In Uganda, a new grant-based model is empowering the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) to accelerate crop innovation by combining targeted funding, national ownership, and expert collaboration. Building on a long-standing partnership with CGIAR to modernize breeding for maize, beans, cassava, banana, and sweet potato, NARO leveraged this fast, flexible approach to deliver measurable results within just six months. Achievements include genotyping founder lines, improving breeding efficiency, conducting diversity analyses, expanding on-farm testing, integrating advanced breeding tools, and documenting farmer and consumer preferences. For maize, new NARO × CIMMYT hybrids were developed and key germplasm was screened at CIMMYT for resistance to maize lethal necrosis. This model has proven that directly resourcing national programs can deliver faster, more relevant, and scalable impacts—offering a blueprint for strengthening food security, climate resilience, and agricultural competitiveness.
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Climate adaptation and mitigation 
