Working with smallholders to understand their needs and build on their knowledge, CIMMYT brings the right seeds and inputs to local markets, raises awareness of more productive cropping practices, and works to bring local mechanization and irrigation services based on conservation agriculture practices. CIMMYT helps scale up farmersâ own innovations, and embraces remote sensing, mobile phones and other information technology. These interventions are gender-inclusive, to ensure equitable impacts for all.
CIMMYT scientists, researchers and subject experts participated in the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS) from August 28âSeptember 2 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The 113th edition ran under the theme âSustained Growth. Adaptation. Productivity. Linkages.â
âCIMMYT has a long history of working with local partners in Zimbabwe. Together with these partners, we work to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers, through innovations we develop like stress resilient maize or wheat varieties, together with conservation agriculture technologies,â said Mainassara Zaman-Allah, CIMMYT Zimbabwe country representative.
Smallholder farmers and practitioners learned about the latest mechanization technologies. (Photo: CIMMYT)
With an average of 200 visitors per day at CIMMYTâs stand, stemming from small-scale farmers, government representatives, seed companies, university personnel, NGOs and media among others, this platform continues to pave the way for synergies, learning and networking. Beyond raising awareness on the progressive work being done, CIMMYT used this opportunity to interact with local seed companies (SEEDCo, Agriseeds, K2, among others) and get valuable feedback from farmers, including those involved in the maize regional on-farm variety evaluation.
The place to be for agricultural development in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, organized by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society, is a dynamic event that serves as the premier platform for the facilitation and promotion of agricultural development in Zimbabwe. With over 550 commercial exhibitors, 700 farmers, 200 micro enterprises, the show presents a unique business opportunity for national and regional organizations.
The event provides a platform to showcase brands, market services, and engage in various business discussions targeting important sectors. The show is capped by the Annual National Agribusiness Conference.
Advancing innovation in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Agricultural Show served as an ideal platform for CIMMYT to share its research findings, exchange knowledge and foster collaborations with farmers, policymakers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
CIMMYT staff provided information regarding its ongoing initiatives and the transformative potential of innovations. We encouraged participants, partners and value chain players to visit the CIMMYT booth to engage with researchers, explore our latest research and discuss innovative agricultural practices.
CIMMYT staff shared research highlights and new partnerships. (Photo: CIMMYT)
“Our work in Zimbabwe, like promoting the increased adoption of climate-resilient innovations in mixed crop-livestock production systems and strengthening local food systems through agroecological advances, would not be possible without the strong collaborations with local partners,â said Isaiah Nyagumbo, regional cropping systems agronomist. âAnd the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show is the best place to continue those partnerships and start new linkages.â
ZAS and CIMMYT
Established in 1895 and operating from The Business Hub (Formerly Exhibition Park), the ZAS is the epicenter for the promotion and facilitation of national agricultural development. It is the oldest convenor and host of agricultural, commercial, and industrial shows in Zimbabwe.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and preserving natural resources in the Global South.
Seed the World Group hosted a webinar to find a common ground between public and private breeding programs in North America and some possible paths forward. Fernando Gonzalez, a retired plant breeder from CIMMYT mentioned a noticeable uptick in the involvement of the private sector in breeding programs in Mexico.
Learn more about the primary goals underlying public and private breeding efforts.
