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Irrigated fields in Cuidad Obregon.

What is sustainable intensification?

Written by Mary Donovan on . Posted in Explainers.

By 2050, the world’s population could grow to 9.7 billion, food demand is expected to increase by 50% and global demand for grains such as maize, rice and wheat could increase by 70%. How can we meet the food and nutrition demands of a rising population, without negative environmental and social consequences?

Sustainable intensification is an approach using innovations to increase productivity on existing agricultural land with positive environmental and social impacts. Both words, “sustainable” and “intensification,” carry equal weight.

CIMMYT conducts research on sustainable intensification to identify ways farmers can increase production of crops per unit of land, conserve or enhance important ecosystem services and improve resilience to shocks and stresses, especially those due to climate change and climate variability.

For example, CIMMYT’s research on sustainable intensification in India has helped shape policies that increase farmer income while reducing pollution and land degradation.

What is the scope of sustainable intensification? 

Sustainable intensification takes into consideration impact on overall farm productivity, profitability, stability, production and market risks, resilience, as well as the interests and capacity of individual farmers to adopt innovations. It is not limited to environmental concerns, but also includes social and economic criteria such as improving livelihoods, equity and social capital.

Certain methods and principles are needed to achieve the goals of sustainable intensification. In collaboration with farmers and other change actors, CIMMYT carries out research-for-development projects to test and scale a range of technologies and approaches that contribute to these results. The research focuses on combined resource use efficiencies of crop production inputs: land, plant nutrients, labor and water.

One example is conservation agriculture, the combination of crop diversification, minimal soil movement and permanent soil cover. International scientific analysis has found that conservation agriculture can, in many places with different characteristics, play a crucial role towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Crop and system modeling, geographic information systems, remote sensing, scale-appropriate mechanization and socioeconomic modeling are some of the approaches that contribute to the design and evaluation of sustainable intensification alternatives in current farming systems.

Figure: Multi-criteria sustainability assessment of alternative (sustainable intensification) and reference systems in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.
Figure: Multi-criteria sustainability assessment of alternative (sustainable intensification) and reference systems in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.

What are some more examples?

Several interventions by CIMMYT aim at safeguarding biodiversity and protecting — in some cases increasing — ecosystem services crucial for small-scale farmers’ livelihoods and the health of all. Others have studied the impact of landscapes on dietary diversity and nutrition. Yet others have developed appropriate small-scale machines, allowing farmers to save time, costs and labor associated with agriculture to increase yields, halt the expansion of the agricultural frontier and invest in new opportunities.

How is sustainable intensification different from ecological intensification, agroecological intensification or climate-smart agriculture? 

Sustainable intensification, ecological intensification and agroecological intensification strive for the same general goal to feed an increasing population without negative environmental and social consequences, but they place emphasis on different aspects.

Ecological intensification focuses on ecological processes in the agroecosystem. Agroecological intensification emphasizes a systems approach and strongly considers social and cultural perspectives.

Climate-smart agriculture and sustainable intensification are complementary, but climate-smart agriculture focuses on climate stress, adaptation and mitigation.

Sustainable intensification can be achieved with a range of methods, including these concepts. It is one strategy among many for global food system transformation.

What is the history of CIMMYT’s research on sustainable intensification?

In the 1960s, the Green Revolution brought high-yielding crops to some regions of Latin America and South Asia, allegedly saving millions from starvation. Yet the Green Revolution had unintended environmental and social consequences. Critics of the Green Revolution argued these cropping techniques were highly dependent on external inputs, fossil fuels and agrochemicals, causing environmental damage through overuse of fertilizers and water, and contributing to soil degradation.

In the 1980s, CIMMYT scientists began placing stronger emphasis on environmental and social aspects — such as conserving soil and water, and ensuring social inclusion of marginalized groups — recognizing their importance to sustain the intensification of crops in South Asia. It was understood that sustainability includes improving the livelihoods of rural people who depend on these natural resources, in addition to better resource management. CIMMYT began to take these considerations to the core of its work.

Farmers harvest maize cobs.
Farmers Maliamu Joni and Ruth Andrea harvest cobs of drought-tolerant maize in Mbeya, Tanzania. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)

Are these practices successful?

Sustainable intensification can boost yields, increase farmers’ profits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by increasing nitrogen use efficiency, which also reduces groundwater pollution.

Research from CIMMYT’s SIMLESA project has shown that conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification practices led to a 60-90% increase in water infiltration and a 10-50% increase in maize yields in Malawi. In Ethiopia, crop incomes nearly doubled with crop diversification, reduced tillage and improved varieties, compared to using only one of these practices.

According to research from Stanford University, agricultural intensification has avoided emissions of up to 161 gigatons of carbon from 1961 to 2005. CIMMYT research shows that India could cut nearly 18% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable intensification practices that reduce fertilizer consumption, improve water management and eliminate residue burning. Zero-tillage wheat can cut farm-related greenhouse gas emissions by more than 75% in India and is 10-20% more profitable on average than burning rice straw and sowing wheat using conventional tillage.

