CGIAR has a rich history of crop breeding results, but modern challenges abound. Too many farmers are still using out-of-date varieties. Climate change is risking crop productivity. And populations in Africa and Asia need more nutritious food now. But we’ve seen a year of major progress under the new One CGIAR structure. The Accelerated Breeding Initiative (ABI) and Excellence in Breeding (EiB)
Humanity’s future is intertwined with the earth’s plants. We need plants for livelihoods, for medicines, for manufacturing, for services such as recycling carbon dioxide. And most vitally, we need them to feed our growing populations. But climate change and population growth are making crops increasingly precarious for smallholder farmers in the developing world – and for the people they feed.
Africa’s agricultural research institutes are on a clearer path to developing and delivering more and better nutrient-rich, climate-resilient crops through strengthened partnerships with CGIAR. Enhanced collaboration on crop breeding strategies and technologies is a major step towards developing varieties demanded by farmers and consumers. On June 27–28, 2022, senior leaders from over a dozen National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems