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Theme: Nutrition, health and food security

As staple foods, maize and wheat provide vital nutrients and health benefits, making up close to two-thirds of the world’s food energy intake, and contributing 55 to 70 percent of the total calories in the diets of people living in developing countries, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. CIMMYT scientists tackle food insecurity through improved nutrient-rich, high-yielding varieties and sustainable agronomic practices, ensuring that those who most depend on agriculture have enough to make a living and feed their families. The U.N. projects that the global population will increase to more than 9 billion people by 2050, which means that the successes and failures of wheat and maize farmers will continue to have a crucial impact on food security. Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which show heat waves could occur more often and mean global surface temperatures could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius throughout the century, indicate that increasing yield alone will be insufficient to meet future demand for food.

Achieving widespread food and nutritional security for the world’s poorest people is more complex than simply boosting production. Biofortification of maize and wheat helps increase the vitamins and minerals in these key crops. CIMMYT helps families grow and eat provitamin A enriched maize, zinc-enhanced maize and wheat varieties, and quality protein maize. CIMMYT also works on improving food health and safety, by reducing mycotoxin levels in the global food chain. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that colonize in food crops, and cause health problems or even death in humans or animals. Worldwide, CIMMYT helps train food processors to reduce fungal contamination in maize, and promotes affordable technologies and training to detect mycotoxins and reduce exposure.

Opinion: Aid competes with long-term solutions to Sudan’s hunger crisis

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs, Director General's corner.

This terrible season of global conflict just hit a particularly grim milestone in Sudan with the one-year anniversary of the violent civil war last month. One consequence of the conflict is that Sudanese families are beginning to starve — and while emergency food aid is needed, so is investment in longer-term food production.

Political, economic, and social upheaval in the country has displaced over 8 million people and left nearly 25 million people in need of urgent food assistance, including more than 14 million children. The anniversary saw major donors mark the day with more than $2 billion in new aid pledges.

While these pledges are important, the international community also needs to rethink some of its aid strategies. Emergency food assistance for those at immediate risk of starvation is understandably a high priority now, but restoring food production within the country is just as important — otherwise donors risk racing from crisis to crisis and always falling short. It is time to break away from an aid-dependency model and invest directly in farmers.

In fact, challenges to Sudan’s agriculture were likely a contributing factor to the current conflict. The livelihoods of most people in Sudan depend on the agri-food sector, which has been under pressure in recent years. Economic stagnation, weather shocks, land conflicts, high inflation, and health crises made 9.8 million Sudanese severely food-insecure by 2021.

Sudan’s already low-yielding cropping system has been hit by global tightening in fertilizer supplies. The livestock sector represents 60% of Sudan’s agricultural GDP, and has been suffering from diminished rangelands, water shortages, flood events, and lack of animal health services.

Sudan is not alone, and it’s important that the donor community understand how. Eight out of 10 of the world’s worst food crises are driven by war, persecution, and conflict, in places such as Sudan, Yemen, the Palestinian territories, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The confluence of conflict, state fragility, climate change, and poverty is already overwhelming the international community’s ability to respond to escalating humanitarian needs. The international community has to put more emphasis on anticipatory action, because reaction is just not going to be enough anymore.

The need to get ahead of the growing scale of humanitarian disasters has provoked new thinking and partnerships among research, development, and humanitarian organizations, such as ours.

We are investing in better risk assessment, preparation for future food crises, and accelerated learning about how climate change is affecting agricultural productivity and production. The significant resources and expertise of the international research-for-development community can make humanitarian responses in fragile and conflict-affected states more effective and optimal.

Sudan will hopefully show how this kind of intervention can work. Our organizations are part of an international effort to partner with Sudan’s farmers to improve livelihoods in the country. We had started operating across six Sudanese states just before the outbreak of the current conflict, training farmers on how to manage their crops, livestock, and natural resources, and supporting them to access drought-tolerant seeds, with a specific focus on last-mile delivery to women and youth. When the civil war started last year, we quickly pivoted to supporting farmers in safer locations and focusing on the needs of internally displaced people in new areas.

Make no mistake: Implementing these interventions in the current conditions is a heavy lift. Roadblocks, skyrocketing fuel costs, denied travel permits, and breakdowns in telephone service all impede communication with farmers and the delivery of seeds, tools, and training. The threat of emergent violence is driving displacement and staff turnover.

Nonetheless, our coalition has continued to operate. Local partners, including cooperatives, microfinance institutions, and private sector players have shown themselves to be especially effective as the conflict has escalated. These cooperatives, strengthened by farmer training, enable farmers to improve their production and incomes by pooling their resources.

For example, the 72-member Al Etihad women-led farmer cooperative in South Kordofan has initiated multiple enterprises, guided by a structured business plan that steers them toward a more empowered role in local food value chains.

Through the program, last-mile seed retailers have helped nearly 6,000 farmers access agronomic advisories and seeds at a subsidized price. This has empowered farmers like Fatna Mohammed, a 48-year-old widow and mother of three, to build a better livelihood from her small-scale groundnut and vegetable production. She reports that an increased harvest of 18 sacks of groundnut, up from five sacks, enabled her to invest in her farm and better feed her family.

This unique last-mile delivery network, carefully tailored to local realities and drivers, is helping Sudanese communities to survive the current crisis and it can be activated for the rebuilding period — which cannot come soon enough.

Sudan, as with many war-affected nations, is caught in a doom loop of insecurity: Any restoration of political stability requires economic activity, but any economic activity requires political stability. Both depend on physical security, which is hard to achieve without political stability and economic activity.

While a cessation of violence and the restoration of civil order is ultimately up to the parties to the conflict, a direct, international investment in farmers is a way to potentially break the cycle, simultaneously addressing the growing hunger crisis and helping build the preconditions for peace.