A CIMMYT study in Science shows that thousands of wheat farmers in northern India could increase their profits if they stop burning their rice straw residue and adopt no-till practices, which could also cut farm-related greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 78% and lower air pollution. This research and related work to promote no-till Happy Seeders led to a 2018 policy from the government of India to stop farmers from burning residue, including a $166 million subsidy to promote mechanization to manage crop residues within fields.

In light of this evidence, CIMMYT continues to work with stakeholders all along the value chain — from farmers to national agricultural research organizations and companies — to promote and scale the adoption of practices leading to sustainable intensification.

Cover photo: Irrigated fields under conservation agriculture at CIMMYT’s CENEB experiment station near Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, northern Mexico. (Photo: CIMMYT)

See our coverage of World Food Day 2020.
See our coverage of World Food Day 2020.

Cobs & Spikes podcast: What is conservation agriculture?

Written by Mary Donovan on . Posted in Podcasts.

Farmers worldwide are increasingly adopting conservation agriculture. In the 2015/2016 season, conservation agriculture was practiced on about 180 mega hectares of cropland globally, 69% more than in the 2008/2009 season.

What are the benefits of this method of farming? How did it originate? In this episode, we answer common questions on conservation agriculture and talk to Simon Fonteyne, Research Platforms Coordinator with CIMMYT’s Integrated Development program and conservation agriculture expert.

You can listen to our podcast here, or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, or Google Play.

 

New publications: Optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates for rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Written by Alison Doody on . Posted in Publications. 1 Comment on New publications: Optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates for rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

 

Wheat spikes against the sky. (Photo: H. Hernandez Lira/CIMMYT)

New research by an international team of scientists, including International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) agricultural systems and climate change scientist Tek Sapkota, has identified the optimum rates of nitrogen fertilizer application for rice and wheat crops in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India.

By measuring crop yield and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes over two years, Sapkota and his colleagues reported that the optimum rate of N fertilizer for rice is between 120 and 200 kg per hectare, and between 50 and 185 kg per hectare for wheat. The results of the study have the potential to save farmer’s money and minimize dangerous greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining crop productivity.

Nitrous oxide, one of the most important greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, is responsible for ozone depletion and global climate change, and has a global warming potential 265 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Research has shown that agricultural soils account for around 60% of global nitrous oxide emissions. These emissions are directly related to the application of nitrogen fertilizers to croplands. While these fertilizers help crop yields, studies show that only about one third of the applied nitrogen is actually used by crops. The rest is released as nitrous oxide or seeps into waterways, causing harmful algal blooms.

In India, the total consumption of nitrogen fertilizer is about 17 million tons — expected to rise to 24 million tons by 2030 to feed a growing population. Nitrous oxide emissions will rise along with it if farmers do not minimize their fertilizer use and manage application more efficiently. What’s more, farmers receive a higher subsidy for nitrogen fertilizer — a policy that leads farmers to apply more fertilizer than the recommended dose.

Measured methods

The study, led by Sapkota, estimated the rate of nitrogen fertilizer application with the most economically optimum yield and minimum environmental footprint. Applying more fertilizer than this would be a waste of farmer’s money and cause unnecessary harm to the environment.

Researchers measured crop yield and nitrous oxide fluxes for two wheat seasons and one rice season from 2014 to 2016.  The scientists found that nitrogen fertilization rate clearly influenced daily and cumulative soil nitrous oxide emissions in wheat and rice for both years. Nitrous oxide emissions were higher in both wheat and rice in the nitrogen-fertilized plots than in the control plots.

Using statistical methods, the researchers were able to measure the relationship between crop productivity, nitrogen rate and emissions intensity, in both rice and wheat. This gave them the optimum rate of nitrogen fertilizer application.

This work was carried out by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), with support from the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements.

Read the full study:
Identifying optimum rates of fertilizer nitrogen application to maximize economic return and minimize nitrous oxide emission from rice–wheat systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

See more recent publications by CIMMYT researchers: 