Erratic climate patterns, global and regional conflicts, biodiversity degradation, and insufficient funding for agricultural research pose a serious risk to meeting global food production goals by mid-century, according to Cary Fowler, the U.S. special envoy for food security.âŻÂ
The world must produce 50-60% more food by 2050 to nourish a growing population. Yet global crop yields are projected to drop between 3-12% over the same period. Wheat yields in Africa and South Asia, two regions with the fastest growing and youngest populations, are expected to decline by 15% due to global warming. Food systems have also been disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, raisingfood and fertilizer prices, and exacerbating regional instability. âŻÂ
Maize vendor at village market in Arsi Negele, Ethiopia. (Photo: Peter Lowe/CIMMYT)
Fowler cites inadequate government funding for plant breeding programs as a contributor to an ineffective response to introducing improved climate-adaptable staple crops. âWith the state of current affairs, we are on our way to failing to feed the world by centuryâs end,â said Fowler.âŻÂ
Global peace and development efforts will demand a cross-sector and coordinated response. Through its 2030 Strategy, CIMMYT has laid out a robust series of investments in crop systems innovation, partnership, and sustainable development, to advance more resilient food systems. The 2030 Strategy consolidates CIMMYTâs target areas through three pillars: Discovery, SystemDev, and Inc. These pillars focus on research and innovation, systems approach, and strong partnerships and advocacy efforts with the private and government sectors to address an emerging food crisis.Â
âOur 2030 Strategy places research, innovation and partnership at the center of facing the challenges of the 21st century to solve tomorrowâs problems todayâfor greater food security and the prosperity of smallholder farmers. As we implement work plans, CIMMYT is proud of the achievements it has seen through projects in sub-Saharan Africa, our contribution to influential policy reports, and continued praise for our agri-development initiatives in Latin America. All these feats will help us deliver on and expand our efforts to reach our 2030 vision,â said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general. Â
CIMMYT remains prominent in developing sustainable solutions for farmers and policy actors Â
CIMMYT has achieved important progress in Eastern and Southern Africa. Projects such as the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub have brought together regional seed partners, government agencies, and CGIAR Research Centers, to reduce fertilizer prices, boost resilience to drought and pests, and facilitate market access for smallholders. Â
In the recent SPG Coalition report, CIMMYT featured prominently as a leading organization in climate-smart agriculture, nutrient-use efficiency, and pest and fertilizer management. This report informs researchers, non-governmental organizations and private sector partners in agrifood and climate policy development. Â
A CIMMYT staff member gives a farmer training session in Boiragee, Bangladesh. (Photo: S. Mojumder Drik/CIMMYT)
MasAgro, a research-for-development initiative, has received praise by international organizations and governments as an exemplary program for sustainable development in Latin America. Over 500,000 farmers in Mexico have adopted hardy maize or wheat varieties and resource-conserving agricultural practices. To maximize on the experience of MasAgro, CIMMYT has partnered with a CGIAR initiative: AgriLAC Resiliente. This initiative aims to bolster the competitiveness and sustainability of agrifood systems to respond to forced migrations in Central and South America which are worsened by regional food insecurity and conflict. Â
Science and innovation powered by partnership can deliver a food secure world Â
Climate change undoubtedly threatens global peace and agrifood systems. With over 130 countries depending on food imports, todayâs hyper-connected world demands collaborative partnership across all sectors to build up shockproof food systems. Through a grassroots approach to research and innovation, the CIMMYT 2030 Strategy is built upon decades of applied science which has impacted communities around the world, to continue influencing policy, pioneering innovations, and advocating for the development of a food secure future. Â
Women play a critical role in the future of food security. Female farmers face a significant disadvantage before they ever plow a field or sow a seed. Farming is a challenging profession, and it is even more challenging for women when they perform these functions whilst facing numerous constraints.
Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan, communications officer, showcases how fodder chopper technology is improving the lives of women farmers in rural Bangladesh.
Millions of rural Indians, mostly farmers, are at the mercy of changing weather and climate change. Rising temperature and heat stress, unpredictable rainfall patterns, increasing drought-like situations, soil erosion and depleting water tables are leading to poorer yields and reduced income for farmers. While the agricultural sector and farmers are most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, it is also one of the sectors significantly responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, contributing about 14% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Farmer Rahul Rai prepares his field for wheat plantation with zero tillage – Buxar, Bihar (photo: Deepak K. Singh/CIMMYT)
Good agronomy and soil management through conservation agriculture practices such as no-till farming, crop rotation, and in-situ crop harvest residue management are resource efficient and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The intensification of these conservation agriculture practices by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)âa regional project led by CIMMYT to sustainably enhance cereal crop productivity and improve smallholder farmersâ livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, and Nepalâand partners is helping smallholder farmers to improve their yield and income with less input costs.
