Efforts to promote the adoption of new and improved agricultural technologies often focus on increasing yields. This is for a good reason. There is a large and persistent gap in agricultural productivity between low-income countries, especially in Africa, and the rest of the world. For example, according to FAO Stat, maize yields in the United States reached 11.1 metric tons per hectare in
Participants Engaged in Hands-On Learning of Grafting Techniques/Photo- International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) On August 5, 2025, the CGIAR Food Frontiers and Security Program and the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), in partnership with the Quezon City Local Government Unit and the Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, conducted a Perennial
In the uplands of Vietnam, fields of cassava stretch toward the horizon. They are part of a farming tradition that feeds millions and powers one of the country’s most important export industries. Yet, these landscapes are also on the frontline of environmental change. Rain falls harder and less predictably. Soils lose their richness. Biodiversity thins. Farmers work the same
The first AGX Unconference, a dynamic, participant-driven event, convened in Nairobi during 23-24 July 2025. Hosted at ILRI Nairobi, the gathering brought together a diverse group of stakeholders – from small-scale farmers to fintech developers, researchers, cooperative leaders, and policymakers – all driven by one shared goal: making agriculture more efficient through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
A youth-led tech initiative designed to help coffee farmers meet complex European regulations has won the AGX Inspire Challenge just before a critical trade deadline. The AGX Inspire Challenge provides seed funding and technical support from CGIAR for the team to develop a proof of concept that addresses real-world challenges in agriculture. ASEL Agri’s “Youth Trace Force,” a project designed
By Abdul Haque, Sharif Ahmed, and Humnath Bhandari Photo 1: A youth local service provider (LSP) sows direct-seeded rice (DSR) using a two-wheel power tiller-operated seeder in Nilphamari, Bangladesh. Photo credit: Asad, IRRI Bangladesh’s economy heavily relies on agriculture, with a significant portion of the population directly and indirectly dependent on it for their livelihoods. Agriculture contributes approximately 11%
By Van Schepler-Luu & Myrtel Anne Valenzuela Rice diseases such as bacterial blight and blast are no strangers to farmers across Asia and Africa. Year after year, these fast-evolving threats reduce yields, undermine farmer livelihoods, and chip away at food security. However, scientists are staying one step ahead of these diseases through near-isogenic lines (NILs). Near-isogenic lines are highly specialized
Preventing child wasting is more urgent than ever before. Nearly 43 million children worldwide suffer from wasting at any given time, and severe wasting accounts for 20% of deaths among children under 5 years of age. This situation will likely worsen as conflicts and crises intensify poverty and food insecurity around the world. Research on how to address child wasting