  1. Landscape composition overrides field level management effects on maize stemborer control in Ethiopia. 2019. Kebede, Y., Bianchi, F., Baudron, F., Tittonell, P. In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment v. 279, p. 65-73.
  2. From plot to scale: ex-ante assessment of conservation agriculture in Zambia. 2019. Komarek, A.M.| Hoyoung Kwon, Haile, B., Thierfelder, C., Mutenje, M., Azzarri, C. In: Agricultural Systems v. 173, p. 504-518.
  3. Importance of considering technology growth in impact assessments of climate change on agriculture. 2019. Aggarwal, P.K., Vyas, S., Thornton, P., Campbell, B.M., Kropff, M. In. Global Food Security v. 23, p. 41-48.
  4. Evaluating maize genotype performance under low nitrogen conditions using RGB UAV phenotyping techniques. 2019. Buchaillot, M.L., Gracia-Romero, A., Vergara, O., Zaman-Allah, M., Amsal Tesfaye Tarekegne, Cairns, J.E., Prasanna, B.M., Araus, J.L., Kefauver, S.C. In: Sensors v. 19. No. 8, art. 1815.
  5. Understanding tropical maize (Zea mays L.): the major monocot in modernization and sustainability of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. 2019. Awata, L.A.O., Tongoona, P., Danquah, E., Ifie, B.E., Mahabaleswara, S.L., Jumbo, M.B., Marchelo-D’ragga, P.W., Sitonik, C. In: International Journal of Advance Agricultural Research v. 7, no. 2, p. 32-77.
  6. Genome-wide genetic diversity and population structure of tunisian durum wheat landraces based on DArTseq technology. 2019. Robbana, C., Kehel, Z., Ben Naceur, M., Sansaloni, C.P., Bassi, F., Amri, A. In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences v. 20, no. 6, art. 1352.
  7. High-throughput phenotyping for crop improvement in the genomics era. 2019. Mir, R., Reynolds, M.P., Pinto Espinosa, F., Khan, M.A., Bhat, M. In: Plant Science     v. 282, p. 60-72.
  8. Conservation agriculture based sustainable intensification: increasing yields and water productivity for smallholders of the Eastern Gangetic Plains. 2019. Islam, S., Gathala, M.K., Tiwari, T.P., Timsina, J., Laing, A.M., Maharjan, S., Chowdhury, A.K., Bhattacharya, P.M., Dhar, T., Mitra, B.,Kumar, S., Srivastwa, P.K., Dutta, S.K., Shrestha, R, Manandhar, S, Sherestha, S.R, Paneru, P, Siddquie, N, Hossain, A, Islam, R,Ghosh, A.K., Rahman, M.A., Kumar, U., Rao, K. K., Gerard, B. In: Field Crops Research v. 238, p. 1-17.
  9. Application of remote sensing for phenotyping tar spot complex resistance in maize. 2019. Loladze, A., Rodrigues, F., Toledo, F.H., San Vicente, F.M., Gerard, B., Prasanna, B.M. In: Frontiers in Plant Science v. 10, art. 552.
  10. 10. Investigation and genome-wide association study for Fusarium crown rot resistance in Chinese common wheat. 2019. Xia Yang, X., Yubo Pan, Singh, P.K., Xinyao He, Yan Ren, Lei Zhao, Ning Zhang, Cheng Shun-He, Feng Chen In: BMC Plant Biology v. 19, art. 153.
  11. Is labour a major determinant of yield gaps in sub-Saharan Africa?: a study of cereal-based production systems in Southern Ethiopia. 2019. Silva, J.V., Baudron, F., Reidsma, P., Giller, K.E. In: Agricultural Systems v. 174, p. 39-51.
  12. Stakeholders prioritization of climate-smart agriculture interventions: evaluation of a framework. 2019. Khatri-Chhetri, A., Pant, A., Aggarwal, P.K., Vasireddy, V.V., Yadav, A. In: Agricultural Systems v. 174, p. 23-31.
  13. Effect of crop management practices on crop growth, productivity and profitability of rice-wheat system in western Indo-gangetic plains. 2019. Sharma, P.C., Datta, A., Yadav, A.K., Choudhary, M., Jat, H.S., McDonald, A. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences India Section B – Biological Sciences v. 89, no. 2, p. 715-727.
  14. Economic benefits of blast-resistant biofortified wheat in Bangladesh: the case of BARI Gom 33. 2019. Mottaleb, K.A., Velu, G., Singh, P.K., Sonder, K., Xinyao He, Singh, R.P., Joshi, A.K., Barma, N.C.D., Kruseman, G., Erenstein, O. In: Crop Protection v. 123, p. 45-58.
  15. Genetic architecture of maize chlorotic mottle virus and maize lethal necrosis through GWAS, linkage analysis and genomic prediction in tropical maize germplasm. 2019. Sitonik, C., Mahabaleswara, S.L., Beyene, Y., Olsen, M., Makumbi, D., Kiplagat, O., Das, B., Jumbo, M.B., Mugo, S.N., Crossa, J., Amsal Tesfaye Tarekegne, Prasanna, B.M., Gowda, M. In: Theoretical and Applied Genetics v. 132, no. 8, p. 2381-2399.
  16. Sub-Saharan african maize-based foods: processing practices, challenges and opportunities. 2019. Ekpa, O., Palacios-Rojas, N., Kruseman, G., Fogliano, V., Linnemann, A. In: Food Reviews International v. 35, no. 7, p. 609-639.
  17. Provitamin A carotenoids in grain reduce aflatoxin contamination of maize while combating vitamin A deficiency. 2019. Suwarno, W.B., Hannok, P., Palacios-Rojas, N., Windham, G., Crossa, J., Pixley, K.V. In: Frontiers in Plant Science v. 10, art. 30.
  18. The 4th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium. 2019. Reynolds, M.P., Schurr, U. In: Plant Science v. 282, P. 1.
  19. Soil hydraulic response to conservation agriculture under irrigated intensive cereal-based cropping systems in a semiarid climate. 2019. Patra, S., Julich, S., Feger, K., Jat, M.L., Jat, H.S., Sharma, P.C., Schwärzel, K. In: Soil and Tillage Research v. 192, p. 151-163.
  20. Effects of crop residue retention on soil carbon pools after 6 years of rice-wheat cropping system. 2019. Sharma, S., Thind, H.S., Singh, Y., Sidhu, H.S., Jat, M.L., Parihar, C.M. In: Environmental Earth Sciences v. 78, no. 10, art. 296.
  21. 21. How to increase the productivity and profitability of smallholder rainfed wheat in the Eastern African highlands?: Northern Rwanda as a case study. 2019. Baudron, F., Ndoli, A., Habarurema, I., Silva, J.V. In: Field Crops Research v. 236, P. 121-131.
  22. Agro-ecological options for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith) management: providing low-cost, smallholder friendly solutions to an invasive pest. 2019. Harrison, R., Thierfelder, C., Baudron, F., Chinwada, P., Midega, C., Schaffner, U., van den Berg, J. In: Journal of Environmental Management v. 236, p. 121-131.
  23. Preliminary characterization for grain quality traits and high and low molecular weight glutenins subunits composition of durum wheat landraces from Iran and Mexico. 2019. Hernandez Espinosa, N., Payne, T.S., Huerta-Espino, J., Cervantes, F., González-Santoyo, H., Ammar, K., Guzman, C. In: Journal of Cereal Science v. 88, p. 47-56.
  24. Tissue and nitrogen-linked expression profiles of ammonium and nitrate transporters in maize. 2019. Dechorgnat, J., Francis, K.L., Dhugga, K., Rafalski, A., Tyerman, S.D., Kaiser, B.N. In: BMC Plant Biology v. 19, art. 206.
  25. CGIAR Operations under the Plant Treaty Framework. 2019. Lopez-Noriega, I., Halewood, M., Abberton, M., Amri, A., Angarawai, I.I., Anglin, N., Blummel, M., Bouman, B., Campos, H., Costich, D.E., Ellis, D., Pooran M. Gaur., Guarino, L., Hanson, J., Kommerell, V., Kumar, P.L., Lusty, C., Ndjiondjop, M.N., Payne, T.S., Peters, M., Popova, E.,Prakash, G., Sackville-Hamilton, R., Tabo, R., Upadhyaya, H., Yazbek, M., Wenzl, P.  In: Crop Science v. 59, no. 3, p. 819-832.
Field worker Lain Ochoa Hernandez harvests a plot of maize grown with conservation agriculture techniques in Nuevo México, Chiapas, Mexico. (Photo: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)