Read the original piece on Devex

How improved seeds empower women farmers in South Kordofan

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

Fanta Mohamed, a 48-year-old widow with three children, lives in Aldagag village in South Kordofan. For years, Fanta has worked on her small farm to feed her children. Fanta used local seeds, and her agricultural yield was very poor. It made her wonder where she was going wrong. Fanta, like thousands of women farmers in remote and hard-to-reach areas of South Kordofan in central Sudan, has limited access to quality inputs and agricultural extension services.

In South Kordofan, Mercy Corps, aided by USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), trained 15 local farmers and producers in the Farmer Field School methodology and climate-smart agriculture with the support of officials from the State Ministry of Agriculture.

“At SASAS, we work to empower women farmers, especially those who live in remote areas such as South Kordofan. We help them with agricultural inputs such as improved seeds, new agricultural skills, and techniques to increase their production and help enhance food security amid the looming food crisis in Sudan,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party.

Women farmers apply new agricultural techniques in South Kordofan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

To address the challenges of poor seed quality, Mercy Corps contracted local supplier Alzahra Seed for Trade to sell improved seeds at a subsidized price and expand access by establishing last-mile seed retail networks. Alzahra Seed for Trade would also deliver agronomic extension training to farmers in remote villages such as Aldagag.

Fanta recalls how she and other women farmers came to know about the improved seeds. “We were at a coffee gathering at my neighbor’s house, when one of the women told us that Alzahra Seed for Trade’s retail agent had brought improved seeds from Dilling town for sale. We were not even aware of the existence of improved seeds,” she said.

With accessible and affordable improved seeds in Aldagag, Fanta was one of the smallholder farmers who bought seeds from a retailer in her village. She bought groundnut and vegetable seeds and received basic agronomic extension training from the retailer who offered it as an embedded service. In addition to getting access to improved seeds, Fanta was visited by an extension officer from Alzahra Seed for Trade.

Women farmers participate in an agronomic extension training. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Fanta recalls how she managed her farm before she was introduced to improved seeds. “In the seasons before I got the training, my farm looked disorganized. Like other farmers in my area, I didn’t care about the distances between the plants. Local seeds yielded about four or five sacks of groundnut per one feddan (unit of area in Sudan),” she shared. Post training, Fanta planted two feddans of groundnut using the improved seeds and followed the agronomic guidance. “I harvested 18 sacks from the two feddans–much higher than before.”

Increased income provides women farmers with greater financial resources, and many of them feel empowered. “Women famers in my area who have used improved seeds and followed new agricultural techniques have become stronger and feel confident enough to have a voice within our community,” said Fanta.

A sustainable agrifood systems approach in conflict-ridden Sudan

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

Sudan, the third largest country in Africa, has long been an epicenter of food production, due to its fertile lands and rich history of agricultural cultivation. But modern Sudan faces chronic food insecurity rooted in social and geopolitical challenges. A situation that has been exacerbated by the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023. The armed conflict has caused a sudden, further decline in agricultural productivity, displacing large populations and pushing millions of Sudanese into high levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.

In response to this crisis, CIMMYT, through the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS), is supporting agricultural development by creating robust and sustainable food production systems. SASAS adapts a modular and multi-crop approach to implement an integrated agrifood system that underpins food security, employment, and equity.

As the planting season of 2024 approaches, the project strives to strengthen food production to support the people of Sudan during these challenging times.

Experts speak: SASAS focuses on five key areas

Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party, highlights how the agricultural innovations of the project are impacting multiple regions in Sudan. The focus of the project is on five broad intervention areas: promoting agricultural production for smallholder farmers, improving value chains and business development, supporting community management of natural resources, and providing horticultural and livestock services such as vaccination campaigns.

Further in the video, Murtada Khalid, country coordinator for Sudan, explains how the SASAS Food Security Initiative (SFSI) will provide 30,000+ farmers with a diversified package of four inputs: fertilizer, seeds, land preparation, and agricultural advisory services, to prepare for the upcoming 2024 sorghum and groundnut planting season. SFSI is a critical element of SASAS that uniquely provides agricultural development aid during a time of conflict to directly improve the food security situation in Sudan.

How women farmers benefit from SASAS

SASAS works directly with women farmers and pastoralists to ensure an equitable approach to food security in the country. Hear farmers from the women-led El-Harram Agricultural Cooperative in Kassala, Sudan, explain how SASAS has positively impacted their lives and families.

Ali Atta Allah, a farmer in Kassala expresses her gratitude for SASAS support. “They provided us with seeds including jute, mallow, okra, and sweet pepper. We planted them, and they thrived.” Ali highlighted the financial gains—a bundle of jute mallow sells for 500 Sudanese Pound (SDG). The income from the entire area amounts to 200,000 to 300,000 SDG. “The seeds provided by SASAS are of superior quality,” she affirmed.

Aziza Haroun from El-Ghadambaliya village, shares her story of how improved seeds provided by SASAS activities helped double her yields compared to previous years. “We used to farm in the same land and the yield was poor. Mercy Corps, a SASAS partner, introduced us to a new method of planting legumes as natural fertilizer. Now our yield has increased significantly,” she said.

Roots of resilience: my journey as a Conservation Agriculture champion

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

I am Grace Malaicha, a proud native of the Zidyana Extension Planning Areas in Central Malawi, where my journey with Conservation Agriculture (CA) began. In 2005, I observed neighboring farmers practicing CA techniques on their land. Intrigued and inspired, I decided to embark on this path myself, joining the CA program initiated by CIMMYT and Total LandCare in 2006. I started practicing it on my demonstration plot and observed that yields were getting higher from the second year onwards.

