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.
‘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.
Breaking Ground: Velu Govindan is mainstreaming zinc to combat hidden hunger
CIMMYT wheat breeder supports smallholder farmers without access to a diversified diet by improving nutritional quality in wheat.
Sharp rise in Punjab-Haryana farm fires ahead of Diwali
Source: Times of India (21 Oct 2019)
CIMMYT Principal Scientist M.L. Jat notes high number of happy seeders in Haryana and Punjab.
Blue maize is all the rage, but are consumers willing to pay?
Study gives insight into Mexican consumers’ preferences and demand for blue maize tortillas.
Delhi Air Quality Descends to ‘Very Poor’, Worst Yet to Come
Source: The Wire (17 Oct 2019)
Balwinder Singh warns that air pollution in India could be severe due to burning crop residue.
Ten things you should know about maize and wheat
Can you imagine a world without maize and wheat? We can’t!
Delhi: Little impact of farm fires, but that could change; late harvest likely to cause spike
Source: Times of India (13 Oct 2019)
M.L. Jat, CIMMYT principal scientist, is tracking farm fires in India, noting fewer fires than in previous years.
Spurt in stubble burning in Pakistan raises heat in Punjab
Source: Hindustan Times (11 Oct 2019)
CIMMYT and Cornell study states the health risks of pollution caused by stubble burning.
October is World Food Prize month at William Penn University
Source: Oskaloosa Herald (30 Sep 2019)
This year’s speaker is Bram Govaerts, the global Director Innovative Business Strategies at CIMMYT.