What is conservation agriculture?

Written by Mary Donovan on . Posted in Explainers.

If not practiced sustainably, agriculture can have a toll on the environment, produce greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change. However, sustainable farming methods can do the opposite — increase resilience to climate change, protect biodiversity and sustainably use natural resources.

One of these methods is conservation agriculture.

Conservation agriculture conserves natural resources, biodiversity and labor. It increases available soil water, reduces heat and drought stress, and builds up soil health in the longer term.

What are the principles of conservation agriculture?

Conservation agriculture is based on the interrelated principles of minimal mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil cover with living or dead plant material, and crop diversification through rotation or intercropping. It helps farmers to maintain and boost yields and increase profits, while reversing land degradation, protecting the environment and responding to growing challenges of climate change.

To reduce soil disturbance, farmers practice zero-tillage farming, which allows direct planting without plowing or preparing the soil. The farmer seeds directly through surface residues of the previous crop.

Zero tillage is combined with intercropping and crop rotation, which means either growing two or more crops at the same time on the same piece of land, or growing two different crops on the same land in a sequential manner. These are also core principles of sustainable intensification.

How is conservation agriculture different from sustainable intensification?

Sustainable intensification is a process to increase agriculture yields without adverse impacts on the environment, taking the whole ecosystem into consideration. It aims for the same goals as conservation agriculture.

Conservation agriculture practices lead to or enable sustainable intensification.

What are the benefits and challenges of conservation agriculture?       

Zero-tillage farming with residue cover saves irrigation water, gradually increases soil organic matter and suppresses weeds, as well as reduces costs of machinery, fuel and time associated with tilling. Leaving the soil undisturbed increases water infiltration, holds soil moisture and helps to prevent topsoil erosion. Conservation agriculture enhances water intake that allows for more stable yields in the midst of weather extremes exacerbated by climate change.

While conservation agriculture provides many benefits for farmers and the environment, farmers can face constraints to adopt these practices. Wetlands or soils with poor drainage can make adoption challenging. When crop residues are limited, farmers tend to use them for fodder first, so there might not be enough residues for the soil cover. To initiate conservation agriculture, appropriate seeders are necessary, and these may not be available or affordable to all farmers. Conservation agriculture is also knowledge intensive and not all farmers may have access to the knowledge and training required on how to practice conservation agriculture. Finally, conservation agriculture increases yields over time but farmers may not see yield benefits immediately.

However, innovations, adapted research and new technologies are helping farmers to overcome these challenges and facilitate the adoption of conservation agriculture.

How did conservation agriculture originate?