Climate smart agriculture
Over 70% of Bihar’s population is engaged in agriculture production, with wheat and rice as the two major crops grown in the state. Bordering Uttar Pradesh, Buxar, is one of the many rural districts in Bihar, with over 108,000 hectares of land used for agriculture. The area is plain, fertile and has good irrigation facilities. The rice-wheat cropping system forms the dominant practice here, and pulses and other non-cereal crops are grown additionally during winters.
CSISA began promoting zero tillage in wheat cultivation in the area in 2010. Along with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and local agriculture departments, awareness and frontline demonstrations on different best management practices were conducted to inform farmers of alternative approaches to cultivating wheat and rice sustainably. Farmers were used to conventional farming methods, with more input costs and labor-intensive practices. In addition, as farmers were growing long-duration rice varieties, they typically sowed wheat in late November to early December, which meant harvesting in late April/May. Harvesting wheat this late caused yield losses due to terminal heat stress at the grain filling stage. With increasingly hot temperatures in recent years due to climate change, yield loss in wheat is imminent.
To help curb these yield losses, researchers and officials began promoting early sowing of wheat through a technology called zero tillage in the region, with sowing recommended before mid-November. As expected, this helped farmers to escape high temperature stress at the time of the dough stage, thus, saving grain shrinkage and yield loss at harvest. Zero tillage technology is a tested method with the potential to increase crop productivity through better time management and reduced input cost.
Deepak Kumar Singh, scientist at CSISA who has been supporting agri-extension efforts in the region for nearly a decade recalled how CSISA and partners were able to get more farmers on board with zero tillage and early wheat sowing:
“The best practices of zero till technology and early wheat sowing were encouraged widely through exposure visits, demonstration trials on progressive farmers’ fields, and providing support from local KVKs for machines and quality seeds, including the promotion of private service providers,” he said.
As more farmers were reached through field events, with visible on-field results during public harvest activities held at demonstration fields by CSISA and KVKs, the region gradually adopted early wheat sowing, zero tillage and direct seeded rice technologies. Currently, in the district, it is estimated that over 40% of wheat cultivation under the rice-wheat system is through zero till, helping farmers obtain better yield and profits.
Rice-wheat cropping systems, resilient and sustainable in increasingly changing climate
Rajapur, a small village in Buxar district, boasts 100% adoption of zero tillage in wheat cropping. We met farmer Rahul Rai whose family has been involved in farming for generations. The family owns over thirty acres of land with agriculture as the primary source of income. His father and his siblings were used to conventional farming methods. The produce from their farm was sufficient for household consumption and with the little extra left, they sold and made some income. On the significance of agriculture and farming for his family, Rahul Rai says, “this farmland has been feeding and supporting 17 members in our joint household.”
When young Rahul Rai got down to work in the family fields in the early 2000s, he was keen to explore possibilities to improve the income generated from the farm. Initially, like many others, he was engaged in intensive farming. According to Rai, “with the input costs rising daily, including scarce labor and soil health deterioration, bringing in some extra income seemed unsustainable”.
He first met researchers from the CSISA project and local KVK scientists in early 2011 in the neighboring village. The team was there to inform farmers about conservation agriculture practices and how to better manage yield and maintain soil health. Rai soon became more curious about the benefits of adopting these new methods over conventional practices. He started with a few acres with zero tillage and began sowing wheat by early November, as recommended by the scientists. In Rabi 2022-23, his wheat fields were sown by November 11, compared to the early years when the sowing date was around December.
