CIMMYT Briefs

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/130150

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Introducing the non-rancidity trait into pearl millet seed : scenarios for achieving future impact in Kenya
(Brief, 2023) Muindi, Pauline; Khaemba, Colleta; Rutsaert, Pieter; Donovan, Jason A.; Bandyopadhyay, Anindya; Hearne, Sarah Jane
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and partners are working to apply CRISPR technology to achieve a step-change in pearl millet seed product design: altering fatty acid metabolism to achieve the non-rancidity trait to create grain that when milled into flour has extended shelf life. Kenya is a country where the regulatory environment permits the introduction of gene-edited seed products when derived from site directed nuclease 1 and 2 derived technologies. Market intelligence looked to shed light on the question, If such a seed product were available in Kenya, what would be the potential relevance for millet farming and value chains? This brief explores that question by examining the context in which millet is produced, processed, and sold and the associated expectations and requirements of farmers, consumers, and processors. Data were collected through interviews with millet farmers (n=35) and rural consumers (n=35), local processors (n=14), traders (n=3), and flour producers (n=6). Value chain actors reported rancidity as a problem, but it was not perceived to be a primary challenge. Rancidity was overshadowed by larger challenges related to lack of improved seeds of any type, low production volumes, and postharvest challenges. Achieving impact from millet seed products with extended shelf life rests on changing expectations about the commercial opportunities for millet flour (such as flour-blending policies) and building viable, high performing seed systems with new varieties that address farmers’ needs, such as high yield, drought tolerance, and bird resistance. This brief concludes with future scenarios on how non-rancidity millet could deliver impact at scale.
Mixed Farming System (MFS) Initiative in Ethiopia
(Brief, 2023-11-30) International Livestock Research Institute; Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
Mitigating the impact of El Niño on hunger in Malawi
(Brief, 2023-11-10) Anderson, Weston; Chiduwa, Mazvita; Weerdt, Joachim de; Diao, Xinshen; Duchoslav, Jan; Guo, Zhe; Kankwamba, Henry; Jamali, Andrew; Nagoli, Joseph; Thurlow, James; You, Liangzhi
El Niño is a phase in an irregular periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the Pacific Ocean. It occurs on average every 2 to 7 years and typically lasts between 9 months and 2 years. El Niño affects the global weather patterns, resulting in above-average precipitation in some places and droughts in others. Malawi and its neighbors typically experience drier than usual weather during El Niño, which often leads to poor growing conditions and below-average harvests.
Accelerated variety turnover for open-pollinated crops in Tanzania - Phase 1 Key Findings
(Brief, 2023-10-30) Ochieng, Justus; Rubyogo, Jean Claude; Birachi, Eliud Abucheli; Radegunda, Kessy; Masimane, Joy; Mbugua, Mercy; Odhiambo, Wilfred; Mutua, Mercy; Kitoto, Victor O.; Steinke, Jonathan; Munguatosha, Ngomuo; Daudi, Happy; Shida, Nestory; Mwenda, Emmanuel; Mbiu, Julius; Ndunguru, Agness; Kibaraza, Areth; Marenya, Paswel Phiri; Rutsaert, Pieter; Etten, Jacob van; Kalemera, Sylvia; Kasubiri, Fadhili Salum; Ojiewo, Christopher Ochieng
Open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), such as beans, sorghum, and groundnuts, are important for increased income, job creation, food security, and nutrition of both urban and rural households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the main constraint is underdeveloped seed systems, which contribute substantially to dwindling productivity among small-scale farmers due to limited access to reliable and quality planting materials. ACCELERATE is expected to accelerate varietal adoption and turnover in Tanzania by tapping into the power of large/small-scale or marketplace traders, and institutional seed buyers.
El Niño impacts in the Inkomati-Usuthu catchment
(Brief, 2023-08-28) Montes, Carlo
Near normal but increasing temperature anomalies are predicted for the Inkomati-Usuthu catchment from August 2023 to January 2024. Predicted near-normal rainfall anomalies turn negative as summer 2023/34 approaches in the catchment. A reduction in rainfall, higher than normal temperatures and evaporative demand, along with drought conditions induced by the 2023 El Niño event can be expected for the Inkomati-Usuthu catchment from January to March 2024 and likely until the next wet season.
Maize farmers acquire early maturity seed across production environments
(Brief, 2023) Rutsaert, Pieter; Donovan, Jason A.; Willwerth, Hanna S.; Nabwile, Colleta; Michelson, Hope C.; Muthee, John
The primary factor used by CIMMYT to distinguish seed product market segments for maize in East Africa is the production environment (i.e., where the crop is grown). For each environment, it was assumed that farmers used the maturity level suited for that environment. The largest segment, according to estimated area under cultivation is wet lower midaltitude, intermediate maturity, followed by wet upper midaltitude, late maturity; highlands, late to very-late maturity; and dry midaltitude, early maturity. This brief explores to what extent the maturity level of seed products purchased by farmers matches the production environment where they are sold. We collected a panel of maize-seed sales data from 722 agrodealers in Kenya during two short-rains seasons and three long-rains seasons in 2020–2022. These agrodealers were located across all four maize production environments. Results showed strong sales of early-maturity products across the production environments, especially during the short-rains season. The results suggest an opportunity for increased breeding investments in short-maturity maize seed products.