Belita Maleko, a farmer in Nkhotakota, central Malawi, sowed cowpea as an intercrop in one of her maize plots, grown under conservation agriculture principles. (Photo: T. Samson/CIMMYT)
Belita Maleko, a farmer in Nkhotakota, central Malawi, sowed cowpea as an intercrop in one of her maize plots, grown under conservation agriculture principles. (Photo: T. Samson/CIMMYT)

The term “conservation agriculture” was coined in the 1990s, but the idea to minimize soil disturbance has its origins in the 1930s, during the Dust Bowl in the United States of America.

CIMMYT pioneered no-till training programs and trials in the 1970s, in maize and wheat systems in Latin America. In the 1980s this technique was also used in agronomy projects in South Asia.

CIMMYT began work with conservation agriculture in Latin America and South Asia in the 1990s and in Africa in the early 2000s. Today, these efforts have been scaled up and conservation agriculture principles have been incorporated into projects such as CSISA, FACASI, MasAgro, SIMLESA, and SRFSI.

Farmers worldwide are increasingly adopting conservation agriculture. In the 2015/16 season, conservation agriculture was practiced on about 180 mega hectares of cropland globally, about 12.5% of the total global cropland — 69% more than in the 2008/2009 season.

Is conservation agriculture organic?

Conservation agriculture and organic farming both maintain a balance between agriculture and resources, use crop rotation, and protect the soil’s organic matter. However, the main difference between these two types of farming is that organic farmers use a plow or soil tillage, while farmers who practice conservation agriculture use natural principles and do not till the soil. Organic farmers apply tillage to remove weeds without using inorganic fertilizers.

Conservation agriculture farmers, on the other hand, use a permanent soil cover and plant seeds through this layer. They may initially use inorganic fertilizers to manage weeds, especially in soils with low fertility. Over time, the use of agrichemicals may be reduced or slowly phased out.

How does conservation agriculture differ from climate-smart agriculture?

While conservation agriculture and climate-smart agriculture are similar, their purposes are different. Conservation agriculture aims to sustainably intensify smallholder farming systems and have a positive effect on the environment using natural processes. It helps farmers to adapt to and increase profits in spite of climate risks.

Climate-smart agriculture aims to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering soil carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and finally increase productivity and profitability of farming systems to ensure farmers’ livelihoods and food security in a changing climate. Conservation agriculture systems can be considered climate-smart as they deliver on the objectives of climate-smart agriculture.

Cover photo: Field worker Lain Ochoa Hernandez harvests a plot of maize grown with conservation agriculture techniques in Nuevo México, Chiapas, Mexico. (Photo: P. Lowe/CIMMYT)

Women applying required fertilizer along the tracks of seed drill. (Photo: Wasim Iftikar)

A wake-up call for the fertilizer industry

Written by Marta Millere on . Posted in Features.

When you hear the words ‘plant nutrition’ or ‘fertilizer’, do you think of sustainability?

Many might not but the recent gathering of plant nutrition experts in Versailles at the High Level Forum on Sustainable Plant Nutrition might indicate that the tide is turning.

“This event is a first of its kind. Here you have the fertilizer industry, which is relatively conservative, and yet there are speakers such as Mostafa Terrab of the OCP Group or Svein Tore Holsether of Yara who are pushing this future agenda,” said Bruce Campbell, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

“If I was from the fertilizer industry, I would really wake up, as perhaps is happening with some companies. If you look at the airlines industry, you see some super visionary players and others who are not. I feel that there could be players in this group who could be as visionary: looking at cutting down the energy inputs into fertilizer production, working together with governments to reform subsidies that promote over-fertilization, working towards precision fertilizer application. If the fertilizer industry wants to gain the trust of a more and more discerning public, then they need to show climate leadership,” Campbell remarked.

Early plant vigor can be improved through the use of direct seeders, which place fertilizer close to the seed. (Photo: Wasim Iftikar / CIMMYT)

The right time and place

Although fertilizer use revolutionized agriculture and allowed farmers to grow better crops on less land, plant nutrients are often vilified because of the negative environmental impact caused by their improper use.

For this reason, experts often speak of the 4R stewardship principles of fertilizer: right fertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.

“The industry needs solid science to back up agricultural technology solutions in the realms of both nutrient and water management. Regarding the right placement, right time and the right quantity of fertilizer, mechanization solutions — such as direct seeders, which place fertilizer close to the seed — can really increase nutrient use efficiency and improve plant early vigor. Together with a wide range of partners, CIMMYT has been using these across smallholder systems of Asia, Africa and Latin America,” highlighted Martin Kropff, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), during one of the panel discussions.

In order to scale up the most relevant scientific findings and extension efforts, the focus should be on using available fertilizers better. This goes hand in hand with better management of organic matter and soils. There is a human element too: farmers’ efficiency could be improved with better advice especially targeted at extension offices or service providers.

At the event, David Nabarro challenged the fertilizer industry to take the lead in reforming the broken food system. (Photo: Marta Millere/CIMMYT)
At the event, David Nabarro challenged the fertilizer industry to take the lead in reforming the broken food system. (Photo: Marta Millere/CIMMYT)

S for sustainability

In order to identify the missing link of sustainability, just a day before the launch of the forum, the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) created a new Scientific Panel on Responsible Plant Nutrition. This group of international experts will provide objective knowledge and assessments for the fertilizer industry and other stakeholders to develop a more responsible plant nutrition system.

