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.
Public and Private Plant Breeding: Finding Common Ground
Innovations
Source: SeedWorld (10 Sep 2023)
Fernando Gonzalez, a retired plant breeder from CIMMYT, participated in the webinar hosted by Seed World Group, unveiling possible paths forward public and private plant breeding efforts.
The world must act to avert a climate-induced food shortage, cautions Cary Fowler. CIMMYT has a strategy to strengthen agrifood systems.
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Cary Fowler, U.S. special envoy for food security, warns of dire consequences if the international community fails to act to mitigate climate change impacts on agrifood systems. The CIMMYT 2030 Strategy holds the approach to respond and mitigate some of the worst effects of this looming crisis.
Realizing the Potential of Neglected Crops in Latin America
Environmental health and biodiversity
CIMMYT highlights the value of neglected crops in Latin America through new methodologies and initiatives.
Harnessing new high-resolution satellite imagery to plant breeding
Innovations
New study by CIMMYT researchers shows how multi-temporal, high-resolution satellite images can be used effectively to monitor breeding maize and wheat breeding plots in diverse environments.
Smallholder Mexican farmers adopt resource-conserving innovations: slowly and in bits
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Supporting a gradual, step-wise adoption of conservation agriculture — along with livestock and residue management, use of new crops and improved varieties, and appropriate mechanization — appears promising.
A Mexican farm research program gains praise and interest for use abroad
Climate adaptation and mitigation
The Mexican government-supported research-for-rural development initiative MasAgro has raised maize and wheat yields and farm profitability while mitigating farmers’ risk and agriculture’s ecological and climate impacts.
Set an example of how to thrive
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Business-leader Altagracia Gómez Sierra calls for social profitability and the encouragement of young girls during talk on women’s leadership.
CIMMYT welcomes US Department of State visit
Innovations
U.S. Department of State Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe visited CIMMYT in Texcoco, Mexico.
Brazil moves towards wheat self-sufficiency and seeks expansion in the global market
Capacity development
Source: Brazilian Farmers (21 Jul 2023)
Brazil, which ranks among the top wheat importers, is on track to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production with the succesful implementation of wheat strains from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Technical support for sustainable maize and associated crops production in Iguala
Capacity development
Forging scaling partnerships in Latin America: Scaling specialists meet to strengthen future collaborations and learn from past experiences
Capacity development
Scaling specialists from around the world met in Texcoco to reflect on their scaling work in Latin America towards sustainable agri-food systems.
Three sisters and 120 sweet potatoes: Mexican farmers embrace Maya traditions
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: The Guardian (10 Jul 2023)
Maíz Criollo Kantunil, a group of farmers and agro-ecologists, has successfully reintroduced three varieties of native maize using seeds supplied by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Hot, dry, windy events on the rise in Kansas wheat fields
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Source: Succesful Farming (11 Jul 2023)
To dive into the challenges posed by climate change, researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, in Sonora, Mexico, are working to develop a range of wheat that can withstand extreme and unpredictable weather conditions.