News Overview

During CIMMYT’s Science and Innovation Week, held from February 24–27, Renee Lafitte, Crops Research and Development Director at the Gates Foundation, shared key principles on challenging the science to drive greater impact. She emphasized the importance of staying current with science and remaining relevant by focusing on impact. Lafitte highlighted three transformative areas shaping the future of crop improvement: network-based

Changing the Menu In this case study, researchers examined the meal program offered at Volunteers Foundation Academy, where students typically receive a daily lunch of ugali (maize porridge) with a side of sukuma wiki (kale) or beans. While filling, these meals often lack essential nutrients. Using the World Food Programme’s School Meal Planner (SMP) PLUS software, researchers identified five neglected

In the vibrant city of Kigali, a quiet yet impactful revolution is taking place in 150 schools across the Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge districts. The school feeding program has embraced a sustainable and innovative approach that is transforming the way nutrition is delivered to students. Teachers and students from these schools are actively involved in cultivating high-iron beans, a key

As part of the Colombia Agroalimentaria Sostenible project, on March 7, the city of Pereira hosted an important workshop on capacity building for agroclimatic information management. This initiative brought together 10 rural youth, 10 representatives of women’s organizations, and 16 representatives of local organizations, coming from 26 municipalities across 14 departments in the country. This workshop marked the beginning of a

Aflatoxin contamination remains a significant challenge for food safety, human health, and livestock, with potentially fatal consequences. To address this issue, ICRISAT, with support from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, held a two-week training program to equip professionals from the Global South with the skills to tackle it. Aflatoxins are widespread, affecting various food crops, including cereals,

By Jill Cairns, physiologist, CIMMYT, and Maureen Miruka GEYSI Director, CIMMYT  In Zimbabwe, CGIAR, through CIMMYT, runs a maize breeding program to strengthen food security and livelihoods in a country where maize is a staple crop. The program spans diverse testing plots – managed exclusively by men, women, or both – providing crucial insights into real-world farm dynamics. A significant

Hanna Ewell (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT), Pothuri Dharmendra (HarvestPlus Solutions), Marielle Karssenberg (Netherlands Food Partnership), Eliud Birachi (Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT), and Jane Kamau (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) (photo credit: CGIAR).  “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” On a warm and sunny Tuesday morning last December, some 200 thought leaders, practitioners, and funders

Warming up together on the first day of Scaling Week 2024 in Nairobi in a big opening circle (Photo credit: CGIAR). An uber-friendly “unconference” was designed as much for human experience as for scientific and practical understanding of scaling innovations.  In early December 2024, some 200 people gathered in a very large white tent erected on a front lawn on