Climate adaptation and mitigation
Climate change threatens to reduce global crop production, and poor people in tropical environments will be hit the hardest. More than 90% of CIMMYT’s work relates to climate change, helping farmers adapt to shocks while producing more food, and reduce emissions where possible. Innovations include new maize and wheat varieties that withstand drought, heat and pests; conservation agriculture; farming methods that save water and reduce the need for fertilizer; climate information services; and index-based insurance for farmers whose crops are damaged by bad weather. CIMMYT is an important contributor to the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.
New drought monitoring system will reduce climate risks for South Asian farmers
After Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan, the Regional Drought Monitoring and Outlook System extends its coverage to Bangladesh.
Warmer night temperatures reduce wheat yields in Mexico, scientists say
International gathering highlights cutting edge efforts to improve yields, nutrition, and climate change resilience of a globally vital staple food.
Alternatives to burning can increase Indian farmers’ profits and cut pollution, new study shows
Published in Science, the article provides evidence for national policies that block stubble burning and promote no-till mechanization to manage crop residues.
CIMMYT and CGIAR staff join Ethiopia’s record-breaking tree-planting campaign
People across the country planted more than 350 million trees in a day to fight deforestation and climate change.
Strengthening wheat production in Africa
Source: Sci Dev Net (31 Jul 2019)
CIMMYT scientists stress the importance of increasing wheat yield and tolerance to drought for a food secure Africa.
Innovation rush aims to help farmers, rich and poor, beat climate change
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation (29 Jul 2019)
CIMMYT is working with partners to breed wheat that better copes with heat, to help farmers around the world.
The new challenges of wheat improvement
In an interview for BBC Newsday, CIMMYT senior scientist Velu Govindan spoke of today’s challenges for wheat breeders.
Int’l Wheat Congress: Bangladesh’s success sung in Saskatoon
Source: Dhaka Tribune (24 Jul 2019)
With CIMMYT support, Bangladesh developed blast resistant wheat in the quickest possible time.
India honors CIMMYT climate-smart farming expert
M.L. Jat received the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for outstanding and impact-oriented research contributions in natural resource management and agricultural engineering.
More with less: Research for intensified food production with scarcer resources and heating climates
How plant breeding helps to feed the world.
Groundwater, the unexpected villain in India’s air pollution crisis
Source: The Telegraph (15 Jul 2019)
CIMMYT study reveals water conservation policies by the regional governments of Haryana and Punjab aggravate air pollution.
Inequality, agriculture and climate change: From a vicious to a virtuous circle
A transformation is urgently needed in the world’s food system to make it more resilient to climate change and to reduce its emissions, explains the Executive Director of the CGIAR System Organization in an op-ed.
Ethiopian farmers weatherproof their livelihoods
Farmers boost their climate resilience and make money as they phase out a 25-year-old maize variety and replace it with drought-tolerant BH661 seeds.
Bill Gates highlights impact of CIMMYT’s drought-tolerant maize
In a blog post and video, Gates highlights the “essential” role of CIMMYT and other CGIAR research centers in “feeding our future.”