My dedication to CA has changed not only myself but also influenced other members of my farming community. As a mother trial host farmer under the CGIAR Initiative: Diversification for resilient agribusiness ecosystems in East and Southern Africa today, I have been implementing different treatments, which include maize doubled-up legume system and improved drought-tolerant maize varieties planted under CA on flat land and comparing it to the traditional ridge tillage system that involves substantial soil movement.

But what does CA mean to me? It is more than just a set of principles that I apply like minimum soil disturbance, mulching, and crop rotation. CA reduces drudgery, secures yields, and maintains productivity in times of climate change. CA has changed my approach to farming, transforming my once conventional maize monocrop into a diverse maize-legume system. By intercropping with two crops, I have spread the risk of unanticipated crop failure, while incorporating groundnut, cowpeas, and pigeon pea into the mix, which are more drought tolerant. I increased the land area under CA and tried it on many other crops including different legumes as rotation or intercrops, birds-eye chili, vegetables, and cassava.

Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of a changing climate in central Malawi, from intense heat to prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns. This year, 2024, has even been worse due to the prolonged dry spells between January and February, and the erratic rainfall during this time. Despite these challenges, our CA plots have continued to thrive, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of climate-smart farming practices.

Grace trains farmers on Conservation Agriculture. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

Recognizing the power of knowledge sharing and from the encouragement by CIMMYT and Total LandCare, I started to train fellow farmers, both locally and across borders. At first, I worked with women groups around my homestead and trained about 100 female farmers on the principles of CA. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to train other farmers in other districts of Malawi. Since 2008, I have also trained farmers in eastern Zambia and from Mozambique where all farmers speak my language Chichewa. Farmers believe other farmers more and are now realizing the benefits of implementing CA in their own fields.

I enrolled to be a local trainer in CA within my community in 2016. My passion for teaching and catalyzing change has led to the adoption of CA by numerous farmers. I embrace my commitment to ongoing learning through carefully implementing these CA trials and playing an active role during awareness meetings.

My life had changed so much. I was speaking on the radio and television. In 2012, the Minister of Agriculture visited my plot, and I was asked to speak in front of a Parliamentary Committee about my experiences as a smallholder woman farmer in Malawi. I spoke about what women can do in agriculture and what changes I made on my land. From representing my country at high level meetings, each step has shaped me into a resilient and empowered woman.

However, my journey has not been without obstacles, including hardships in my personal relationship. In 2012, I made the decision to join my husband in South Africa where I took up menial jobs to earn a living, abandoning my plot back home. But my true passion lay in farming, and I decided to make the bold decision to come back home, leaving my husband and continue with farming. Through perseverance and determination, I have overcome these challenges, and I am now much stronger.

Grace Malaicha stands in her field. (Photo: Christian Thierfelder/CIMMYT)

Today, I stand with pride in front of my CA plot, not only sustaining my family but also sending all my children to school. I now converted all my land to conservation agriculture, 3ha are under maize and 2ha under groundnuts. Beyond farming, I have investments in housing, claiming rentals in the nearby town of Salima to sustain my financial income and expand in farming.

I will continue on this path as I learned so much over the years and believe that CA may be the only climate-smart agriculture response in reach of smallholder farmers that everybody can apply, and I will continue to support others as a champion of CA.

Ghana hosts West African consultative meeting to transform dryland agriculture

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

The West Africa Regional Consultation Conference, organized by CIMMYT and the African Drylands Crop Improvement Network in Accra, addressed pressing issues in the region’s agricultural sector, notably in dryland farming amid climate change. CIMMYT’s Dr. Paswel Marenya emphasized the need to boost yields of crucial cereals like sorghum and millet through innovative practices discussed at the conference. With 47 scientists from nine countries participating, the event aimed to foster collaboration and drive tangible improvements in food security and livelihoods across West Africa.

Read the full story.

Women farmers enhance agricultural production in conflict-torn Sudan

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

Women farmers show their harvested vegetables, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to contribute to a food crisis threatening the lives of over 18 million people. Farmers, especially smallholders and vulnerable women, are facing extraordinary challenges in obtaining needed agricultural inputs, and access to markets is diminishing.

In Kassala State, East Sudan, which hosts hundreds of thousands of people displaced by ongoing armed conflict including Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) is working with women farmers to prepare and safeguard the upcoming growing season. This work is critical to help meet the unprecedented demand for vegetables in the region and achieve sustainable development goals.

“At SASAS, we are working to empower women farmers, especially those who lost their traditional livelihood resources, and help them to acquire skills and techniques to increase their agricultural production to help improve food security,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party in Sudan.

Women farmers participate in a training on vegetable growing, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

SASAS works with the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative, a women-led farmers group, based in Kassala, to help increase vegetable production. SASAS trains El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative members on modern agricultural techniques, irrigation techniques, pest control, and organic fertilizers to increase crop yields.

“SASAS trained us on new ploughing and land preparation techniques, which we never used before and then provided us with improved seeds of okra, tomato, chili, and mallow, and encouraged us to use legumes as organic fertilizers,” said Imtithal Atta, a farmer from the Alsawagi neighborhood in Kassala. “In the past, I used to buy vegetable seeds from the local market, but they grow poorly. The improved seeds given by SASAS are germinating extremely well. My income has doubled; I almost made $250 from my first harvest of vegetables.”

The ongoing conflict has interrupted traditional livelihood activities in many regions. In some areas, farmers missed the harvest, leading to a dramatic reduction in agricultural production and debilitating price increases for cereals and vegetables. SASAS is helping to restore agricultural production in key growing regions by ensuring farmers have timely access to necessary production inputs, including fertilizer and climate-adapted seeds.

