Our Mission

CIMMYT is an international, non-profit, agricultural research and training center dedicated to helping the poor in low-income countries. We help alleviate poverty by increasing the profitability, productivity, and sustainability of maize and wheat farming systems.

Focus

Work concentrates on maize and wheat, two crops vitally important to food security. These crops provide about one-fourth of the total food calories consumed in low-income countries, are critical staples for poor people, and are an important source of income for poor farmers.

Partners

Our researchers work with colleagues in national agricultural research programs, universities, and other centers of excellence around the world; in the donor community; and in non-governmental organizations.

Activities

• Development and worldwide distribution of higher yielding maize and wheat with built-in genetic resistance to important diseases, insects, and other yield-reducing stresses.

• Conservation and distribution of maize and wheat genetic resources.

• Strategic research on natural resource management in maize- and wheat-based cropping systems.

• Research on economic and policy issues in maize and wheat production and research.

• Development of new knowledge about maize and wheat.

• Development of more effective research methods.

• Training of many kinds.

• Consulting on technical issues.

Impact

• CIMMYT-related wheat varieties are planted on more than 64 million hectares in low-income countries, representing more than three-fourths of the area planted to modern wheat varieties in those countries.
• Nearly 14 million hectares in non-temperate environments of developing countries are planted to CIMMYT-related maize varieties, which is nearly half of the area planted to modern maize varieties in those environments.

• Farmers on hundreds of thousands of hectares in developing countries use resource-conserving practices developed and promoted by CIMMYT and its partners.
• More than 9,000 researchers from around the world have benefited from CIMMYT's training efforts. CIMMYT alumni now lead major breeding programs, public and private, throughout the world.
• Our information products and research networks improve the efficiency of researchers in more than 100 countries.

Funding

CIMMYT wishes to thank the many governments and organizations that help us fulfill our mission. We owe a special debt of gratitude to those who support our core activities. The impacts described in this publication would have been impossible to achieve without that support.

Location

Activities and impact extend throughout the world via our regional offices. Headquarters are in Mexico. See contact information