Wheat yield data gathered meticulously over a decade from Rahul Rai’s fields (Data: CSISA MEL team)
With more participation and engagement with CSISA, in 2017, he joined other farmers from the region on an exposure visit to Patna organized by the CSISA-KVK network. In Patna, at the Indian Council of Agri Research – Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Rai and the visiting farmers were introduced to conservation agri-technologies for rice-wheat and other cropping systems. During the visit, they were informed about crop rotation and diversification, new seed varieties that are resilient and adaptable to changing climates, efficient use of plant protection chemicals and fertilizer and various subsidies from the center/state government to farmers. He later accompanied other progressive farmers on a CSISA-led travel seminar to Gorakhpur in 2017, where he observed acres and acres of wheat fields cultivated through zero tillage and early sowing that had yielded 6-7 tons per hectare (t/ha) on average.
At present, Rai’s family cultivates only zero till wheat in their fields and direct seeded rice on a few acres where irrigation facilities are well established. Rai asserts that until 2014, the wheat yield was about 10-15 quintals per acre (3.5-4 t/ha), rising to around 20-25 quintals per acre on average (5.5 t/ha in 2023) in recent years, thanks to conservation agriculture practices.
Today, the CSISA team has system optimization and demonstration trials on fields owned by Rai’s family where they conduct trials to demonstrate the importance and feasibility of different agri-practices and compare yields at harvest. Rai, a champion farmer who has been involved with CSISA for nearly a decade, said, “I am a collaborator with CSISA now. The data gathered from my fields on the compounding benefits of conservation agriculture technologies is used to promote the best practices and technology adoption across our district and state.”
One village at a time
Presently, Rajapur village has 100% zero tillage adoption. Despite most farmers being smallholders, this level of zero tillage adoption in wheat is impressive. Zero-till-based crop establishment, with appropriate diversification in crops grown, is economically beneficial and improves soil health. All these practices and technologies ensure lower greenhouse emissions and support climate change mitigation efforts. Above all, smallholder farmers are food secure and contributing in their small way to national and global food security.
To scale the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, CSISA and partners are collaborating with farmers in the district/state â many of whom are already 50-80% in zero tillage adoption. The team on the ground are conducting system optimization trials on farmers’ fields to generate data and evidence to support and strengthen policies and assist in integrating market intelligence to support access and availability of technology to all smallholders. Every year steadily, through a smallholder farmer, a village, a district, the effort is to slowly expand the area under conservation agriculture across the state and region and ensure increased system productivity and sustainability of agriculture.
Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Uncategorized.
In 2015, the General Assembly of the African Union committed to retiring the hand hoe to museums and pushing for sustainable agricultural mechanization on the African continent.
Today, approximately 75-82% of smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa rely on human or animal draft power for primary tillage operations. Mechanization helps to reduce drudgery, increases productivity, and contributes to food security and increased livelihoods.
What is Feed the Future Mechanization and Extension Activity?
The Feed the Future Mechanization and Extension Activity, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to improve smallholder farmersâ access to farm power and machinery to enhance their land and labor productivity.
This is achieved through three integrated components that stimulate demand for scale-appropriate machinery.
Components:
 Identification of demand-driven smallholder farm machinery and building capacity of manufacturing companies to produce, repair, and import machinery for smallholder agricultural production systems.
Building the capacity of local service providers to purchase, operate, and maintain farm machinery to provide mechanized services to small-scale agricultural value chain actors.
Coordinate and collaborate with other FTF activities to build the capacity of interested local service providers.
What are the objectives?
Assess and build the capacity of smallholder machinery manufacturers and suppliers to manufacture demand-driven farm machinery.
Enhance land and labor productivity and income through the establishment of mechanization service provision to small scale agricultural value chain actors.
Promote the use of the machinery through demonstrations and other demand creation activities, and inclusive training of rural women and youth in post-harvest processing of agricultural produce to generate increased income.
Coordinate and collaborate with other mechanization and Feed the Future activities to build capacity of the interested service providers to be agricultural extension agents to their customers during the cropping season.
Support service providers, manufacturers, and distributors to access credit to acquire machinery or mechanized services.
The project sites are located in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland and Masvingo provinces with project presence implemented across 10 districts.
