News Overview

A new practical guide developed by the Centre National de Semences Forestières (CNSF) in partnership with CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes (MFL) has been released to support native tree regeneration in the Sahel and Sudanian zones of West Africa. The guide compiles over four decades of research on breaking seed dormancy and improving germination of indigenous tree species, providing practical pretreatment methods such as soaking, scarification, and boiling water treatment.

Cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential for ensuring food security over the long run. Climate impacts such as rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather will limit the agricultural production needed to feed a growing global population.

When Amit Joarder walks along the edge of his ponds in southern Bangladesh, he sees the difference.

As global food systems face escalating pressures from climate change, economic instability, and demographic shifts, the need for systemic transformation has become increasingly urgent. These dynamics framed high-level discussions at the Africa Exchange Kenya launch of the EAT–Lancet Commission 2.0 Report, where stakeholders examined pathways towards sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems in Africa.

In the early 1600s, the German polymath Johannes Kepler studied years of astronomical observations and discovered that planets move in ellipses. But Kepler had no idea why planets moved that way. He had found a pattern in the data. A few decades later, Isaac Newton identified the mechanism underlying Kepler’s laws of planetary motion—gravity.

Landmark decision recognizes non-GMO status of gene-edited banana. 12 May 2026 - Nairobi, Kenya: A quiet but significant shift in Kenya’s agricultural landscape is opening new opportunities and doors for innovation and renewed hope for banana farmers affected by bacterial wilt disease.

The Italian headquarters of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM Bari) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Alliance) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in advancing food security, nutrition, and sustainable agri-food systems.

In 2014, the beginning fit in the palm of a hand. Five grams of durum wheat seed, the weight of a few paperclips, poured into a small packet after a visit to the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute genebank. Starting from five grams poses a multiplication problem. Seed has to become more seed before it can become bread. That meant seasons of restraint, the kind that isn’t romantic when the hungry months arrive and the grain store starts to echo.