SASAS staff examine the germination of vegetables in women-led farms, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“For years, I have worked tirelessly on my family’s farm, season after season, without earning a good income, and I was not sure what was wrong. Luckily, this cultivation season, SASAS trained us on new ploughing techniques to better prepare the land for cultivation, using organic fertilizers to enrich the soil and offering us improved vegetable seeds,” said Fatima Ahmed, a woman farmer and a mother of three children from the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative.

“Thanks to SASAS, both the quality and the quantity of my agricultural products have greatly improved. I am so happy that I got some good money from my vegetables. I feel empowered and now I can have a strong voice within my community. I am more confident and gained the courage to participate in important decision-making processes within my family and express my opinions without fear,” said Ahmed.

A critical part of SASAS are efforts to diversify food production in Kassala, where malnutrition among children under 5 years old, and breastfeeding, lactating, and pregnant women, are prevalent.

Women farmers process their onions, Kassala, East Sudan. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“I used to go to the main market in town to get my daily needs from vegetables, but now I buy what I need from women farmers closer to my home. They are selling me fresh vegetables at a good price. The taste of the vegetables is quite fresh and healthy, this is something I have been missing for a long time,” said Hanan, a resident of Alswagi.

“The vegetables produced by members of the El-Haram Agricultural Cooperative has led to an increased supply in the local market. I buy vegetables from women farmers and sell them here in the neighborhood market. This has cut my transportation cost as I used to buy vegetables from markets a long distance away,” said Osman, vegetables trader, also in Alswagi.

Eight new CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Eastern Africa breeding program

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

How does CIMMYT’s improved maize get to the farmer?

CIMMYT is happy to announce eight new, improved tropical maize hybrids that are now available for uptake by public and private sector partners, especially those interested in marketing or disseminating hybrid maize seed across eastern Africa and similar agroecologies in other regions. NARES and seed companies are hereby invited to apply for licenses to pursue national release, scale-up seed production, and deliver these maize hybrids to farming communities.

Newly available CIMMYT hybrids Key traits
CIM22EAPP1-01-08 Intermediate-maturing, white, high yielding, drought tolerant, NUE, and resistant to GLS, TLB, MSV, ear rots, and root & stalk lodging tolerance
CIM22EAPP1-01-16
CIM22EAPP1-02-02 Early maturing, white, high yielding, drought tolerant, NUE, and resistant to MLN, MSV, GLS, TLB, ear rots, and root & stalk lodging tolerance
CIM22EAPP1-02-09
CIM22EAPP1-02-18
CIM22EAPP2-03 Late maturing, white, high yielding, drought tolerant, NUE, and resistant to MSV, GLS, TLB, rust, ear rots, and root & stalk lodging tolerance
CIM22EAPP2-07
CIM21EAPP3-38 Late-maturing, high-yielding, white-grain maize hybrid bred for the highlands, with resistance to GLS, TLB, rust, ear rots, and root & stalk lodging tolerance

 

Performance data Download CIMMYT Eastern Africa Maize Regional On-Station (Stage 4) and On-Farm (Stage 5) Trials: Results of the 2022 to 2023 Seasons and Product Announcement from Dataverse.
How to apply Visit CIMMYT’s maize product allocation page for details.
Application deadline The deadline to submit applications to be considered during the first round of allocations is 15 May 2024. Applications received after that deadline are still welcome but will be considered during subsequent rounds of product allocations.

 

The newly available CIMMYT maize hybrids were identified through rigorous, years-long trialing and a stage-gate advancement process which culminated in the 2023 Eastern Africa Regional On-Farm Trials. The products were found to meet the stringent performance and farmer acceptance criteria for CIMMYT’s breeding pipelines that are designed to generate products tailored in particular for smallholder farmers in stress-prone agroecologies of eastern Africa.

Applications must be accompanied by a proposed commercialization plan for each product being requested. Applications may be submitted online via the CIMMYT Maize Licensing Portal and will be reviewed in accordance with CIMMYT’s Principles and Procedures for Acquisition and use of CIMMYT maize hybrids and OPVs for commercialization. Specific questions or issues faced with regard to the application process may be addressed to GMP-CIMMYT@cgiar.org with attention to Nicholas Davis, program manager, Global Maize Program, CIMMYT.

APPLY FOR A LICENSE

Flowers, learning, and a gender-based approach

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

Gender and social inclusion are fundamental themes for the Latin American regional initiative AgriLac Resiliente, which is why numerous regions bordering Guatemala and Honduras have been selected to implement priority actions with a gender approach.

In order to integrate a guideline that clears up why gender and social inclusiveness are relevant matters and incorporate it in all InnovaHubs activities in Guatemala and Honduras, social inclusion and gender experts from AgriLac have implemented a participatory process in the South Pacific and Chiapas Hubs to gather information and document research results to facilitate the Hub model for replication, developed by CIMMYT in Mexico and other countries.

In this way, Alejandrina Garcia in Oaxaca, Alejandro Ramirez in Chiapas, and Angela Meentzan, head of the AgriLac Gender and Social Inclusion Team, conducted individual and group interviews to learn how the different actors involved in the hubs perceived their own participation: farmers, workers, managers, and staff of the hubs, as well as partners who participated in this participatory process.

There are numerous and successful cases of rural women’s participation in the centers of Oaxaca and Chiapas that have been collected in this process. “It is expected that these case studies will become part of an annex to the guideline, just to illustrate why the participation of rural women is essential in their own vision,” said Meentzen, who highlights the case of Juanita, a Tzeltal woman from La Providencia in Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico.

