HarvestPlus and its CGIAR crop breeding partners are constantly innovating and embracing new technologies to accelerate and refine the process of breeding nutrient-enriched crops for vulnerable farming communities across the world. One such innovation is the adaptation and promotion of the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine, which is commonly used in the mining industry, for high-throughput screening of the mineral content
Exchanging data across borders in transboundary basins is key to averting disasters, managing risks, avoiding conflict and enabling effective water management. Examples abound of both the benefits of data sharing and the adverse impacts of failing to exchange data. Data exchange between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, for example, has improved flood forecasting in the Pungwe basin of Southern Africa, and in
In a world where the well-being of 3.2 billion people is undermined by the degradation of land and ecosystems according to United Nations’ estimates, scientists have increased effort towards finding sustainable fixes. The situation is most difficult in countries like Ethiopia, which is under immense pressure from a rapidly growing population, increasingly frequent droughts, widespread poverty and lack of alternative employment opportunities.
Smallholder farming produces 50% of the world’s food and holds great promise for strengthening global food systems and improving livelihoods in the poorest countries. But climate change impacts are increasing the precarity of this occupation, exacerbating many challenges to agriculture, including the spread of crop pests and disease. As the world shifts to address the many questions posed by climate change, researchers are focused on improving agriculture to anticipate… The post Pest management requires
As the magnitude, intensity, and frequency of weather extremes increases uncertainty and risks to livelihoods in developing countries, substantial research has been developed on the detrimental effects of weather shocks on the poor and vulnerable facing acute food insecurity. At the same time, empirical evidence on gender-specific impacts of such shocks on labor use in agriculture remains limited, although more studies focus on gender-differentiated experiences and
To unlock the potential of youth in agriculture, we need targeted, inclusive interventions that appeal to specific and diverse groups of youth, especially female and differently-abled youth. Towards this goal, customized training sessions for young women, and hearing-impaired youth from the Wa School for the Deaf were conducted in Ghana recently, focusing on behavior change communication that incentivizes choice of
Gender parity cannot be achieved by putting the onus of it on one gender; joint efforts by everyone are needed to create a safe, equitable and nurturing working climate for all. Our female colleagues across levels and regions came together to exchange personal experiences and give inputs for solutions to some of the issues, on the occasion of International Women’s
The key to transforming food production systems globally lies in knowledge management processes, according to a team of researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The challenge is to combine traditional knowledge with state-of-the-art scientific research: to meet regional needs for improvement in farming systems with knowledge networks fostering innovative practices and technologies that increase yields and