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.
One-minute science: Trent Blare and blue maize products
Consumers near Mexico City perceived blue maize tortillas to taste better. They were willing to pay up to a third more to buy them for special family events or to consume them in restaurants.
Biofortified Crop Project Reaches Refugees in Zambia
Source: Inter Press Service (27 Feb 2020)
Refugees receive technical assistance, nutrition education and training on growing biofortified maize.
Advancing Nutritious Food Crops: The Role of the Public Sector
Source: Outlook India (25 Feb 2020)
Harvest Plus supports cross-sector alliances to advance biofortified crops in India.
Include small indigenous production systems to improve rural livelihoods
New research recommends targeted assistance and engagement with small farmers in rural Guatemala to improve livelihoods and reduce migration pressures.
One-minute science: Carolina Rivera explains wheat physiology
Growing the right wheat varieties is necessary to nutritiously feed a growing population in the context of environmental stress.
‘Demand has skyrocketed’: Mexicans are willing to pay a premium for blue corn
Source: Food Navigator LATAM (5 Dec 2019)
CIMMYT study in Mexico shows consumers are willing to pay higher prices for blue maize tortillas.
Preventing post-harvest losses key to food security
Source: Zambia Daily Mail (26 Nov 2019)
Poor post harvest management is one of the key constraints to improving food and nutritional security in Africa.
Zimbabwe: Farmer Combats ‘Hidden Hunger’. . . Grows Biofortified Crops
Source: All Africa (26 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT and Harvest Plus have been breeding biofortified crop varieties of vitamin A orange maize since 2015.
Healthy diets feature both whole- and refined-grain foods, new study shows
Review indicates positive health impacts from diverse diets that include not more than 50% carbohydrates and the right mix of grain-based foods.
Kenya: Maize contamination
Source: France 24 (19 Nov 2019)
B.M. Prasanna, Director of CIMMYT’s Global Maize Program, speaks on CIMMYT’s work to help farmers in the context of the aflatoxin crisis in Kenya.
How Haryana cut stubble burning this season
Source: Down to Earth (13 Nov 2019)
The state of Haryana has supplied machines like the Happy Seeder to farmers, who saw costs drop and yields increase this year.
India pollution: How a farming revolution could solve stubble burning
Source: Deustche Welle (8 Nov 2019)
CIMMYT scientist M.L. Jat argues that India now needs to undergo a second, “evergreen” revolution, driven by technology such as the happy seeder.