Cargill Mexico and CIMMYT presented the 2023 edition of the Cargill-CIMMYT Award for Food Security and Sustainability, which aims to acknowledge and promote projects and actions that contribute to mitigating and resolving the food problems facing the country.
With this award, Cargill and CIMMYT seek to promote actions and projects that contain innovative ideas on technologies, productive inputs, agronomic practices, marketing models, collaboration schemes, among others, that result in a sustainable and scalable increase in agricultural production in Mexico.
“The objective of this initiative is to identify and acknowledge technological innovations, actions, and practices that contribute to strengthening food security and sustainability in the Mexican countryside,” said Fernando Guareschi, president of Cargill Mexico. “The award-winning projects represent an achievement for the producers, researchers, opinion leaders, and young people who participate in each project. It is an indicator for us that we are on the right path to meet our goal of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.”
The 2023 edition of the award acknowledges innovations that lead to better integration of basic grain value chains, as well as productive market practices that improve the quality of life of producers in communities or agricultural centers.
“For CIMMYT, the partnership with Cargill has been key to recognizing and promoting the talent and innovation of the actors in the basic grains value chains in Mexico who share our determination to transform agricultural systems to make them more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive and, thus, strengthen food security for all Mexicans,” said Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT director general.
Within the framework of the awards ceremony, the winning projects were recognized in categories: researchers, producers, opinion leaders, and youth in the Mexican agricultural sector.
The winners of the 2023 edition of the Cargill–CIMMYT Award were –
- Andrés Mandujano Bueno in the researchers category, with the project “Algorithms to optimize the use of nitrogen fertilizer.”
- Carlos Barragán GarcĂa in the producers category, with the project “Family agriculture and agribusiness.”
- Arturo Javier Ortiz GarcĂa in the opinion leaders category, with the project “Agricultural Islands.”
- Eduardo Cruz Rojo in the youth category, with the projects “New production methods for the Mezquital Valley area.”
In this edition, projects were assessed by a jury and a committee of experts from the agricultural and food sector, who had the responsibility of determining the winners. Projects for each category were assessed with specific criteria:
- Producers of basic grain production systems such as maize, wheat, barley, and sorghum.
- Scientists and researchers in agronomy, genetics, improvement of maize, wheat, barley, or sorghum, and information and telecommunications technologies applied to the agrifood sector.
- Leaders of associations of producers, technicians, and communication professionals who work in the agrifood sector in Mexico.
- Youth who have carried out outstanding activities in the sustainable agricultural sector in Mexico, have implemented a pilot program in their community, or have contributed to agricultural technological innovation.
About Cargill
Cargill is committed to supplying food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world safely, responsibly, and sustainably. Located at the center of the supply chain, we collaborate with farmers and customers to source, manufacture, and supply products vital to life.
Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with the essentials so that businesses grow, communities thrive, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family business, we look to the future while staying true to our values. We prioritize people. We aim for excellence. We do the right thing, today, and for future generations. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
 About CIMMYT
CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security and improving natural resources.
For more information, visit cimmyt.org.
Read the original article in Spanish.
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