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.
Zimbabwe: Farmer Combats ‘Hidden Hunger’. . . Grows Biofortified Crops
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: All Africa (26 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT and Harvest Plus have been breeding biofortified crop varieties of vitamin A orange maize since 2015.
Investing in drought-tolerant maize is good for Africa
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Recent impact studies in Uganda and Zambia show that farmers adopting drought-tolerant maize increased their yields significantly and reduced risks of crop failure.
How a disease without borders was contained
Nutrition, health and food security
Experts reflect on the successful efforts to limit the spread of maize lethal necrosis across eastern and southern Africa.
Breaking Ground: Pieter Rutsaert looks to better marketing for faster adoption of climate-smart maize in Africa
Nutrition, health and food security
Markets and value chains expert studies seed demand and distribution, with the aim to help agro-dealers and seed businesses better market improved seed.
CIMMYT is ready to support Ethiopia’s move toward — and beyond — wheat self-sufficiency
Nutrition, health and food security
Meeting with Ethiopian researchers and policymakers outlines path forward for cooperation.
Kenya: Maize contamination
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: France 24 (19 Nov 2019)
B.M. Prasanna, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, speaks on CIMMYT’s work to help farmers in the context of the aflatoxin crisis in Kenya.
Ethiopia: Launching Digital Agro-Climate Advisory Platform in Ethiopia
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: All Africa (16 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT, EIAR and partners launched a digital agro-climate advisory platform.
Launching digital agro-climate advisory platform in Ethiopia
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: The Reporter (16 Nov 2019)
New platform will put resilience at the center of livelihoods in response to rising populations, growing food demand and ecological crisis.
Seeds of hope
Innovations
Stress-tolerant maize varieties are transforming lives in northern Uganda.
Resilient agriculture: Several agreements concluded
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: L'Economiste (5 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT, ICARDA and the Adaptation of African Agriculture Initiative join forces to prevent small farmers from suffering the effects of climate change.
Scientists develop an early warning system that delivers wheat rust predictions directly to farmers’ phones
Innovations
New research describes a revolutionary early warning system that can predict and mitigate wheat rust diseases in Ethiopia.
New tools guide interventions against acid soils in Africa using lime
Capacity development
Experts are developing data and dashboards to advise policymakers about the cost and feasibility of liming to increase maize productivity.
What it takes to bring the best seed to farmers
Capacity development
CIMMYT’s board witnesses the results of impactful research and market partnerships in Kenya.
A scramble for solutions as fall armyworm infestation sweeps Africa
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Mongabay (24 Oct 2019)
CIMMYT Systems Agronomist Frédéric Baudron advocates a multipronged approach to protect maize crops from the invasive pest.