Nutrition, health and food security
As staple foods, maize and wheat provide vital nutrients and health benefits, making up close to two-thirds of the world’s food energy intake, and contributing 55 to 70 percent of the total calories in the diets of people living in developing countries, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. CIMMYT scientists tackle food insecurity through improved nutrient-rich, high-yielding varieties and sustainable agronomic practices, ensuring that those who most depend on agriculture have enough to make a living and feed their families. The U.N. projects that the global population will increase to more than 9 billion people by 2050, which means that the successes and failures of wheat and maize farmers will continue to have a crucial impact on food security. Findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which show heat waves could occur more often and mean global surface temperatures could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius throughout the century, indicate that increasing yield alone will be insufficient to meet future demand for food.
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 for stress-tolerant maize is surging and CIMMYT’s varieties are meeting the moment
Seed companies and research institutions are lining up to commercialize CIMMYT’s climate-resilient maize, as more farmers seek solutions for food security and farm stability
Agreement between CREA (Italy) and CIMMYT (Mexico): development of wheat varieties that are more productive and resilient to climate change
CIMMYT and CREA unite to develop innovative, climate-resilient wheat varieties that strengthen global food security and empower sustainable agriculture from Mexico to the Mediterranean
CIMMYT and IFPRI launch joint research hub to Strengthen Global Food Security
CIMMYT opens Washington, D.C. office at IFPRI
Youth, innovation and climate-smart seeds driving Africa’s agri-tech growth
Source: CNBC Africa ()
CIMMYT DG Bram Govaerts shares how Africa’s youth and women use climate-smart seeds, innovation, and investment to drive resilient, job-creating food systems
Building Food Security in an Era of Uncertainty: CIMMYT launches the Agricultural Resilience for Conflict Prevention Initiative (ARC)
CIMMYT launches the Agricultural Resilience for Conflict Prevention Initiative (ARC) to harness agriculture for peace, resilience, and global food security
India can spark second Green Revolution with more agri R&D: CIMMYT chief
Source: Business Standard ()
CIMMYT’s DG Bram Govaerts says India can drive a second Green Revolution by investing in agricultural research and global partnerships as the farm sector faces new challenges
Brazil’s Top Agricultural Research Leaders Visit CIMMYT to Forge Game-Changing Partnership
CIMMYT welcomed a high-level delegation from Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), led by Dr. Silvia Maria Fonseca Silveira Massruha, President of Embrapa, alongside representatives from the Brazilian Embassy in Mexico
DialogueNEXT India: Farmers at the heart of resilient food systems
At DialogueNEXT India, CIMMYT emphasized that the future of food security begins with farmers, whose voices and innovations are driving the creation of resilient and sustainable food systems across the Global South
Tanveer meets Country Rep CIMMYT to boost wheat yields, food security
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan ()
Pakistan’s Minister for National Food Security and Research met with CIMMYT to strengthen collaboration on improved wheat varieties and innovative practices
Damania awarded Meyer Medal for conserving grain genetics
Source: UC Davis ()
Ardeshir Damania’s rescue of the world’s wheat seeds, now preserved at CIMMYT, safeguards biodiversity and strengthens global food security
Accelerating maize breeding: CIMMYT’s 2nd generation tropical haploid inducers reach 50 organizations in 18 countries
Discover how CIMMYT’s second generation tropically adapted haploid inducers are transforming hybrid maize breeding by cutting timelines and boosting efficiency
Building Resilience in Sudan: Sustain Sudan Project Launches with Strong Partner Commitments
The Sustain Sudan Project unites global partners to revive farming, support smallholder farmers, and build sustainable agrifood systems for lasting food security
Cultivating the Land with Deep Roots: Indigenous Peoples at the Center of Food Security
Across Mexico, Indigenous farmers are blending ancestral wisdom with modern innovations to boost food security, protect soils, and achieve food sovereignty — supported by CIMMYT’s expertise
Genetic analysis identifies key loci for traits and resistance in Qinghai plateau wheat F2 populations
Source: Nature ()
CIMMYT germplasm combined with Qinghai Plateau wheat revealed 99 genetic loci for yield, stress tolerance, and stripe rust resistance, paving the way for marker-assisted breeding of resilient, high-altitude wheat
From Gene to Impact: Science and Partnerships to Transform Agriculture
CIMMYT hosted a field day at its Sanjaya Rajaram Experimental Station in Toluca, showcasing innovations in wheat disease resistance, climate resilience, and sustainable cereal production through strategic alliances in Mexico and worldwide