News Overview

World’s largest agricultural research partnership seeks to increase funding to $2 billion annually to support global innovation in the pandemic recovery. “If managed and governed differently, food systems could be a lever of global change, at the vanguard of sustainable living for all, leading other sectors with solutions and inspiration.” CGIAR, the largest publicly-funded agricultural research partnership in the world,

Governments and foundations investing in CGIAR are seeing extraordinary value for money, according to a recent international report. The investment has generated a 10 to 1 return, and breeding science is highlighted as a major contributor. Commissioned by the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation, the report entitled The Payoff to Investing in CGIAR Research calls agricultural research “slow magic.” With returns

Vaccination efforts across the globe encourage hope of an imminent end to the COVID-19 health crisis. But the food security crisis that the pandemic has deepened cannot be alleviated quickly and will require lasting solutions. Well-adapted and nutrient-dense crops like millet, sorghum, groundnut, chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and common bean, collectively called dryland cereals and legumes, are like a vaccine of

Vaccination efforts across the globe encourage hope of an imminent end to the COVID-19 health crisis. But the food security crisis that the pandemic has deepened cannot be alleviated quickly and will require lasting solutions. Well-adapted and nutrient-dense crops like millet, sorghum, groundnut, chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and common bean, collectively called dryland cereals and legumes, are like a vaccine of sorts for hunger and under-nutrition. This

A perspective from the  RTB Seed Systems Community of Practice The promise is that growing improved varieties will end hunger, improve nutrition and strengthen livelihoods. However, in sub-Saharan Africa farmer adoption of improved varieties of vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) and small grains and legumes is stuck at around 40%.  And the average age of a variety in a farmer’s field

Nafees Meah and Sheetal Sharma Global food production is required to increase between 50–70% by 2050 driven by population growth,, income growth, and change in diets. However, global warming is already having a profound effect on food production around the world and in the global south in particular. With warmer temperatures have come increased frequency of droughts and floods,

Looking ahead, food system researchers and national governments around the world are concerned about achieving Sustainable Development Goal #2 – Zero Hunger – by 2030. Moreover, they are apprehensive about our ability to achieve this goal without increasing agriculture’s impact on the environment.   Improved crop breeding and seed delivery are two innovations that herald great promise for solving this challenge. This morning, in a virtual panel… The post Crops to End

Adaptation investments urgently needed for agriculture-dependent regions like Africa that have done the least to cause the climate crisis but suffer the most. Glasgow, UK (November 2, 2021) – Facing mounting evidence that climate change will fall hardest on agriculture-dependent regions like sub-Saharan Africa, a coalition of funders at the United Nations climate summit pledged $575 million today to deliver climate-smart solutions to