“About five years ago, I started working alongside CIMMYT. Before we knew them, we were only planting maize and beans, but then we couldn’t produce any more. The plants stopped growing, and we had a lot of problems with pests, so we used to burn all the stubble. When the engineers came, they invited us to join them. At first, we weren’t that interested, but we let them teach us. They taught us how to grow other crops like sunflowers, peanuts, vegetables, and fruit trees like lemon and soursop,” said Juanita.

“Now we don’t burn all the stubble and we have crops all year round. We also grow other types of plants and use a lot of organic products that they taught us how to prepare. Our production has increased, and we sell more and more at the market. My daughter and I take care of the sale of the crops: beans, corn, vegetables, squash, corn, and flowers; the latter have given us such good results that we have earned some extra money,” said Juanita.

“The benefits we got from our land allowed us to give our children a future. Some of them have graduated from college and have jobs; others are about to graduate, but they have all learned to work the land. It feels a little harder, but I have been able to take care of both: my family and the land. I don’t know how I did it, but I did it,” said Juanita proudly, noting that the scientific knowledge gained from the research platform and Hub modules has had a real and positive impact on her and her family.

Photo: Juanita, a Tzeltal woman from La Providencia in Ocosingo, Chiapas, stands in her field. (Garcia, Ramirez and Meentzen/CIMMYT) 

Mexico safeguards agriculture against invasive pests, diseases

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

In 2023, Mexico, with CIMMYT’s support, rejected 1,463 risky agricultural shipments, preventing 258 quarantine-worthy pests from entering the country. CIMMYT highlighted climate change’s role in pest spread, emphasizing Mexico’s commitment to safeguarding food production and ensuring global food security.

Read the full story.

Crop technology from CGIAR, including CIMMYT seed varieties, contributes US $47 billion each year to the global economy according to fresh analysis of six decades’ worth of data

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

A recent study in World Development reveals CGIAR’s crop technologies generate $47 billion annually in global economic benefits. From 1961 to 2020, CGIAR, with significant contributions from CIMMYT, enhanced agricultural productivity across 221 million hectares. These innovations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have boosted yields, reduced food prices, and spurred economic growth, highlighting the critical role of agricultural research in ensuring global food security and combating poverty.

Read the full story.

Sustaining Conservation Agriculture initiatives: lessons from Malawi

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

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced the worst impacts of climate change on agriculture over the past decades and projections show such effects are going to intensify in the coming years. Diminished agricultural production has been the primary impact channel given the high reliance on rainfed agriculture in the region. Combined with a growing population, food security for millions of people is threatened.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a sustainable cropping system that can help reverse soil degradation, augment soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce labor requirements while helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. It is built on three core principles of minimum soil disturbance, crop residue retention, and crop diversification.

CA was introduced in southern Africa in the 1990s, but its adoption has been patchy and often associated with commercial farming. A group of researchers, led by Christian Thierfelder, principal cropping systems agronomist at CIMMYT, set out to understand the reasons why smallholder farmers adopt CA, or why they might not or indeed dis-adopt. Their results were published in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems on March 12, 2024.

Conservation Agriculture plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“Conservation Agriculture can cushion farmers from the effects of climate change through its capacity to retain more soil water in response to high water infiltration and increased soil organic carbon. It is therefore a viable option to deal with increased heat and drought stress,” said Thierfelder. However, even with these benefits, adoption of CA has not been as widespread in countries like Malawi.

“There are regions within Malawi where CA has been promoted for a long time, also known as sentinel sites,” said Thierfelder. “In such places, adoption is rising, indicating that farmers are realizing the benefits of CA over time. Examining adoption dynamics in sentinel sites can provide valuable lessons on scaling CA and why some regions experience large rates of non- or dis-adoption.”

Thierfelder and his co-authors, Innocent Pangapanga-Phiri of the Center for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD) of the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), and Hambulo Ngoma, scientist and agricultural economist at CIMMYT, examined the Nkhotakota district in central Malawi, one of the most promising examples of widespread CA adoption.

Total LandCare (TLC), a regional NGO working in Malawi has been consistently promoting CA in tandem with CIMMYT in the Nkhotakota district since 2005.

Results from both individual farmer interviews and focused group discussions revealed that farmers that implement CA saw higher yields per hectare than those who practiced conventional tillage practices. In addition, farmers using CA indicated greater resilience in times of drought, improved soil fertility, and reduced pest infestation.

Why adopt CA?

The primary factors enhancing CA adoption in the Nkhotakota district were the availability of training, extension and advisory services, and demonstration plots by the host farmers. Host farmers are farmers that have been trained by a TLC extension officer and have their own plot of land to demonstrate CA methods. In addition, host farmers train other farmers and share knowledge and skills through farmer field days and other local agricultural exhibitions.

“Social networks among the farmers serve a vital role in CA adoption,” said Ngoma. “Seeing tangible success carries significant weight for non-adopter farmers or temporal dis-adopters which can persuade them to adopt.”

Maize demonstration plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

During focus group discussions facilitated by the authors, farmers indicated that demonstration plots also removed fear for the unknown and debunked some myths regarding CA systems, for example, that practitioners show ‘laziness’ if they do not conventionally till their land.

“This suggests that CA uptake could be enhanced with increased, targeted, and long-term promotion efforts that include demonstration plots,” said Ngoma.

Similarly, the longer duration of CA exposure positively influenced farmers’ decisions to adopt CA methods as longer exposure might allow farmers to better understand the benefits of CA practices.

Why not adopt CA?

Farmers reported socioeconomic, financial, and technical constraints to adopt CA. An example is that farmers might not have the labor and time available for weed control, a necessary step in the first few years after the transition to CA.

“Weed control is an important challenge during the early years of CA adoption and can be seen as the ‘Achilles heel’ of CA adoption,” said Thierfelder. CIMMYT scientists therefore focused a lot of research in recent years to find alternative weed control strategies based on integrated weed management (IWM) using chemical, biological, and mechanical control options.