Bruno Gérard, Director of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Intensification research program and a member of the panel, spoke about CIMMYT’s unique selling proposition. “CIMMYT has a significant research agenda and experience in better nutrient management in wheat- and maize-based systems. In regions such as South Asia, the challenge is to produce more or the same with less and better fertilizers through improved management practices. Instead in Sub-Saharan Africa, the focus is on giving better access and knowledge so that farmers can produce more with adequate fertilizer inputs.”

Being part of the panel will give CIMMYT the opportunity to better link up with the fertilizer industry and contribute to improved fertilizer use in term of profitability, yield stability and risk, accessibility but also — from an environmental perspective — minimize the footprint of fertilizer through better agronomic practices and management.

The High Level Forum on Plant Nutrition took place on November 18-20, 2019, in Versailles, France.

CIMMYT and CGIAR staff members put their tree seedlings in the ground. (Photo: CIMMYT)

CIMMYT and CGIAR staff join Ethiopia’s record-breaking tree-planting campaign

Written by Rodrigo Ordóñez on . Posted in News.

Staff members of CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers in Ethiopia participated in the country's nationwide campaign that resulted in the planting of more than 350 million trees in one single day. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Staff members of CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers in Ethiopia participated in the country’s nationwide campaign that resulted in the planting of more than 350 million trees in one single day. (Photo: CIMMYT)

July 29, 2019, was a remarkable day for Ethiopia. People across the country planted 353,633,660 tree seedlings in just 12 hours, according to the official count, in what is believed to be a world record. This figure also exceeded the target of a nationwide campaign calling citizens to plant 200 million trees in one day. This initiative was part of the Ethiopian government’s “Green Legacy” initiative, which aims to plant 4 billion trees by October.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and other CGIAR centers working in Ethiopia joined the tree-planting campaign. In the morning of July 29, staff members turned out at Adwa park, near Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, to plant tree seedlings. This activity was coordinated by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) after receiving an invitation from the Bole subcity administration.

Ethiopia’s tree-planting day received worldwide attention. Al Jazeera reported that, “in addition to ordinary Ethiopians, various international organizations and the business community have joined the tree planting spree which aims to overtake India’s 66 million planting record set in 2017.”

CIMMYT and CGIAR staff members put their tree seedlings in the ground. (Photo: CIMMYT)
CIMMYT and CGIAR staff members put their tree seedlings in the ground. (Photo: CIMMYT)

A greener future for CGIAR

Ethiopia’s reforestation efforts align with CGIAR’s sustainability strategy.

In its current business plan, CGIAR has five global challenges including planetary boundaries. Food systems are driving the unsustainable use of the planet’s increasingly fragile ecosystem. A stable climate, water, land, forests and the biodiversity they contain are a precious, yet finite, natural resource.  Food systems account for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and will be profoundly affected by its impacts. Agriculture is driving the loss of the world’s forests and productive land, with 5 million hectares of forests lost every year and a third of the world’s land already classified as degraded.  Agriculture accounts for about 70% of water withdrawals globally, is a major cause of water stress in countries where more than 2 billion people live, and water pollution from agricultural systems poses a serious threat to the world’s water systems.

With Ethiopia’s increasing population, there is a high pressure on farmland, unsustainable use of natural resources and deforestation.

At the Agriculture Research for Development Knowledge Share Fair organized in Addis Ababa on May 15, 2019, CGIAR centers demonstrated how they are working together to improve agriculture production and environmental sustainability, tackling local challenges and generating global impact in partnership with other organizations, communities and governments.

At the fair’s opening ceremony, Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, noted that the country has policies, institutional arrangements as well as human and financial resources to work towards sustainability. As a result, Ethiopia has made remarkable achievements towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals with the continued support and contributions from partners like CGIAR. He also called CGIAR centers to support the efforts to plant 4 billion tree seedlings in 2019, as part of Ethiopia’s climate change adaptation and mitigation goals.

CIMMYT staff show their hands full of dirt after planting tree seedlings in Bole subcity, near Addis Ababa's international airport. (Photo: CIMMYT)
CIMMYT staff show their hands full of dirt after planting tree seedlings in Bole subcity, near Addis Ababa’s international airport. (Photo: CIMMYT)
From left to right: Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at the EAT Foundation; Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Mexico’s Undersecretary for Prevention and Promotion of Health; Teresa Shamah Levy, Deputy Director General for Evaluation and Surveys Research at Mexico’s Public Health Institute; Jorge Alcocer Varela, Mexico’s Secretary of Health; Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture; Bram Govaerts, Director of Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT; Rut Krüger Giverin, Norway’s Ambassador to Mexico; Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, Director General of Mexico’s Public Health Institute; and Olav Kjørven, Chief Strategic Officer at the EAT Foundation. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Farmers key to realizing EAT-Lancet report recommendations in Mexico, CIMMYT highlights

Written by Ricardo Curiel on . Posted in News.

