marked the transition from the recently ended Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA) project to align with One CGIAR initiatives under the Genetic Innovation Action Area, with specific focus on dryland crops.

Solomon Gyan Ansah, the Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana, acknowledged the success of AVISA Project and commended the forum’s efforts to build on the gains made by the project in developing the new approach.

“By the end of 2022, AVISA project partners had reached 4.8 million farmers with 30,600 metric tons of seed of improved legume and cereal varieties, covering almost one million hectares of land”, revealed Chris Ojiewo, Strategic Partnerships and Seeds Systems Lead. Other achievements supported by the AVISA Project include upgrading of NARES facilities and building capacities of researchers through short- and long-term trainings.

The meeting was hosted by Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Ghana’s Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), and was organized by CIMMYT, in partnership with IITA and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT (ABC).

Zambia officials promote sustainable maize cropping practices for small-scale farmers

Written by Mike Listman on . Posted in Features.

For the first time in Zambia, a special Ministry of Agriculture committee has endorsed innovative sustainable intensification practices to diversify maize-based farming systems and boost the food and nutritional security of millions of small farm households, while enriching depleted soils.

Zambia’s recently formed “National Advisory Committee for the Approval/Validation of Candidate Technologies or Agronomic Practices” approved in September the release to farmers of three new systems for better yields and soil maintenance: growing maize between “hedge-rows” of legume trees; or in rows side-by-side with grain legumes as strip crops; or on permanent, raised soil beds or ridges.

Legume trees and grain legumes enhance soil nitrogen and organic matter content, and legume grains themselves are a valuable, alternative food, rich in protein for rural households. Raised soil beds and ridges can keep soils oxygenated and productive when heavy rainfall floods the fields, as can often occur in northern and northwestern Zambia.

All three systems can be bundled with conservation agriculture approaches, which are based on the principles of minimum soil disturbance, keeping crop residues on the soil, and growing a more diverse selection of crops.

The improved maize cropping methods are a research outcome of the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project, a partnership involving the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), with funding from the European Union (EU) and building in part on other results in Africa, including the Feed the Future-Africa Research in Sustainable Development for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) initiative.

“The official clearing of these transformative cropping technologies is a huge milestone for the project and for Zambia’s resource-poor farmers,” said Christian Thierfelder, CIMMYT principal cropping systems agronomist based in southern Africa who, as part of SIFAZ, is testing and disseminating maize cropping practices that boost harvests, enrich soils, and capture and conserve moisture. “We’re working closely with Zambia’s MoA and the FAO, planning research trials, demonstrations and promotion to reach 20,000 farmers as a first step.”

An essential crop

Maize is the number-one food staple in sub-Saharan Africa, sown by some 300 million smallholder farmers using seasonal rains. A leading crop as well for Zambia’s small-scale, subsistence, and often impoverished farmers, maize grows poorly in extreme heat, infertile soils, and extended dry weather. Failed maize crops can bring hunger to smallholders and their families, for whom risks are high and formal safety nets are non-existent.

The EU recently announced that it will provide an additional EUR 20 million in funding for SIFAZ, now three years old and operating in five provinces and 27 districts of Zambia.

The cropping practices submitted to the National Advisory Committee by Thierfelder and his colleagues conform to a sustainable intensification assessment framework developed by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Kansas State University.

“The framework provides a set of indicators for evaluating technologies according to their effects on productivity, economics, the environment, and social and human conditions — domains considered essential for sustainable agriculture systems,” Thierfelder explained. “The framework is well suited for smallholder farm settings, where agriculture is linked to development goals such as alleviating poverty, avoiding land degradation, increasing food and nutrition security, and supporting women’s empowerment.”

Cover photo: Jane Miti, a Zambia extension methodology officer, is testing intercropped strips of maize and soybean at Nyanje, Sinda District, to improve her soils and yields. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

Sorghum field in Kiboko, Kenya. (Photo: E Manyasa/ICRISAT)

CIMMYT to lead CGIAR varietal improvement and seed delivery project in Africa

Written by Marcia MacNeil on . Posted in News.

Sorghum field in Kiboko, Kenya. (Photo: E Manyasa/ICRISAT)
Sorghum field in Kiboko, Kenya. (Photo: E Manyasa/ICRISAT)

As part of the One CGIAR reform, the Global Science Group on Genetic Innovation will implement a crop breeding and seed systems project for key crops including groundnut, sorghum and millet, across western and eastern African countries.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), a leader in innovative partnerships, breeding and agronomic science for sustainable agri-food systems, will lead the project.

The Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project aims to improve the health and livelihoods of millions by increasing the productivity, profitability, resilience and marketability of nutritious grain, legumes and cereal crops. The project focuses on strengthening networks to modernize crop breeding by CGIAR and national program partners, and public-private partnerships to strengthen seed systems. The project currently works in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania.

“Sorghum, groundnut and millets are essential staples of nutritious diets for millions of farmers and consumers and are crucial for climate-change-resilient farming systems,” explained CIMMYT Deputy Director General and Head of Genetic Resources, Kevin Pixley. “The oversight of this project by CGIAR’s Genetic Innovation Science Group will ensure continued support for the improvement of these crops in partnership with the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) that work with and for farmers,” he said.

“CIMMYT is delighted to lead this project on behalf of the Genetic Innovations Science Group and CGIAR,” confirms CIMMYT Director General, Bram Govaerts.

“We look forward to contributing to co-design and co-implement with partners and stakeholders the next generation of programs that leverage and build the strengths of NARES, CGIAR and others along with the research to farmers and consumers continuum to improve nutrition, livelihoods, and resilience to climate change through these crops and their cropping systems.”