Cairo, 9 March 2026 — The AgriTech4Egypt: Technological Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector in Egypt is a flagship Egypt–Italy initiative designed to accelerate the translation of research products into market-ready agritech solutions across Egypt’s agricultural and food sector.
To mark of International Women’s Day, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT highlights the work of women crop breeders and agronomists who lead and advance agricultural research and development. Their work is essential to addressing current food security challenges and advancing toward more resilient and sustainable production systems.
Since 2016, Afriseed, led by Grace Mhango in Malawi, has built a regional bean seed system with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT through PABRA, empowering women and youth farmers while supplying high-quality seed to southern African markets.
In a move set to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops for some of the world’s most vulnerable farming regions, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, have launched a strategic partnership to deploy advanced Predictive Breeding technologies across dryland crop breeding programs in Asia and Africa.
Launched in March 2026, this partnership unites science, innovation, and local expertise to strengthen food systems, improve livelihoods, and scale climate-resilient solutions across southern Madagascar.
The sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-6), held from 16–19 February under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), marked an important milestone in the lead-up to COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, under the theme “Taking Action for Nature.” SBI plays a critical role in reviewing progress, strengthening implementation, and addressing the operational dimensions of the Convention and its Protocols.
Crop insurance can help smallholder farmers in Africa and elsewhere manage climate risk and stabilize livelihoods in the face of droughts and extreme weather. · Although insurance has evolved to become more affordable, further innovation is needed to ensure high-quality products that cover farmers’ needs. · Scaling coverage requires better product design, farmer education, and links to credit and inputs and in some cases smart subsidies.
In Uganda’s bean-growing districts, the ECREA project is strengthening climate services by connecting meteorologists, researchers, extension agents and media to deliver localized advisories that help farmers make informed decisions.