CIMMYT's director of innovative business strategies, Bram Govaerts (left), explained that three changes are needed to reduce the environmental impact of food systems in Mexico: innovation in production practices, reduction of food waste, and change of diets. (Photo: CIMMYT)
CIMMYT’s director of innovative business strategies, Bram Govaerts (left), explained that three changes are needed to reduce the environmental impact of food systems in Mexico: innovation in production practices, reduction of food waste, and change of diets. (Photo: CIMMYT)

MEXICO CITY (CIMMYT) — The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was invited to discuss the findings of the EAT-Lancet Commission report and its implications for Mexico, during a launch event hosted by Mexico’s Health Department on March 4, 2019.

The report, published earlier this year, aims to offer an in-depth scientific analysis of the world’s food production systems and their impact on the planet and human health. It proposes a “planetary health diet” that balances nutrition with sustainable food production.

“Our first objective was to develop healthy diets for the 10 billion people who will inhabit the planet in 2050”, said Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, Director General of Mexico’s Public Health Institute and member of the EAT-Lancet Commission. According to Dommarco, the healthy diet recommended for Mexico had to increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains to avert chronic diseases and combat malnutrition and obesity.

The report also makes several recommendations to reduce the environmental impact of food production, taking into account planetary boundaries. “The world needs to sustainably intensify food production and to produce basic foodstuffs of higher nutritional value”, said Fabrice DeClerck, EAT’s Science Director.

“If anybody is able to manage the complex systems that will sustainably yield the volume of nutritious food that the world needs, that’s the farmer”, said Bram Govaerts, Director of Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT. “In Mexico, more than 500 thousand farmers already innovate every day and grow maize, wheat and related crops under sustainable intensification practices that CIMMYT and Mexico’s Agriculture Department promote with MasAgro”.

Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, said that the EAT-Lancet Commission report recommendations were very much in line with the strategic public policies that Mexico plans to implement in the coming years.

From left to right: Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at the EAT Foundation; Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Mexico’s Undersecretary for Prevention and Promotion of Health; Teresa Shamah Levy, Deputy Director General for Evaluation and Surveys Research at Mexico’s Public Health Institute; Jorge Alcocer Varela, Mexico’s Secretary of Health; Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture; Bram Govaerts, Director of Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT; Rut Krüger Giverin, Norway’s Ambassador to Mexico; Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, Director General of Mexico’s Public Health Institute; and Olav Kjørven, Chief Strategic Officer at the EAT Foundation. (Photo: CIMMYT)
From left to right: Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at the EAT Foundation; Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, Mexico’s Undersecretary for Prevention and Promotion of Health; Teresa Shamah Levy, Deputy Director General for Evaluation and Surveys Research at Mexico’s Public Health Institute; Jorge Alcocer Varela, Mexico’s Secretary of Health; Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture; Bram Govaerts, Director of Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT; Rut Krüger Giverin, Norway’s Ambassador to Mexico; Juan Ángel Rivera Dommarco, Director General of Mexico’s Public Health Institute; and Olav Kjørven, Chief Strategic Officer at the EAT Foundation. (Photo: CIMMYT)
Farmers visit a field from Total LandCare demonstrating conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification practices in Angónia, Tete province, Mozambique.

Policy forum in Mozambique recommends scaling sustainable agriculture practices

Written by Jérôme Bossuet on . Posted in Features.

A woman stands on a field intercropping beans and maize in Sussundenga, Manica province, Mozambique. (Photo: Luis Jose Cabango)
A woman stands on a field intercropping beans and maize in Sussundenga, Manica province, Mozambique. (Photo: Luis Jose Cabango)

For many small farmers across sub-Saharan Africa, the crop yields their livelihoods depend on are affected by low-quality inputs and severe challenges like climate change, pests and diseases. Unsustainable farming practices like monocropping are impacting soil health and reducing the productivity of their farms.

Sustainable intensification practices based on conservation agriculture entail minimal soil disturbance, recycling crop plant matter to cover and replenish the soil, and diversified cropping patterns. These approaches maintain moisture, reduce erosion and curb nutrient loss. Farmers are encouraged and supported to intercrop maize with nitrogen-fixing legumes — such as beans, peas and groundnuts — which enrich the soil with key nutrients. Farmers are equally advised to cultivate their crops along with trees, instead of deforesting the land to create room for farming.

These practices result in higher incomes for farmers and better food and nutrition for families. Adopting conservation agriculture also improves farmers’ climate resilience. Combined with good agronomic practices, conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification can increase yields up to 38 percent.

Since 2010, the Sustainable Intensification of Maize and Legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project has promoted effective ways to produce more food while protecting the environment across Eastern and Southern Africa. In particular, the SIMLESA project aims at sustainably increasing the productivity of maize and legume systems in the region.

The SIMLESA project demonstrated the advantages of deploying low-carbon and low-cost mechanization adapted to smallholder farming: it addresses labor shortages at critical times like planting or weeding, boosting farmers’ productivity and yields. The SIMLESA project introduced mechanization in different phases: first improved manual tools like the jab planter, later draft power machinery innovations such as rippers, and finally motorized mechanization in the form of small four-wheel tractors.

