Asia
As a fast growing region with increasing challenges for smallholder farmers, Asia is a key target region for CIMMYT. CIMMYT’s work stretches from Central Asia to southern China and incorporates system-wide approaches to improve wheat and maize productivity and deliver quality seed to areas with high rates of child malnutrition. Activities involve national and regional local organizations to facilitate greater adoption of new technologies by farmers and benefit from close partnerships with farmer associations and agricultural extension agents.
Ready for the seed sector
Capacity development
CIMMYT and partners revise Nepal’s seed science and technology curriculum, so university graduates are better equipped to join the industry’s work force.
Crowdsourced data feeds fall armyworm surveillance in Bangladesh
Innovations
Web app helps extension agents and farmers monitor the spread of fall armyworm.
Systems thinking at work in South Asia’s food production
Environmental health and biodiversity
New blog published by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs argues that balancing food security, rural livelihoods, water for agriculture and air quality need not be a zero-sum game.
Four ways of strengthening gender equality in the agricultural sector in the MENA region
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Experts note that policies alone are not enough — they need to go hand in hand with strong initiatives to make agriculture a safer, more equal and respectful space for both women and men.
Moving out of poverty or staying poor
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
Is it up to the village men? Or women, too?
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.
Advancing Nutritious Food Crops: The Role of the Public Sector
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Outlook India (25 Feb 2020)
Harvest Plus supports cross-sector alliances to advance biofortified crops in India.
Smartphones drive data collection revolution, boost climate-smart agriculture in Bangladesh
Climate adaptation and mitigation
For the first time widespread monitoring examines how farmers are coping with climate stresses.
‘Sharing’ or ‘sparing’ land?
Environmental health and biodiversity
How can we feed more people while protecting nature and biodiversity?
New year, new beginnings
Capacity development
Women in West Bengal form farmer groups and cooperatives drawing on sustainable agricultural practices from CIMMYT’s SRFSI project.
Growers issued yellow rust warning
Environmental health and biodiversity
Source: Dawn (6 Feb 2020)
CIMMYT warns wheat-growing farmers in Pakistan to watch for yellow rust disease.
Ten new CIMMYT-developed maize varieties released in Pakistan
Innovations
New maize varieties to bolster seed sector and enhance farm productivity.
All weather maize seed will reach farmers shortly: Dr Prasanna
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Times of India (31 Jan 2020)
New seed will withstand drought conditions and natural calamities.
New publications: Optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates for rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
Climate adaptation and mitigation
The results of the study will allow farmers to get the best crop yields while saving money and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions.
Breaking Ground: Lara Roeven delves into complex gender dynamics
Gender equality, youth and social inclusion
CIMMYT researcher explores the ways in which gender norms influence agricultural innovation around the world.