Americas
CIMMYT has several offices in the Americas, including global headquarters in Mexico and a regional office in Colombia. Activities are supported by an additional 140 hectares of stations in diverse agro-ecological zones of Mexico. CIMMYT’s genebank in Mexico stores 27,000 maize and 170,000 wheat seed collections – key to preserving the crop genetic diversity of the region. CIMMYT projects range from developing nutritionally enhanced maize to mapping regional climate change hot spots in Central America. The comprehensive MasAgro project aims to increase wheat production in Mexico by 9 million tons and maize production by 350,000 tons by 2030. CIMMYT promotes regional collaboration and facilitates capacity building for scientists, researchers and technicians.
Why heirloom tortillas are an endangered species
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: Maclean's (6 Mar 2020)
Preserving ancient maize landraces in Mexico is key for biodiversity, food security and future sustainability.
One-minute science: Trent Blare and blue maize products
Environmental health and biodiversity
Consumers near Mexico City perceived blue maize tortillas to taste better. They were willing to pay up to a third more to buy them for special family events or to consume them in restaurants.
New publication: Scaling agricultural mechanization services in smallholder farming systems
Innovations
Study shows service provider models in Africa, Latin America and South Asia increase smallholder access to agricultural machinery, but can remain dependent on projects to tackle major bottlenecks for scaling.
Bringing landraces back home, 50 years later
Nutrition, health and food security
Half a century earlier, scientists collected and preserved samples of maize landraces in Morelos, Mexico. Now, descendants of those farmers were able to get back their ancestral maize seeds and, with them, a piece of their family history.
‘Sharing’ or ‘sparing’ land?
Environmental health and biodiversity
How can we feed more people while protecting nature and biodiversity?
New mobile app helping Latin American farmers increase crop yields by 12%
Innovations
Source: Real Wire (11 Feb 2020)
Mexican farmers in Yaqui Valley use smartphone app with satellite data to make decisions about irrigation and crop management.
Include small indigenous production systems to improve rural livelihoods
Nutrition, health and food security
New research recommends targeted assistance and engagement with small farmers in rural Guatemala to improve livelihoods and reduce migration pressures.
Mexico wants to remain the maize nation
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Excelsior (26 Jan 2020)
CIMMYT germplasm bank samples are the basis for development of new maize seeds used in the MasAgro Program.
CIMMYT scientists join fellow experts in San Diego for world’s largest plant and animal genomics conference
Innovations
Researchers share their work translating the latest molecular research into breeding solutions for better maize and wheat varieties.
The Future of Food – Food Substitute Pills
Innovations
Source: Vice (21 Jan 2020)
Seed banks, like the one at CIMMYT’s headquarters in Mexico, are part of planning for the future of food.
World’s largest corn cob measures 39.5cm in Jala, Nayarit
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Mexico News Daily (15 Jan 2020)
Winner acknowledges the work of INIFAP, CIMMYT and the Mexico Corn Tortilla Foundation to recuperate native maize species.
Working in a method to harness the soil
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: El Universal (12 Jan 2020)
Research shows that conservation agriculture under irrigation conditions increases yields and soil organic carbon, even in poor quality soil.