Farmers visit a field from Total LandCare demonstrating conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification practices in Angónia, Tete province, Mozambique.
Farmers visit a field from Total LandCare demonstrating conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification practices in Angónia, Tete province, Mozambique.

From proof of concept to nation-wide adoption

In Mozambique, conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification practices have significantly expanded: from 36 farmers in six villages in four districts in 2010, to over 190,000 farmers in more than 100 villages in nine districts by the end of 2018. This remarkable result was achieved in collaboration with partners such as the Mozambican Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM), extension workers, communities and private companies.

“Smallholder agriculture mechanization reduced the amount of labor required for one hectare of land preparation, from 31 days to just 2 hours. This enabled timely farming activities and a maize yield increase of about 170 kg per hectare, reflecting an extra 3-4 months of household food security,” said the national coordinator for SIMLESA in Mozambique, Domingos Dias.

Following its successes, SIMLESA and its partners have embarked on a series of meetings to discuss how to leverage public-private partnerships to expand conservation agriculture practices to other regions.

Throughout February and March 2019, a series of policy forums at sub-national and national levels will be held across the seven SIMLESA countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The first policy dialogue took place on February 7 in Chimoio, in Mozambique’s district of Manica. Key agriculture stakeholders attended, including representatives from CIMMYT, IIAM, the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as policy makers, private sector partners and international research institutes.

Participants of the SIMLESA policy forum in Chimoio, Manica province, Mozambique, pose for a group photo.
Participants of the SIMLESA policy forum in Chimoio, Manica province, Mozambique, pose for a group photo.

“We are delighted at SIMLESA’s unique strategy of involving multiple partners in implementing conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification practices. This has, over the years, allowed for faster dissemination of these practices and technologies in more locations in Mozambique, thereby increasing its reach to more farmers,” said Albertina Alage, Technical Director for Technology Transfer at IIAM. “Such policy forums are important to showcase the impact of conservation agriculture to policy makers to learn and sustain their support for scaling up conservation agriculture for sustainable intensification,” she added.

Forum participants called for better coordination between the public and the private sector to deliver appropriate machinery for use by smallholders in new areas. They recommended adequate support to enable farmers to better integrate livestock and a diverse cropping system, as well as continue with conservation agriculture trials and demonstration activities. Besides involving farmers, their associations and agro-dealer networks in scaling conservation agriculture initiatives, participants agreed to promote integrated pest and disease management protocols. This is considering the recent outbreak of the fall armyworm, which devasted crops in many countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

“The SIMLESA project is and will always be a reference point for our research institute and the Ministry of Agriculture in our country. The good progress of SIMLESA and the results of this forum will help to draw strategies for continuity of this program implemented by government and other programs with the aim to increase production and productivity of farmers,” Alage concluded.

The SIMLESA project is a science for development alliance, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in collaboration with national research institutes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Representatives of government, civil society, and research for development organizations participated in the "Food Systems Dialogue on Ethiopia." (Photo: CIMMYT)

Experts analyze food systems at EAT-Lancet Commission report launch in Ethiopia

Written by on . Posted in News.

Earlier this year, the EAT-Lancet Commission published a groundbreaking report linking healthy diets and sustainable food systems. It proposed scientific targets that meet both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement action plan to reduce carbon emissions. Since then, more than 20 launch events have been scheduled around the globe, including Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

On February 7, the African Union hosted the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets for sustainable food systems. Government officials, researchers and experts attended the “Food Systems Dialogue on Ethiopia” and developed a list of recommendations going forward. Some of these included at least 10 percent resource allocation to agriculture, the creation of functional and efficient internal markets for enhancing food distribution within the country, post-harvest loss reduction, and stronger collaboration between government and other stakeholders.

Representatives of government, civil society, and research for development organizations participated in the "Food Systems Dialogue on Ethiopia." (Photo: CIMMYT)
Representatives of government, civil society, and research for development organizations participated in the “Food Systems Dialogue on Ethiopia.” (Photo: CIMMYT)

“The report has drawn the attention of policy makers, civil society and donors,” said Kindie Tesfaye Fantaye, a researcher and crop modeler at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). “The event was a good opportunity to create awareness on the chronic problems of stunting and malnutrition in Africa, and agriculture’s central role in contributing to effective solutions.”

Tesfaye Fantaye said CIMMYT’s work is well aligned with the report’s recommendations. In addition to research on sustainable intensification approaches that improve livelihoods while reducing the environmental footprint, CIMMYT explores ways to reduce postharvest losses and increase the nutritional quality of food through biofortification.

During a high-level side event, the commissioners indicated that the report is in-line with the different African Union policies and strategies, including the Malabo Declaration on Agriculture and Postharvest Losses, Agenda 2063 and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).

“The power of food is its connection. If we get it right, it brings us to a healthy people and a healthy planet,” said Gunhild Anker Stordalen, the founder and executive chair of EAT Foundation.

The launch in Ethiopia of the EAT–Lancet Commission report on healthy diets from sustainable food systems took place in the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. (Photo: CIMMYT)
The launch in Ethiopia of the EAT–Lancet Commission report on healthy diets from sustainable food systems took place in the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. (Photo: CIMMYT)