Examining the stover in a maize plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In most cases, the benefits of CA adoption are seen only after 2 to 5 years. Having such a long-term view is not always possible for smallholder farmers, who often must make decisions based on current conditions and have immediate family obligations to meet.

As a contrast to adopters of CA, non-adopters reported a lack of knowledge about CA as a whole and a lack of specific technical knowledge needed to transition from more traditional methods to CA.

This scarcity of technical support is often due to the lack of strong agriculture extension support systems. Since CA adoption can be complex, capacity building of both farmers and extension agents can therefore foster adoption and implementation of CA. This reinforces that farmer-to-farmer approaches through host farmers could complement other sources of extension to foster adoption.

Next steps

The authors identified three policy recommendations to accelerate CA adoption. First, there is a need to continue promoting CA using farmer-centric approaches more consistently, e.g., the host farmer approach. Using a farmer-centered approach facilitates experiential learning and can serve as a motivation for peer-to-peer exchange and learning and can reduce misinformation. The host farmer approach can be augmented by mega-demonstrations to showcase CA implementation at scale. In addition, rapid and mass extension delivery can be enhanced by using digital technologies.

Second, CA promotion should allow farmers the time to experiment with different CA options before adoption. What remains unclear at the policy level is the types of incentives and support that can be given to farmers to encourage experimentation without creating economic dependence. NGOs and extension workers could help farmers deal with the weed pressure soon after converting from full to minimum tillage by providing herbicides and training.

Third, there is a need to build and strengthen farmer groups to facilitate easier access to training, to serve as conduits for incentive schemes such as payments for environmental services, and conditional input subsidies for CA farmers. Such market-smart incentives are key to induce initial adoption in the short term and to facilitate sustained adoption.

Collaboration across the seed system value chain

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

Collaboration among diverse seed value chain actors is essential to improving seed systems for dryland crops in Kenya and contributing to food security in an era marked by climate change. This holistic approach is essential at a time when sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly becoming pertinent in semi-arid and high-potential areas, as emphasized by participants attending a multi-stakeholder seed systems meeting in Nairobi.

The Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop in February 2024 brought together various stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the private sector. The main aim of this meeting was to identify practical ways to address critical challenges in the seed system for key dryland crops—pigeon pea, chickpea, groundnut, millets, and sorghum—essential to the livelihoods of millions in Kenya. Organized by CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), this collaborative effort aimed to gather insights and jointly develop a seed systems strategy to strengthen a seed supply system that matches grain demand for these essential grains.

A group photo of the participants in the Kenya Drylands Crop Seed Systems Workshop. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

While moderating the discussion, Patrick Ketiem, director of agricultural mechanization research at KALRO, highlighted the importance of the situation. “The demand for drought-tolerant dryland crops and varieties is a clarion call for breeders to innovate further,” he explained. This reflects a broader trend across the country, where even high-potential areas are shifting to dryland crops in response to unpredictable weather patterns.

Addressing farmer needs

The workshop allowed participants to delve into the intricacies of seed systems, from varietal preferences to market readiness, highlighting the importance of collaboration among breeders, distributors, and farmers. Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, emphasized the importance of integrating passion with science to make a tangible difference in the lives of farmers. “Our work is not just about developing varieties,” Siambi remarked. “It’s about improving livelihoods and ensuring that the benefits of our research reach the smallholder farmer,” he explained, emphasizing the broader impact of CIMMYT’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity, food security, and livelihoods in the face of climate change.

Moses Siambi, CIMMYT’s regional director for Africa, engages in a conversation with a participant. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, explained the vision for the Dryland Crops program, referencing the journey of the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project, which was a culmination of a decade of research aimed at introducing new, diverse, and farmer-preferred crop varieties to farming communities through a variety of seed delivery models.

“The essence of our endeavor is to ensure that the genetic gains from our breeding efforts result in real benefits for the farmers,” he said. “Developing seed varieties with the end-user in mind is crucial to ensure that crops not only reach the farmers but also meet their specific needs effectively.”

Chris Ojiewo, partnerships and seed systems lead at CIMMYT, provides insights on the future of the Dryland Crops program, leveraging ten years of research from AVISA. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Improving seed systems

The workshop discussions also highlighted the importance of innovation in seed delivery models and the need for increased investment in the dryland crops sector as essential strategies for addressing current challenges and capitalizing on new opportunities. Investment decisions will be guided by granular data on local grain demand, enhancing seed production planning. Additionally, insights from institutions such as the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the State Department of Agriculture, consolidating per capita consumption data, will aid in determining the requisite seed supply per capita. Moreover, there is need for a mechanism for facilitating knowledge through consolidating data from existing projects that tackle comparable challenges related to food security and seed accessibility.

Lusike Wasilwa, crops systems director at KALRO, who represented the organization’s director general at the event, stressed the importance of seeds in agriculture. “From genes to gains, our focus is on developing climate-smart, nutritious crops that not only enhance soil health but also ensure food security in Kenya,” Wasilwa said. She further highlighted the importance of soil health and market development in achieving sustainable food production in arid and semi-arid lands, promoting biodiversity, and sustainable land management practices.

Lusike Wasilwa, the crops systems director at KALRO, who represents the organization’s director general at the event, emphasizes the importance of seeds in agriculture. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

Cross-cutting issues

The workshop also addressed regulatory and control measures in seed production with Stellamaris Mulika, principal seed inspector from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), highlighting the importance of stringent quality control measures to ensure the dissemination of quality seed of superior crop varieties.