The Mechanization and Extension Activity will directly benefit 150 service providers who in turn will reach up to 22,500 women and men smallholder farmers through provision of mechanized services. In addition, the mechanization activity will identify and build the capacity of 30 rural mechanics and 30 technicians drawn from local farm machinery manufacturing companies and/or small and medium enterprises.
The introduction of mechanisation in agricultural practices has ensured the promotion of technology and conservation of agriculture to stimulate smallholder production and the preservation of climate-proofing farming practices in Zimbabwe.
CIMMYT hosted a meeting, to discuss how the HAFIZ project has set the foundation for harnessing farm mechanization in Zimbabwe, shaping the future of mechanisation policies and interventions in Zimbabwe. As well as future initiatives to improve technology to sustain growth and master the impact of climate change.
The Livestock Production Systems in Zimbabwe (LIPS-Zim) project implemented by CIMMYT and various research institutions in partnership with the government expects to increase incomes and ensure food security for more than 50,000 rural Zimbabweans.
In plant breeding, efforts to increase the rate of genetic gains and enhance crop resilience to the effects of climate change are often limited by the inaccessibility and costs of phenotyping methods. The recent rapid development of sensors, image-processing technology and data analysis has provided new opportunities for multiple scales phenotyping methods and systems. Among these, satellite imagery may represent one of the best ways to remotely monitor trials and nurseries planted in multiple locations, while standardizing protocols and reducing costs.
This is because relevant data collected as part of crop phenotyping can be generated from satellite images. For instance, the sensors onboard the SkySat satellite constellation of Planet Labs have four spectral bandsâblue, green, red, and infraredâwhich can be used to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is a measure of vegetation and its greenness, and various canopy traits like ground cover, leaf area index and chlorosis. It can also be used to monitor plot establishment and phenological parameters.
High-resolution RGB orthomosaic of wheat experiments, assessing the effect of plot size and spacing in the spectral signature, collected from SkySat satellite images. (Photo: Gilberto Thompson)
The use of satellite-based phenotyping in breeding trials has typically been restricted by low resolution, high cost and long intervals between fly-overs. However, the advent of a new generation of high-resolution satellitesâsuch as the SkySat constellationânow offers multispectral images at a 0.5m resolution with close to daily acquisition attempts on any place on Earth. This could be a game changer in terms of the scale at which yield trials can be conducted, enabling more precise variety placement and thereby increasing genetic diversity across farmerâs fields and reducing the probability of disease epidemics. It could also revolutionize the capacity for research in realistic field conditions, since traits can be measured throughout the cycle in a highly standardized way, over multiple sites at low cost. For example, an image which covers 25 km2 can monitor an entire research station at a cost of about US$300.
To test the suitability of this technology, a team of researchers from CIMMYT set out to evaluate the reliability of SkySat NDVI estimates for maize and wheat breeding plots of different sizes and spacing, as well as testing its capacity for detecting seasonal changes and genotypic differences.
Both their initial findings, recently published in Frontiers in Plant Science, and more recently acquired data, show that the SkySat satellites can be used to monitor plots commonly used in wheat and maize nurseries. While wheat yield plots usually are 1.2m wide, maize plots tend to consist of at least two rows, resulting in a width of 1.5m. Plot length ranges from 2-4m. The authors also discuss on other factors to be considered when extracting and interpreting satellite data from yield trials, such as plot spacing.
Through the successful collection of six satellite images in Central Mexico during the rainy season and parallel monitoring of a maize trial in Zimbabwe, the researchers demonstrate the flexibility of this tool. Beyond the improvement of spatial resolution, the researchers suggest that the next challenge will be the development and fine-tuning of operational procedures that ensure high quality, standardized data, allowing them to harness the benefits of the modern breeding triangle, which calls for the integration of phenomics, enviromics and genomics, to accelerate breeding gains.
This research was supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat, and the One CGIAR Initiatives on Digital Innovation, F2R-CWANA, and Accelerated Breeding.
