News Overview

BY HONOR DEARLOVE The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges to publicly-funded food and agricultural research institutions, as government deficits and weakening economies threaten their traditional funding. A Feb. 2 IFPRI virtual policy seminar explored the ways that these organizations can move forward in a changed landscape, as well as the new opportunities that COVID-19 has created for realizing positive transformation in food

A whopping 49% increase in cropping area, 153 % increase in production and 68 % increase in productivity since 2000 – these numbers show the phenomenal expansion of pigeonpea in Malawi sparked by wilt-resistant medium-duration varieties developed by ICRISAT scientists. The new varieties provided a sustainable solution to farmers affected by the dwindling ‘Chiperoni’ rains in Southern Malawi, a traditional pigeonpea growing

If millets are regaining their lost place in Indian menus, considered as top contenders for biofuel production and validated as nutritious fodder for cattle, the partnership with the ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research since ICRISAT’s inception in 1972 has played a significant role. The many milestones that the institutes had achieved together were shared at the 6th Foundation Day celebrations. Introducing the chief

Fresh pod beans are becoming a popular source of protein among urban dwellers in Uganda. They are considered highly nutritious and cook faster compared to dry beans. Depending on the variety planted, the expected yield is between 100 -150 bags per season from a two-acre piece of land. Large scale fresh bean growing takes place in Central Uganda with NABE

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) will deliver two ULT freezers to the Mayor’s office of Palmira, Colombia, to support the process of storage of the COVID-19 vaccine, provided for in the Departmental Strategic Vaccination Plan according to the guidelines of the Government of Colombia in the National Vaccination Plan.These latest generation appliances,

A perspective from the  RTB Seed Systems Community of Practice The promise is that growing improved varieties will end hunger, improve nutrition and strengthen livelihoods. However, in sub-Saharan Africa farmer adoption of improved varieties of vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) and small grains and legumes is stuck at around 40%.  And the average age of a variety in a farmer’s field

Climate change effects on agricultural yields will be uneven over the world. A few countries, mostly in high latitudes, may experience gains, while most will see average yield decrease. A new PIM-supported paper, “The crucial role of domestic and international market-mediated adaptation to climate change” by Christophe Gouel and David Laborde estimates how climate change in the agricultural sector will

Climate change is going to force us to consider entirely new needs. We need to get to zero emissions, and we’re going to need a lot of innovation to do it. But innovation doesn’t happen overnight, and it will take decades for green products to reach a big enough scale to make a significant difference. From what I’ve seen, no other