seed systems
Smallholder farmers embrace climate-smart seed and mechanization fairs
Climate adaptation and mitigation
Around one thousand farmers flocked to a recent two-day climate-smart seed and mechanization fair in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo district, signaling strong interest in these two climate adaptation strategies.
Planting Better Seeds a Key for Mexico’s Food Security
Nutrition, health and food security
Source: Mexico Business News (14 Oct 2022)
Bram Govaerts discussing the development of seed systems that work for smallholder farmers.
Tracking improved crop varieties
Environmental health and biodiversity
CIMMYT and EIAR launch working group in Ethiopia to implement IMAGE, a five-year project that will improve seed variety deployment in Africa.
Strengthening capacity and building national and regional partnerships in the seed sector
Capacity development
CIMMYT and its partners provide training on hybrid maize seeds to value chain actors from South Asia.
Cereal seed systems
Capacity development
Discover how CIMMYT scientists support getting new improved seeds to farmers fields, faster.
Pilot of new wheat variety improves yield for farmers in Ethiopia
Capacity development
Farmers in Ethiopia’s lowlands trialed usage of the Kingbird wheat variety, with promising results for improved yield and increased income.
Cereal seed value chains in Nepal
Nutrition, health and food security
A new study provides deeper insights into improving the performance of the country’s rice and maize seed value chains.
It is time to invest in the future of Afghanistan’s wheat system
Capacity development
Afghan farmers need varieties with improved traits such as heat and drought resilience, incorporating functional variation from existing landrace collections.
A new seed policy ushers in a new era of hybrid seed business in Nepal
Capacity development
Source: Agrilinks (26 Apr 2022)
A change in policy by the Nepalese government in February 2022 opens up space for private seed companies to be involved in seed variety development, evaluation and distribution to farmers.
CIMMYT to lead CGIAR varietal improvement and seed delivery project in Africa
Innovations
The AVISA project aims to improve the health and livelihoods of millions by increasing the productivity, profitability, resilience and marketability of nutritious grain, legumes and cereal crops.
Supporting the growth of local maize seed industries: Lessons from Mexico
Capacity development
Small local seed businesses are considered key to getting new maize hybrids into farmers’ hands and,  ultimately, to meeting global food security goals. MasAgro, a partnership between CIMMYT and Mexico’s Department of Agriculture, offers key insights into what has worked and some major challenges that remain.
New direction in research for advancing gender-responsive maize breeding
Capacity development
Research on gender and maize looks to move beyond trait preferences at seed demand more broadly.
New research highlights opportunities to deepen engagement with private sector for increasing impact from cereal breeding
Capacity development
Contributions reflect the breadth of perspectives and expertise within CGIAR and beyond, calling for more demand-oriented variety development and seed delivery.
Is a pluralistic seeds system a pathway to seed security in Ethiopia?
Nutrition, health and food security
Efforts to support inclusive and equitable access to seeds by farmers should recognize the different seed systems and the complementarity of formal and informal seed systems.
Adaptation, Demonstration and Piloting of Wheat Technologies for Irrigated Lowlands of Ethiopia (ADAPT-Wheat)
Climate adaptation and mitigation
