Nutrition, health and food security

As staple foods, maize and wheat provide vital nutrients and health benefits, making up close to two-thirds of the world’s food energy intake, and contributing 55 to 70 percent of the total calories in the diets of people living in developing countries, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. CIMMYT scientists tackle food insecurity through improved nutrient-rich, high-yielding varieties and sustainable agronomic practices, ensuring that those who most depend on agriculture have enough to make a living and feed their families. The U.N. projects that the global population will increase to more than 9 billion people by 2050, which means that the successes and failures of wheat and maize farmers will continue to have a crucial impact on food security. Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which show heat waves could occur more often and mean global surface temperatures could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius throughout the century, indicate that increasing yield alone will be insufficient to meet future demand for food.

Achieving widespread food and nutritional security for the world’s poorest people is more complex than simply boosting production. Biofortification of maize and wheat helps increase the vitamins and minerals in these key crops. CIMMYT helps families grow and eat provitamin A enriched maize, zinc-enhanced maize and wheat varieties, and quality protein maize. CIMMYT also works on improving food health and safety, by reducing mycotoxin levels in the global food chain. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that colonize in food crops, and cause health problems or even death in humans or animals. Worldwide, CIMMYT helps train food processors to reduce fungal contamination in maize, and promotes affordable technologies and training to detect mycotoxins and reduce exposure.

Press releases

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

Study shows investments and innovative policy decisions are increasing farmer incomes and national wheat productivity, with varieties originating from CIMMYT making a significant contribution.

News

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

FAO-led assessment details the pandemic’s impact on agri-food systems in Bangladesh and outlines possible recovery strategies.

Features

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

A growing number of smallholders in southern Zimbabwe adopt provitamin-A maize after collective learning and knowledge transfer initiative.

Features

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

Unprecedented adoption of agricultural technologies wards off negative impacts of COVID-19 in northwestern India.

In the media

tag icon Environmental health and biodiversity

Source: SciDev.Net (3 Nov 2020)

Wheat blast is a serious threat to wheat production and can lead to yield losses of up to 100 percent.

Features

tag icon Climate adaptation and mitigation

New hub will ensure that cutting-edge discoveries are rapidly available to the global wheat breeding community.

News

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

The nine new maize lines are especially valuable for breeders seeking drought tolerance or tar spot complex disease resistance.

In the media

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

Source: Times of India (23 Oct 2020)

It’s that time of the year when pollution levels start increasing, but two factors may help north India avoid the ‘airpocalypse’ this time.

Features

tag icon Nutrition, health and food security

Two-year study reveals techniques to strengthen Mexican smallholder farmers’ food security.

News

tag icon Capacity development

As the pest continues to cause damage to farmers’ fields, CIMMYT trained national agricultural partners on integrated pest management.

In the media

tag icon Climate adaptation and mitigation

Source: El Universal (16 Oct 2020)

CIMMYT and Kellogg partnership seeks to increase the productivity of land and efficient use of available natural resources while mitigating the effects of climate change.

News

tag icon Environmental health and biodiversity

CGIAR centers make strong case for Latin America as the best place for investing in solutions to overcome challenges to global agriculture from climate change, pandemics and more.

Features

tag icon Climate adaptation and mitigation

We need to make sure our food systems grow a variety of food to nourish a growing population and sustain the planet.

Explainers

tag icon Climate adaptation and mitigation

Farming method can boost yields, increase farmers’ profits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

News

tag icon Climate adaptation and mitigation

Rattan Lal receives agriculture’s highest distinction for developing sustainable farming practices that conserve soils and contribute to climate change mitigation.