The importance of gender inclusivity and youth engagement in agriculture was also acknowledged, reflecting women and youth’s critical role in legume and cereal variety selection, diversifying seed sources, and meaningfully contributing to the seed value chain. Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), proposed several interventions to increase investment capacity for farmers and aggregators, mainly from the assurance of high yields from certified seeds to farmers, serving as a motivation.

Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, highlighted the need for government support in investing in the grain sector, citing the school feeding program as an initiative to pull seed demand. Mutheu urged the government to expand the crop types in legumes and cereals, such as chickpeas, included in these school feeding programs to increase demand. This, she argued, would gradually establish an inclusive seed system for increasing uptake of these underutilized but opportunity nutrient-dense crops.

Gloria Mutheu, a seed merchant at Dryland Seed Company, and Veneza Kendi, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), discuss the vital role of youth in the seed systems value chain. (Photo: Maria Monayo/CIMMYT)

The consensus was clear: to enhance the seed systems for dryland crops, there must be collaboration across the entire value chain—from breeders to farmers, from policymakers to the private sector. This integrated approach is critical for Kenya’s climate change adaptation, food security, and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

Spearheaded by CIMMYT with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the AVISA project seeks to improve breeding and seed systems of dryland crops, as well as the livelihoods of small-scale producers and consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. CIMMYT is leveraging this opportunity to advance research and expand its influence through its 2030 strategy that shapes the future of agriculture as a driver of food and nutrition security, and climate resilient, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development.

Sow, grow, and thrive: a pathway to improve cassava farming in Zambia

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

For decades, women farmers like Maureen Bwalya from the Musa camp in Kasama district of northern Zambia, have upheld the tradition of cultivating cassava on ridges. These small piles of soil created by hand hoes, 30-50 cm tall and 50 cm wide are intended to reduce water logging and facilitate cassava growth. But forming row after row takes a significant amount of physical labor. Establishing ridges follows a traditional practice known as chitemene, a Bemba word which means “place where branches have been cut for a garden.”

Chitemene, a slash and burn technique once common in Zambia, involves cutting down standing trees in the Miombo woodlands, stacking the logs, and then burning them to create a thick layer of ash believed to enhance soil fertility. The ashen fields are initially cultivated with pearl millet and followed by crops like cassava. As years progressed, this method has been associated with adverse environmental impacts disrupting the ecosystem balance due to increasingly shortened fallow and recovery periods. However, with the ever-changing climate, Bwalya and other farmers recognize the need for sustainable practices that require less labor.

Alternatives to the traditional methods

Since childhood, Maureen Bwalya, a mother of seven from Musa Camp in the Kasama District of northern Zambia, has dedicated her life to cassava farming. Thriving under very low fertility and acidic soils, cassava has offered a lifeline amid the challenges of rural agriculture. When the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project was introduced in the northern province, where cassava is a strategic crop, Bwalya saw a valuable opportunity for change to cultivate better practices that not only improve cassava yields but also replenish soil fertility in her fields.

“When I started these trials, it was a tough transition,” said Bwalya, reflecting on her journey. “Shifting from ridge planting to flat land cultivation posed its challenges as this practice was new to me. But with time, I have learned the advantages of intercropping: increased yields, less labor, and enhanced productivity, all of which enrich my farming practices.”

Maureen Bwalya gazes through her plot. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Implemented over the last five years by CIMMYT, in collaboration with FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, SIFAZ aims to advance the intensification of farming practices and catalyze widespread adoption among farmers in Zambia. In the Musa camp, key partners took on the challenge of advancing better farming techniques with cassava. Their collective objective was clear: to identify methods that minimized labor intensity while maximizing yields. Through rigorous trials, including comparing flat land planting against traditional ridge systems and experimenting with intercropping cassava with common beans and groundnuts, promising results have been seen.

The outcomes yielded thus far have been nothing short of inspiring across farmers. It has become clear to farmers and researchers that cassava planted on flat land, particularly within a Conservation Agriculture (CA) framework, was not only feasible in high rainfall areas but also yielded significantly higher returns. Despite observing fewer root structures, the roots themselves proved to be robust and weighty, ultimately translating to increased productivity for smallholder farmers. Furthermore, farmers have confirmed that cassava from the CA plots tastes better than the one from the ridged portions.

“As a cassava trial implementer,” Bwalya said, “I undertook various trials exploring intercropping cassava with beans and groundnuts, across both flat and ridge systems.”

Thriving and innovating

Her six-hectare plot has become a hub of experimentation, with 0.3 hectares dedicated to the ongoing trials. Encouraged by the successes and promising yields witnessed on flat land, Maureen extended these sustainable practices to the remaining expanse, intercropping maize with cassava. Her results have been noticed, drawing the interest of over fifty neighboring farmers, inspired by her flourishing plot.

As the harvesting season approaches, Bwalya faces no shortage of opportunities to market her produce. From cassava cuttings to nutrient-rich leaves and tubers, she never runs short of eager buyers in local markets, ensuring a steady income for her family.

Navigating through the different trials across the Kasama district, pockets of adoption in some farmers’ fields are noticeable. Through collaborative partnerships and community engagement, SIFAZ strives to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools stemming from the trials to become more food secure in the face of evolving climatic challenges.

Revolutionizing food security: Africa’s millet renaissance

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

In a landmark initiative to bolster sustainable agriculture and food security, the consultative workshop ‘Bottlenecks to Expansion of Pearl and Finger Millets in Africa’ marked a pivotal step towards revitalizing millet cultivation across the continent. Spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with CIMMYT and the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), a meeting held in Senegal united global experts to unlock the untapped potential of millets as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture and food security in Africa.

The discussions included identifying the symptoms of the problem, underlying issues causing these symptoms, and the interventions needed to be implemented to address these issues. This collaborative efforts among national and international organizations including government bodies, research institutes, and NGOs, demonstrated the goal of revitalizing millet cultivation through partnerships.