The inaugural Rwanda National Seed Congress, which took place in Kigali on July 31 and August 1, 2023, marked a significant milestone for the country’s seed industry. Themed âPrivate Sector Strategic Roadmap for the Seed Industry 2030â, the event brought together key stakeholders from the government, public, and private sectors to address challenges and opportunities in the national seed value chain.
Discussions centered around pertinent issues concerning the seed sector in general, with a particular focus on the Rwandan National Seed Strategic Roadmap. This document, which was developed through consultations with various stakeholders, provides a comprehensive plan to steer the industry towards success and sustainable growth.
âEnhancing and managing the seed system is a complex endeavor that requires the collaboration of various stakeholders,â said Chris Ojiewo, CGIAR Seed Equal Initiative lead. âThis is where public-private partnerships come in as a valuable tool for nurturing the growth and expansion of the seed industry.â
Chris Ojiewo, CGIAR Seed Equal Initiative lead, presented at the inaugural National Seed Congress in Rwanda. (Photo: NSAR Congress)
During a presentation entitled Public-private Partnership: A Tool for Development and Strengthening of the Seed Sector, Ojiewo highlighted the growing importance of collaboration and partnerships in the current seed system. He emphasized that the processes and elements that shape the seed sector are complex and extensive, making it too much for any one organizationâwhether public or privateâto handle alone.
The way forward
During the congress, several key recommendations were proposed  to increase the potential of the seed industry. The government was encouraged to seek accreditation with major seed industry quality organizations, such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) certification schemes, while adopting International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to establish an improved regulatory environment conducive to industry growth.
The empowerment of the National Seed Association of Rwanda (NSAR) as an advocate and facilitator for the seed industry was also highlighted as an essential measure. The government’s support in enabling the seed association to become increasingly self-regulatory is seen as crucial to the industry’s growth over the next seven years, with private seed industry players developing internal systems to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
Another key recommendation for increasing sustainable improved seed use in Rwanda was the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which will play a critical role in promoting the country as a seed production and trade investment destination.
Ojiewo emphasized the importance of such partnerships, noting that âPPPs have the potential to transform the seed industry by leveraging the strengths of different organizations.â He further highlighted that in addressing the challenges of global food security and sustainable development, the way forward becomes clear through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to advancing agricultural progress through collaborative efforts.
The congress also focused on attracting affordable financing to scale up investments throughout the seed value chain. It was considered essential to involve industry financial players in the development of optimal financing structures to support the expansion of the industry.
As a result of the successful event, plans have already been made for the second National Seed Congress in 2024. Scheduled to take place in Kigali on July 29 and 30, 2024, the next event aims to build on the achievements of the first congress and further drive the growth of Rwanda’s seed industry.
CGIARâs Seed Equal Initiative helps farmers by providing them with better seeds that are nutritious, preferred in the market, and that can withstand climate change. These varieties have been carefully developed to exhibit significant genetic advancements, ultimately benefiting farmers. It also makes sure that women and other marginalized groups have fair access to these seeds.
The importance of agroecological methods is starting to be a necessity across the Congo Basin. CIMMYT researcher, Prasanna Boddupalli, emphasises the importance of agroecological methods for biodiversity-smart agricultural development.
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Anurag Kumar is a senior research associate in CIMMYT under the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project in India.
He is involved in Coordinating trials and demonstrations of the rice-wheat cropping system in Bihar. Other than coordinating trials and demonstrations, he is effectively strengthening partnerships with national and private partners. The extension of proven technologies is the core of the project so synergizing the effort of each partner for better spread.
Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general, participates in the World Food Prize and Borlaug Dialogue. (Photo: CIMMYT)
The award honors the legacy of Robert Glenn Anderson (1924-81), eminent Canadian agricultural scientist and former CIMMYT wheat research director who helped ignite in India the âgreen revolution,â a rapid modernization of agriculture during the 1960s-70s and by which that nation went from grain shortages and hunger to becoming a leading grain exporter.
