Health and nutrition
Achieving widespread food and nutritional security for the world’s poorest people is more complex than simply boosting production. Biofortification of maize and wheat helps increase the vitamins and minerals in these key crops. CIMMYT helps families grow and eat provitamin A enriched maize, zinc-enhanced maize and wheat varieties, and quality protein maize. CIMMYT also works on improving food health and safety, by reducing mycotoxin levels in the global food chain. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that colonize in food crops, and cause health problems or even death in humans or animals. Worldwide, CIMMYT helps train food processors to reduce fungal contamination in maize, and promotes affordable technologies and training to detect mycotoxins and reduce exposure.
Millions at lower risk of vitamin A deficiency after six-year campaign to promote orange-fleshed sweet potato
More than two million households across six countries received sweet potato enriched with vitamin A as part of a project led by the International Potato Center (CIP).
The recipe for better food systems
An economist, an agronomist and a plant biologist discuss how to mix markets, research and nutrition for optimal health and sustainability.
Top shelf: Who has access to the healthiest processed foods?
As processed food products gain popularity in Mexico City, researchers are keen to understand variation in access to healthier maize- and wheat-based foods across differences in purchasing power.
Sustainable tradition
Transition to sustainable farming using concepts from ancestral food production systems leads to healthier soils and diets in Mexico.
Biofortified maize and wheat can improve diets and health, new study shows
New varieties deliver essential micronutrients to those who lack diverse diets.
Sustaining the production and demand of Quality Protein Maize in Ethiopia
As the Nutritious Maize for Ethiopia (NuME) project comes to an end, partners draw plans to extend its impact.
To protect the world’s pasta, scientists peered inside fettuccine’s DNA
Source: Popular Science (8 Apr 2019)
CIMMYT wheat breeder Karim Ammar and collaborators are sequencing different strains of durum wheat to compare properties.
Cobs & Spikes podcast: Striving for higher quality, more nutritious maize
Feeding the world’s population is only part of the challenge — we must also strive for higher-quality, more nutritious crops.
Fighting hidden hunger with agricultural innovation
On World Health Day, we are sharing five stories showing how CIMMYT is combatting hidden hunger and how agricultural research and innovation leads to healthier families, improved livelihoods and a healthier planet.
New publications: Biofortification of maize with provitamin A can reduce aflatoxin load
This research is especially significant for countries where the health burdens of exposure to aflatoxin and prevalence of vitamin A deficiency converge with high rates of maize consumption.
Farmers key to realizing EAT-Lancet report recommendations in Mexico, CIMMYT highlights
CIMMYT was invited to discuss the findings of the EAT-Lancet Commission report and its implications for Mexico.
Experts analyze food systems at EAT-Lancet Commission report launch in Ethiopia
Government officials, researchers and experts developed a list of recommendations going forward.
City dwellers in Africa and Asia increasingly choose wheat, research shows
The developing world’s appetite for wheat is growing swiftly, driven in part by rising incomes, rapid urbanization and the expansion of families where both spouses work outside the house.