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.
Agricultural biodiversity key to future crop improvement
Conserving and using agricultural biodiversity to create better crops can help meet several sustainable development goals and stave off further species extinctions.
New Publications: Durum wheat is becoming more susceptible to rust globally
Leaf rust is increasingly impacting durum wheat production worldwide.
Sustainable agriculture poised to save Mayan rainforests from deforestation
Sustainable farming practices allow smallholder farmers to improve maize yields while reducing deforestation in Mexico, report finds.
Improved genetic analysis offers faster, more precise results to crop breeders
Researchers improve global collaboration on harnessing genes in breeding that can help the crop withstand the effects of climate change.
Drought- and heat-tolerant maize tackles climate change in southern Africa
CIMMYT’s drought-tolerant varieties have been delivered to three million farmers across Africa.
Combating spread of MLN in Africa poses unique but surmountable challenges, seed health specialist says
Maize lethal necrosis poses a major concern to researchers, seed companies and farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
New Publications: With climate change, pests likely to spread to new agricultural areas
Pests are likely to spread as climate change continues to impact farming systems globally, according to a new study.
Improved drought tolerant maize varieties: a sustainable solution to climate change
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector met in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 4th Annual Food Security Conference (AFSC) on 12-13 October 2016.
First drought tolerant and insect resistant “stacked” transgenic maize harvested in Kenya
For the first time, transgenic maize hybrids that combine insect resistance and drought tolerance have been harvested from confined field trials.
Promoting drought tolerant maize seed in southern Africa
CIMMYT held seed fairs in Zimbabwe to promote the sharing of information and knowledge about new seed options for farmers.
National maize stem borer mass rearing laboratory inaugurated in Pakistan
CIMMYT inaugurated the first national maize stem borer mass rearing laboratory at the National Agricultural Research Center in Islamabad on 25 October 2016.
Growing more with less: Improving productivity, resilience and sustainability in Africa
Sustainable intensification is helping farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa become more productive, while adapting to and mitigating climate change.
Gazing into the crystal ball at the future of food: Nutrient-dense maize and wheat
Diversity is important for finding traits that will allow maize and wheat to be more nutritious than they are already today and so aid in meeting the demands of the future, writes Gideon Kruseman, CIMMYT ex-ante and foresight specialist
Changing the conversation surrounding food and agriculture with Tamar Haspel
Tamar Haspel delivered a keynote address at a three-day conference hosted by CIMMYT to celebrate the nonprofitâs 50th anniversary.
Biofortification to fight âhidden hungerâ in Zimbabwe
The goal of completely eradicating vitamin A deficiency â mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia â remains a big challenge.