News Overview

By Yunyi Zhou, Wei Zhang, and Kevin Chen April 30, 2025 Reconciling and harmonizing rural development, food security, equity and social inclusion, and conservation remains challenging for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as they work toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. Payment for environmental services (PES) offers a promising, market-based approach to these challenges, helping to encourage ecosystem service (ES) provision

Globally, food systems are failing to provide sustainable healthy diets for all. Several paths towards food systems transformation have been identified. What remains unclear, however, is what transformative capacities are needed to support stakeholders in implementing effective changes that promote healthier and more sustainable food systems.  From 2022 to 2024, the CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food

For over six decades, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been at the forefront of rice science, driving global advancements and shaping the future of rice production. To this day, IRRI’s work continues to redefine what’s possible in agricultural innovation. As we celebrate 65 years of impact, let’s look back at how IRRI’s pioneering efforts have transformed the

A recent speaking engagement at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was another international achievement for Alliance Scientist Michael Selvaraj, his lab, and his global collaborators. His experiences show how scientists can push past their ‘comfort zones’ to diversify partnerships and funding opportunities as traditional support networks reel under abrupt changes. In 2023, The New York

By Agnes Quisumbing, Jordan Kyle, Katrina Kosec, and Catherine Ragasa April 25, 2025 Research shows that women play pivotal roles in farming—across value chains, and in food systems as a whole. With harmful effects of climate change, conflict, forced migration, and other problems on the rise, many women around the world find themselves in increasingly fragile settings—creating new challenges in efforts to achieve

Con un llamado a la inversión en las ciencias agrícolas, Ruben Echeverría, Director General del CIAT, abrió la IX Conferencia de la Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Biotecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal (REDBIO), que se desarrolló en Lima, Perú. “Hace 20 años la agricultura estaba en duda. Hoy hay apoyo, pero ojalá regrese también la inversión a las ciencias agrícolas.

A women fills a water vessel from a underground rainwater harvesting tank in the Thar Desert near Phalodi, India. Photo Credit: Dieter Telemans/Panos Pictures IPRI Blog By Agnes Quisumbing, Jordan Kyle, Katrina Kosec, and Catherine Ragasa Research shows that women play pivotal roles in farming—across value chains, and in food systems as a whole. With harmful effects of climate change, conflict, forced migration, and

In an era marked by mounting crises—climate extremes, deepening inequality, and growing food insecurity—it can be difficult to hold on to optimism. But optimism, as Dr. Ismahane Elouafi reminds us, isn’t the absence of hardship. It is the courage to face obstacles and challenges head-on, armed with science, systems thinking, the power of collaboration, and hope.  Named to TIME100’s list