A group photo of the participants in the ‘Bottlenecks to Expansion of Pearl and Finger Millets in Africa’ workshop in Senegal. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets to raise awareness of and direct policy attention to millets’ nutritional and health benefits and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions.

Long overlooked but brimming with potential, millets offer a sustainable solution for both farmers and consumers in terms of profitability, adaptability, and sustainability in farming, as well as healthier dietary options for consumers.

Lessons learned from India

India, a key player in millet production, provided valuable insights into millet cultivation and consumption, providing a potential model for Africa to emulate in its millet-related strategies.

To understand the growth of millets in India, the Indian Ambassador to Senegal, Naba Kumar Pal, highlighted the strategies used by the Indian government to raise awareness about millets as a nutritious cereal that contributes to food security and provides a nutritious dietary option aimed at eliminating hunger and improving nutrition in his opening remarks.

“The first step the government did was to rebrand millets from ‘coarse grains’ to ‘nutri-cereals’, a move that has significantly increased domestic consumption and market interest of millets in India,” said the ambassador.

Indian Ambassador to Senegal, Naba Kumar Pal, highlights the Indian government’s efforts to promote millets as a nutritional powerhouse. (Photo: Marion Aluoch/CIMMYT)

In Africa, millets are under appreciated and not utilized as crops. They are often labeled as a ‘poor man’s crop,’ ‘neglected crop,’ or ‘orphan crop’.  The negative connotations have, among other areas, influenced consumers’ perceptions. By changing the vocabulary from demeaning to empowering, millets’ image can be transformed from an overlooked option to a crop of choice in Africa.

The workshop also delved into policy advocacy and commercialization efforts in India, and how these strategies could be replicated in African contexts. Tara Satyavati and Dayakar Rao, representing Indian institutions, shared insights on millet production, nutritional evaluation, and the development of value-added products. The importance of policy intervention, such as increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for millets and including them in public meal programs in India, was discussed. These measures not only provided financial incentives to farmers but also increased accessibility and consumption among the general population.

The two asserted that “millets offer a sustainable solution for both farmers and consumers in terms of profitability, adaptability, and sustainability in farming, as well as healthier dietary options for consumers.”

Millets are adaptable to diverse climates, have low water requirements, and provide nutritional benefits. African countries, which face similar issues in terms of climate change and food security, can use millets as a crop to promote environmental sustainability and economic viability.

National and international collaborations

A panel discussion shed light on national and international initiatives that highlighted collaborative efforts in crop improvement and millet innovations. On the national level, Hamidou Diallo from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Equipment, and Food Sovereignty of Senegal (MAERSA) outlined a multi-pronged approach for Senegal. These approaches included increasing millet production, providing high-quality seeds, equipping local producers with essential tools and equipment, providing fertilizers to farmers, and expanding the overall cultivated areas of millet. These efforts represent a focused approach to leveraging agricultural innovation in millets to improve livelihoods and income for small-scale farmers.

“Aligning with the needs of the local community ensures the initiatives are impactful and resonate with the agricultural landscape and community needs,” he emphasized.

Insights into the international initiatives included discussions on innovative initiatives in the Dryland Crop Program (DCP), presented by Dryland Crops Program Director and Wheat Program Director Kevin Pixley, included the establishment of the African Dryland Crops Improvement Network, gene editing, a legumes mining project and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) project, that will include millets as a prioritized crop.

“We need to find innovative ways to reach more farmers with options to improve their livelihood and popularize millets across different market segments,” said Pixley.

From left to right: Damaris Odeny (ICRISAT India), Geoff Morris (Colorado State University), Douglas Gayeton (co-founder of The Lexicon), Hamidou Diallo (MAERSA, Senegal), Kevin Pixley (director of the Dryland Crops Program), and Makiko Taguchi (FAO), engage in a panel discussion on the importance of national and international initiatives in promoting crop improvement and millet innovations, highlighting the collaborative spirit driving agricultural progress.

Other topics covered included insights from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) innovation lab on sorghum and millets, emphasizing the importance of African-led projects and addressing the knowledge gap between African and U.S. researchers.

The pioneering role of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), particularly in agri-business incubation, was noted, along with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, managed by USAID and Cornell University efforts in fostering regional collaborations.

Makiko Taguchi of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) emphasized the importance of global engagement in promoting millets as a sustainable and nutritious food source for global food security and agricultural development and highlighted the various initiatives and projects born of the International Year of Millets. Douglas Gayeton, co-founder of The Lexicon emphasized the role of effective messaging in changing people’s perceptions of millets. He underscored the importance of shifting away from terms like ‘neglected’ and ‘orphaned’ crops to more positive empowering language that resonates with consumers and policy makers.

CIMMYT’s role in dryland crop innovation

Recognizing the ever-evolving needs of society at large, CIMMYT began an initiative to advance research and broaden its impact by implementing the Dryland Crops Program. This approach is based on CIMMYT’s 2030 strategy, which will shape agriculture’s future as a driver of climate resilience, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural development, and food and nutrition security, all while meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Africa 2063 by promoting food security, improving nutrition, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The meeting underscored the immense potential of millets in Africa to contribute to a resilient and nutritious future, reinforcing the need for continued collaboration, innovation, and investment in this vital crop. With the right mix of policy support, technological innovation and market development, millets could be the key to Africa’s resilient and sustainable agricultural future. The workshop concluded with a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate and implement innovative practices to enhance the growth of the millet sector in Africa.

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

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

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

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

Unpacking El Niño’s impact in Zambia

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

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

Maize stover and its competing use

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

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

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

Use of more climate-smart crops

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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