A bioscience engineer and soil scientist who is a PhD graduate from Belgiumâs Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and has worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Govaerts will give the keynote address âAgrifood system for a food and nutrition secure world: From efficiency to resilience,â describing in part the relevance of CIMMYT and its partnersâ work.
âEarly warning and surveillance systems are key to building resilience in food insecure communities and regions,â said Govaerts. âSupporting this, in concert with national agricultural research systems and private partners, CIMMYT crop breeding programs yearly disseminate dozens of disease resistant, climate resilient varieties of maize, wheat, and dryland cereals, where they are most needed.â
âThe Centerâs science and partnerships have helped prevent the spread of deadly crop pests and diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia,â he added, âand we have new âGlenn Andersonsâ who are doing exactly what is needed to strengthen global food security, with plant health innovations and systemic thinking.â
Borlaugâs wish: Take it to the farmer
Working with scientists, training specialists, extension agents, farmers, and communications and technology experts, a CIMMYT program led by Govaerts for over a decade in Mexico applied the admonition of Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel laureate and colleague of Anderson, to âtake it to the farmer,â combining the right seed with the right conservation agriculture production practices embedded in integrated markets, while recognizing and incorporating farmer knowledge.
âOngoing efforts of the Center and national and local partners are promoting the adoption of conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification to transform food systems throughout the Global Southâ Govaerts explained. âThe training offered, and the advisory systems supported by CIMMYTâs work aim to empower women and disadvantaged social groups, while offering opportunities for fulfilling livelihoods to a new generation of farmers who will grow nutritious food for all.â
A CIMMYT scientist since 2007 as a Post-doctoral Fellow, Maize and Wheat based Cropping Systems Management, and current director general, in 2014 Govaerts received the World Food Prizeâs âNorman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application from the World Food Prizeâ for the development and spread of sustainable agricultural systems. He is A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and, in 2020, was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) for outstanding contributions to the field of agronomy.
The Robert Glenn Anderson lecture series on the security of the world food supply was first given at joint meetings of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) and American Phytopathological Society (APS) in 1986 and an endowment fund was then established by the CPS. More recently, the Lecture has been given at the International Congresses of Plant Pathology (ICPP1998 to 2018).
As a Robert Glenn Anderson lecturer, Govaerts enters the hallowed company of other distinguished scientists who have been invited to give the address, including Norman E. Borlaug (1992); Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Emeritus Professor of Cornell University (2000), South African researcher Jennifer A. Thomson (2015); and late World Food Prize laureate and CIMMYT wheat director, Sanjaya Rajaram (2019).
For more information or interviews:
Ricardo Curiel Communications manager to the director general
CIMMYT r.curiel@cgiar.org
Nepal, like other South Asian nations, faces significant environmental challenges, including climate change and air pollution. The impacts of climate change in Nepal are profound, with species moving to higher elevations, glaciers melting and an increase in extreme precipitation events. Despite only contributing a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal ranks fourth on the Global Climate Risk Index. This vulnerability is attributed to the country’s unique geographical features, characterized by remarkable topographical variation spanning from 60 to 8,848 meters within just 190 kilometers from North to South. In addition to economic challenges and micro-climates, Nepal is highly susceptible to the consequences of climate change, particularly in the mid-and far-western hills and mountains.
Photo: (Neil Palmer/CIAT and CCFAS)
To tackle these challenges, Nepal has taken proactive measures by implementing various adaptation strategies. Key initiatives include the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA), National Adaptation Plan (NAP 2021-2050), Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS-2015-2035) and the Green, Resilient, & Inclusive Development (GRID) plan. These initiatives have played vital roles in building resilience. Nepal has also launched the Climate-Smart Village program at the local level in all seven provinces, offering grassroots training on carbon and energy efficiency, biodiversity conservation and water management practices. Another notable achievement is the ‘The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas,’ which utilizes data from five major river basins and historical climate records to project future climate hazards and extreme events.
