News Overview

By Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, Geeta Sethi, and Johan Swinnen June 30, 2025 Transforming food systems requires more than technological innovation and policy reforms—it calls for bold and strategic investments. This is the first post in a special blog series, Financing Food Systems Transformation, that explores the scale and scope of financing needed to support this transition. It examines current funding flows, identifies gaps, and highlights

Could the future of dryland agriculture emerge along the shores of the Red Sea? From June 10–12, 2025, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT participated in Djibouti’s first-ever National Agri-Business Forum, bringing together decision-makers, researchers, donors, and the private sector. In a country facing extreme climatic conditions but committed to innovation, the Alliance showcased its expertise in Climate-Smart

As Rwanda continues efforts towards eradicating malnutrition, the bean crop continues to be a symbol of national resilience and agricultural innovation. Beans, widely produced by Rwandan farmers and deeply ingrained in local household diets, are now central to a revitalized collaboration between the Government of Rwanda and the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA). This enduring and impactful partnership gained

Explicit mentions of climate security have been removed or weakened in recent UN mandates. For example, in Somalia’s recent UN transition mission mandate, signaling a possible deprioritization of long-term resilience-building measures. This trend may compromise efforts to address root causes of conflict, leaving missions ill-prepared to handle future conflicts triggered by climate change. We highlighted this concern in our paper,

Press Release – June 30, 2025 A new study by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) finds that if Sudan’s conflict continues through the end of 2025, the country could face catastrophic economic losses, widespread unemployment, and a dramatic rise in poverty, with women and rural populations hit hardest. Published in The Journal of Development Studies, the paper uses

By Maria DiGiovanni, James Warner, and Serge Mugabo June 30, 2025 Successes from evidence-informed investments for agriculture-led development.

By Alan de Brauw June 26, 2025 Improving diets is a key element of food systems transformation, which in turn depends on the availability and affordability of nutritious foods. Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a crucial role in providing both food and employment in many low-income countries—making them a key target for food systems transformation policies. Making such

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are emerging as powerful drivers of food systems transformation in Uganda. Through digital innovation, these enterprises are addressing persistent bottlenecks in agricultural value chains, making it easier for farmers to access quality inputs, receive expert advice, and deliver nutritious foods to markets efficiently. (see the EzyAgric example). A 2022 scoping study by the Alliance of