News Overview

By Ankita Tiwari  Across the Global South, countries face shared challenges, climate change, food insecurity, fragmented markets, and limited resources for research and innovation. Yet these nations also share a unique strength: a wealth of knowledge, diverse farming practices, and complementary innovations that, if exchanged and scaled, can transform agriculture and rural livelihoods. This is the promise of South–South cooperation,

On Sept 5, 2025, the Alliance won Malawi’s “Best Incubation and Capacity Building” award for its BA4Y project, which empowers youth startups and SMEs with funding, training, and mentorship to drive jobs and resilient businesses. When the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT won Malawi’s award for “Best Incubation and Capacity Building for Small and Medium Businesses” on September 5th,

Soil plays a critical role in ensuring food security, carbon sequestration, and preventing the pollution of water sources. Conservation strategies are becoming increasingly urgent to maintain these critical functions. Soils of the Amazon region present challenging conditions for agriculture, such as low fertility and high acidity. Despite this, Amazonian communities have relied for centuries on practices to sustain food production

During the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum 2025), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT formalized agreements with CORAF, Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Water and Forests, and Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture. These partnerships reflect a shared vision: building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems. More than signings, these collaborations open a horizon of scientific, technical, and political synergies

By Kate Ambler, Jeffrey Bloem, and Alan de Brauw September 12, 2025 Income growth and urbanization are driving changes in agrifood value chains in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), expanding business opportunities for individuals and firms involved in moving food from rural to urban areas. This value chain midstream is a promising entry point for efforts to expand digital finance, offering benefits not just to

As Southern Africa faces mounting climate pressures and food system vulnerabilities, Zambia is stepping forward with an ambitious plan to sustainably transform its livestock and aquaculture sectors. From July 3 to 4, 2025, key stakeholders convened at Twangale Resort in Lusaka for a co-design workshop under the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Science Program. The two-day event was a

Agriculture in Zambia is traditionally the preserve of the older generations. It is mostly seen as a last resort – vocation, an occupation one takes up only after retirement. However, experts are calling for a mindset shift towards an industry with untapped potential to deliver jobs, wealth, and development. At a recent engagement between Mukuba University and IITA-Zambia held at the

When PEMNIA WELLNESS products reach households in Nigeria today, from orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) flour in school meals to vitamin A-rich crisps in community shops, they carry the vision of one young woman who turned her curiosity into impact. Opeyemi Adebisi’s journey began in 2022 with a training on OFSP production and value addition organised by the ENABLE-TAAT program at IITA, Ibadan. “That