Furthermore, Nepal developed the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) in 2019, prioritizing eight thematic areas including agricultural and food security. The Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Report by the Ministry of Environment (2021) has also examined vulnerability and risks in eight thematic areas and one cross-cutting area for the preparation and implementation of the National Adaptation Plan. This report not only assesses the various dimensions (exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and risk) of climate change impacts across multiple sectors but also offers a range of adaptation options to address the adverse effects.
To successfully implement and translate the NCCP into action, it is crucial to identify where and how to invest. By aligning with the Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA), Nepal reaffirms its commitment to addressing the intersection of agriculture and the environment. By leveraging the Atlas, Nepal will expedite its efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture, with a comprehensive understanding of various dimensions of risks and vulnerability. The Atlas will provide a detailed breakdown of risks specific to different commodities, enabling the development of effective mitigation and adaptation solutions.
By complementing ongoing efforts to manage risks and enhance adaptation strategies, the Atlas will serve as a testament to Nepal’s determination to strengthen its capacity to cope with climate change. It will make an invaluable contribution to climate change adaptation technologies, assisting government entities at all levels in formulating effective policy guidelines. By integrating research findings, indigenous knowledge, and cutting-edge technologies, the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) firmly believes that the Atlas represents another crucial step towards implementing a holistic approach to mitigate and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture.
Piece by Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, executive director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Nepal
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. The climate risks are negatively impacting the country’s agricultural sector, which constitutes nearly 12% of the countryâs GDP. Additionally, 40% of the countryâs workforce rely on agriculture for a major portion of their income (BBS, 2021-22).
Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has demonstrated remarkable economic growth by strategically investing in climate resilience and disaster preparedness over the years. The country has gained global recognition as a leader in these areas, driving its overall development. However, escalating climate risks continue to pose threats to Bangladesh’s progress, particularly impacting the most vulnerable segments of society and jeopardizing the nation’s growth trajectory.
Photo: (Harikhali in Paigachha/CCAFS)
In response to these challenges, Bangladesh has made concerted efforts to develop climate adaptation strategies. A significant milestone was the launch of the GCA Global Hub on locally led adaptation by the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2022. This groundbreaking initiative aims to support one million climate-vulnerable migrants in Bangladesh. The government has also formulated policies, plans and programs to combat the impacts of climate change. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), formulated in 2009 and updated in 2022, focuses on six thematic areas, with five and six emphasizing adaptation and mitigation, respectively. Another important initiative is the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, prepared in 2017, which categorizes the entire country into six hotspots. To safeguard the agricultural sector from climate change, Bangladesh has also developed vulnerability Atlases such as the ‘Bangladesh Climate and Disaster Risk Atlas: Volume 1 & 2’ and the ‘Climate Adaptation Services Bangladesh (Haor region).’
While significant progress has been made in risk mapping, there is room for improvement. For instance, the current Atlases operate at the district level, and there is immense potential to downscale them to the upazila (sub-district) level to achieve enhanced granularity. Additionally, transforming the Atlases from report format to a more interactive and user-friendly online one would be beneficial.
The Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture (ACASA) project aligns with the goals of BCCSAP, focusing on location-specific climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in agricultural production. The Atlas will play a crucial role in quantifying localized climatic risks, assessing their impacts on agriculture today and in the future, and identifying key adaptation options to mitigate these risks. This knowledge will strengthen Bangladesh’s food security and reduce its vulnerability to climatic risks.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) will actively utilize the Atlas, leveraging agro-geospatial data to expedite decision-making processes. BARC will further leverage its expertise in geospatial tools, crop zoning information systems, GIS-based mobile apps, climate information databases and drought monitoring systems, further combined with the knowledge base of Atlas to ensure informed and evidence-based actions. Moreover, collaborating with ACASA to develop an advanced and interactive online Atlas expands the country’s scope and fosters stakeholder participation, enabling informed decision-making and refined risk characterization at a granular level.
Piece by Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh
