Every year, CIMMYT trains tens of thousands of farmers, scientists, and technicians on techniques and practices for food security, nutrition, health and resource conservation. In contrast to formal academic training in plant breeding and agronomy, CIMMYT training activities are hands-on and highly specialized. Topics include practices to preserve maize and wheat genetic diversity; biological pest management; climate change adaptation and safer food processing. Trainees from Africa, Asia and Latin America benefit from the data assembled and handled in a global research program. Alumni of CIMMYT courses often become a significant force for agricultural change in their countries.
Capacity development
With agricultural diversification, more is better
Combining diversification strategies boosts synergies and reduces tradeoffs.
Flowers, learning, and a gender-based approach
“We learned how to grow flowers in one module, and now we’re making a living from it,” says a farmer from Chiapas. Here’s her story.
A community leader in Baliakandi inspires women empowerment in agriculture: Promila Rani Mondol
Promila’s story as a successful machinery solution provider, with support from CSISA-MEA, is encouraging more women in her community to venture into farming and seedling raising services.
A marine engineer embarks on making life easier for farmers in his native village, by establishing a one-stop shop agri-business center
The Bhusari Cold Storage in Begusarai, Bihar, has helped build the capacity of over 25,000 smallholder farmers through improved access to farming resources, advanced technologies, and advisories on climate-resilient agri-practices and allied services.
PARC pioneered, climate resilient wheat varieties
Source: Lead Pakistan ()
The seminar on “Sino-Pak Wheat Genomics” showcased CIMMYT and CAAS China’s collaborative efforts to enhance wheat productivity with cutting-edge genomics.
Borlaug Global Rust Initiative announces 2024 Women in Triticum (WIT) awardees
The 2024 Women in Triticum Early Career Awards recognize early-career scientists for their advancements in wheat research and food security.
Network develops optimized breeding pipelines for accelerated genetic gains in dryland crops
The Africa Dryland Crop Improvement Network (ADCIN), NARES, and CGIAR scientists in Africa optimized quantitative genetic criteria for breeding programs and breeding strategies and pipelines for chickpea, pigeon pea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl-millet, and finger millet crops.
No Stones, No Grit! A game-changing technology to process small grain introduced in Zimbabwe
A locally made, affordable multi-crop thresher offers a convenient post-harvest processing option for smallholder farmers.
Breaking ground and redefining roles in the agri engineering sector: Anjuara Begum
Anjuara’s journey from a widowed mother to a successful grinding operator is an inspiring story of resilience. CSISA–MEA’s light engineering training for women has not only transformed Anjuara’s life but also prompted a paradigm shift in the perception of women’s capabilities in traditionally male-dominated roles.
Empowering communities through sustainable agriculture
For young Mirian, an agent of change, being part of the Honduran InnovaHub Oriente has allowed her to make agricultural innovations a means to empower her generation and women.
Seeds of change: one woman’s mission to transform her community
In Tanzania, community champions like Venansia Swale play a fundamental role in encouraging the adoption of improved seeds and increasing yields for smallholder farmers.