Africa
CIMMYT’s work in Africa helps farmers access new maize and wheat systems-based technologies, information and markets, raising incomes and enhancing crop resilience to drought and climate change. CIMMYT sets priorities in consultation with ministries of agriculture, seed companies, farming communities and other stakeholders in the maize and wheat value chains. Our activities in Africa are wide ranging and include: breeding maize for drought tolerance and low-fertility soils, and for resistance to insect pests, foliar diseases and parasitic weeds; sustainably intensifying production in maize- and wheat-based systems; and investigating opportunities to reduce micronutrient and protein malnutrition among women and young children.
Fighting the stress
Innovations
CIMMYT partner seed company supports smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with stress-tolerant seed against biotic and abiotic stresses.
Experts point ways to better crops and farmer incomes
Environmental health and biodiversity
A new annual event examines root and soil health’s importance for food security, livelihoods and climate resilience and marks the launch of a community for root and soil health action.
Capacitating farmers and development agents through radio
Capacity development
CIMMYT partnered with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)-EA, and Fana Broadcasting Corporate to deliver seasonal and operational agroclimate and COVID-19 advisories for farmers to support farm decisions.
Researchers identify optimal strategy to maximize genomic estimated breeding values
Innovations
Genomic selection breeding approach paves the way to better maize and wheat in farmers’ fields faster.
Bill Gates highlights CIMMYT’s innovation in latest climate book
Climate adaptation and mitigation
One of CIMMYT and CGIAR’s biggest supporters, he sets out on a virtual book tour to spark collaborative action toward avoiding a climate disaster and calls for innovations in almost everything that we do.
Out with the old, in with the new
Innovations
CIMMYT’s tried and tested approaches in varietal turnover and decades of experience in strengthening maize and wheat seed systems have a lot to contribute to CGIAR’s plan of building robust food systems by 2030.
Drought-tolerant maize project pioneers a winning strategy for a world facing climate change
Climate adaptation and mitigation
As partners come together as One CGIAR to enact a bold climate-centered strategy, projects like CIMMYT and IITA’s decades-long work on climate-smart maize can help show the way forward.
Q&A: A decade of improved and climate-smart maize through collaborative research and innovation
Climate adaptation and mitigation
A ten-year partnership led by CIMMYT and IITA tackles climate-induced risks in maize production, developing and deploying new climate-adaptive varieties benefiting over 8 million households in sub-Saharan Africa.
Successful Crop Innovation Is Mitigating Climate Crisis Impact in Africa
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: IPS News (17 Feb 2021)
In an op-ed, Martin Kropff, Director General of CIMMYT, discusses how higher-yielding, stress-tolerant maize varieties can not only help smallholders combat climatic variabilities and diseases, but also effectively diversify their farms.
Lightbulb moments
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, CGIAR and CIMMYT scientists share their career journeys.
New CIMMYT maize hybrids available from Eastern Africa breeding program
Innovations
CIMMYT is offering a new set of improved maize hybrids to partners, to scale up production for farmers in these areas.
MAIZE delivers “valuable solutions” for critical needs, according to an external review
Climate adaptation and mitigation
A report commissioned by the CGIAR Advisory Services assesses the program’s achievements from 2017-2019.
Fast-tracked adoption of second-generation resistant maize varieties key to managing maize lethal necrosis in Africa
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Africa.com (20 Jan 2021)
In combination with recommended integrated pest management practices, adopting these new varieties is an important step towards safeguarding smallholder farmers against this devastating viral disease.