News Overview

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Cassava Compact, led by IITA-CGIAR, has partnered with ENABLE-TAAT to strengthen private sector participation in cassava value chains across Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The collaboration aims to promote the adoption of proven TAAT technologies that enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost agribusiness profitability. In September 2025, the ENABLE

Agriculture production in Liberia faced a major challenge, i.e., limited access to high-quality seeds of important African food crops, including soybeans. Most farmers relied on informal seed networks for the next production season. These networks are crucial for agricultural continuity among farmers, who often lack the technical skills required to determine seed quality. As a result, yields have been low,

Cali, Colombia, October 23, 2025: The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has been selected as one of 15 global teams awarded funding through the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, receiving up to $2 million USD to scale artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges — ranging from biodiversity loss, food

How can we ensure that the improved, climate-resilient varieties developed by CGIAR and partners reach the smallholder farmers who need them most? This question lies at the heart of CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow’s Inclusive Delivery (formerly Seed Equal). We sat down with Christopher Ojiewo, Inclusive Delivery Lead, to unpack what ‘inclusive delivery’ means and how it can transform smallholder livelihoods. 

When the rain finally came to her village in Tanzania, Mariam didn’t just plant her usual variety of beans. That season, she tried three different ones – side by side, on her own land. By harvest, one plot clearly stood out: better yield, stronger against disease, and with good taste and marketability. Mariam didn’t learn this from a lab or

The projects will study the scaling of soil moisture retention practices for smallholder farmers in rainfed agri-food systems. With the increased severity of dry spells, increasing the moisture holding capacity of the soil works as a buffer against agricultural production losses. The research focuses specifically on socio-economic and governance aspects of scaling soil water retention practices. The research projects take

By Amy Margolies October 24, 2025 The generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) revolution is not just digital—it is also physical. Data center complexes are expanding globally to meet rapidly increasing computing and data storage demands of generative AI (Figure 1). The extent of AI’s immense energy requirements is still largely unknown, but estimates indicate that by 2026, data centers could consume over 1,000 terawatt-hours

The climate crisis is reshaping the way we live, work, and produce our food. Its consequences extend far beyond rising temperatures thus threatening food security, health, biodiversity, and livelihoods, and demand solutions that bridge sectors and communities. Yet amidst these challenges, a quiet revolution is underway: farmers, local governments, researchers, and communities are finding ways to turn ambition into