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 worldâs 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 worldâs 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.
Rust-resistant bread wheat varieties widely adopted in Ethiopia
Nutrition, health and food securityStudy shows investments and innovative policy decisions are increasing farmer incomes and national wheat productivity, with varieties originating from CIMMYT making a significant contribution.
Critical reflections on COVID-19
Nutrition, health and food securityFAO-led assessment details the pandemicâs impact on agri-food systems in Bangladesh and outlines possible recovery strategies.
Farmers flock towards nutritious, orange maize
Nutrition, health and food securityA growing number of smallholders in southern Zimbabwe adopt provitamin-A maize after collective learning and knowledge transfer initiative.
A catastrophe avoided
Nutrition, health and food securityUnprecedented adoption of agricultural technologies wards off negative impacts of COVID-19 in northwestern India.
Wheat disease common to South America jumps to Africa
Environmental health and biodiversitySource: 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.
International Wheat Yield Partnership launches European Winter Wheat Hub
Climate adaptation and mitigationNew hub will ensure that cutting-edge discoveries are rapidly available to the global wheat breeding community.
CIMMYT releases its first ever maize genetic resource lines
Nutrition, health and food securityThe nine new maize lines are especially valuable for breeders seeking drought tolerance or tar spot complex disease resistance.
Can this coincidence help India breathe easier this year?
Nutrition, health and food securitySource: 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.
Beyond breeding: the potential of improved postharvest storage techniques for smallholder farmers
Nutrition, health and food securityTwo-year study reveals techniques to strengthen Mexican smallholder farmersâ food security.
Somalia agriculture partners learn about integrated fall armyworm control practices
Capacity developmentAs the pest continues to cause damage to farmersâ fields, CIMMYT trained national agricultural partners on integrated pest management.
Kellogg’s proposes initiatives to improve the nutrition of Mexicans
Climate adaptation and mitigationSource: 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.
Latin America poised to lead the next 50 years in food systems and agrobiodiversity research
Environmental health and biodiversityCGIAR 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.
World Food Day 2020: Nourishing food systems
Climate adaptation and mitigationWe need to make sure our food systems grow a variety of food to nourish a growing population and sustain the planet.
What is sustainable intensification?
Climate adaptation and mitigationFarming method can boost yields, increase farmersâ profits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2020 World Food Prize recognizes career devoted to fight hunger and climate change through soil conservation
Climate adaptation and mitigationRattan Lal receives agricultureâs highest distinction for developing sustainable farming practices that conserve soils and contribute to climate change mitigation.