Raising aspirations is one way of empowering women in agriculture
(Brief, 2023-06-21) Nandi, R.
El Niño impacts in the Inkomati catchment
(Brief, 2023-07-11) Montes, Carlo
Near normal temperatures are predicted for the Inkomati catchment from July to December 2023. Near normal rainfall amounts are predicted for the Inkomati catchment from July to December 2023. A reduction in rainfall, higher than usual temperatures and evaporative demand. Drought conditions induced by the 2023 strong El Niño event are expected for the Inkomati catchment from January to March 2024 and likely until the next wet season.
Towards a low-emission agrifood sector in the People’s Republic of China
(Brief, 2023-05-31) Xiong, W.; Zhang, Y.; Song, Ziqian; Chen, Kevin Z.
El Niño impacts in the Limpopo River Basin
(Brief, 2023-06-26) Montes, Carlo
Higher-than-average temperatures are predicted for the Limpopo Basin from June to November 2023. A delay in the onset of the rainy season in November is predicted. A reduction in rainfall and higher temperatures induced by the 2023 strong El Niño event are expected for the Limpopo Basin from January to March 2024. Historic data suggests a negative impact of El Niño on maize yields of the following season in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Impact of information on demand for safe food
(Brief, 2023-03-29) Hoffmann, Vivian; Kariuki, Sarah; Murphy, Mike; Ndisio, Boaz; Ochenje, Ibrahim; Okoth, Sheila
Problems caused by eating unsafe food are a major health issue in many countries. Contamination by bacteria or toxins can cause these health risks, particularly for young children whose bodies are still developing. It can be difficult to know which foods are risky because you usually cannot tell by looking if food is contaminated. The goal of this research was to see whether giving consumers in Kenya information about one of these contamination risks would make them choose to purchase different products.
Building sorghum seed sector along the grain market in Tanzania: Areas for policy support
(Brief, 2022-09-30) Akpo, Essegbemon; Kalema, Elizabeth Phineas; Kongola, Eliud; Muricho, Geoffrey; Ojiewo, Christopher Ochieng
In Tanzania, sorghum is the 3rd most grown cereal with approximately 500,000 tons produced per year (FAOSTAT, 2018). It is grown in semi-arid regions of Dodoma, Singida, Mara, Shinyanga, Mwanza, and Tabora regions. Farmers primarily produce sorghum for consumption (83%) rather than commercial purpose (17%). It is mainly used as human food, animal feeds, alcoholic beverages, and biofuels. In the past years, there has been an increase in sorghum production from 676,772 tons in 2015 to 750,000 tons in 2020 (FAOSTAT, 2022). Recently, there is an increase in demand for sorghum since many people are increasingly getting aware of the health benefits thatcome with the consumption of sorghum like prevention of cancer, reducing tumor incidence, and lowering blood pressure (Saleh et al, 2013); and increase in sorghum demand among breweries like Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) (American sorghum, 2016). White sorghum is highly preferred in and outside the country because of its use, color and low tannin; and red sorghum is highly demanded in Lake Zone and Northern Highland of Tanzania and exported to Burundi and Rwanda. Tanzania mostly exports sorghum to Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sorghum grain in Tanzania hardly competes in both local and international markets because of the low-quality grain produced due to the use of landraces, traditional postharvest method, limited extension services, and lack of information in good agronomic practices. The presence of low-quality grain gives grain off-takers hard time to compete in the market and this results in low grain prices. Sorghum grain sector faces a number of challenges including unreliable market (close to 36%), low quality grain (about 25%), high tariff (around 11%), lack of storage facilities and low price (around 5 to 6%) (Table 1). The sorghum value chain in Tanzania can be strengthened if the seed sector is responsive.
Co-designing socio-technical innovation bundles for the sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems: A methodological note
(Brief, 2023-01-30) Gebreyes, Million; Notenbaert, An Maria Omer; López Ridaura, Santiago; Kizito, Fred; Wery, Jacques
Digital ecosystem in Guatemala
(Brief, 2022-12-20) Nagaraji, Satish; Gardeazábal Monsalve, Andrea
This technical brief provides an overview of the digital development gaps and challenges in Guatemala's agrifood systems. Based on the USAID Digital Ecosystem Framework, 323 actors across 14 types of organizations were identified as digital agrifood innovators in the country. In-depth assessments on challenges and opportunities were conducted on 50 select actors using a new survey instrument, Rapid Screening Tool. We find that Guatemala has a good mix of founders, technical resources, an educated workforce, and a growing tech industry. The government's substantial efforts toward digital society, rights, and data governance were remarkable. However, major challenges constraining digital ecosystems were weak digital literacy, inadequate infrastructure, and low affordability of digital technologies and solutions for both users and service providers in rural areas. We recommend specific actions for CGIAR to support partners in realizing the transformative potential of digital innovations.
Future market segments for hybrid maize in East Africa
(Brief, 2022) Rutsaert, Pieter; Donovan, Jason A.; Mawia, Harriet; Sousa, Kauê de; Etten, Jacob van
The current seed product market segmentation by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) for maize in East Africa includes four segments, which differ by agro-ecological zone and maturity class. However, considering the lengthy period required to produce a variety, from initial design to commercial production, a critical question should be asked: what are future segments that should be considered in discussions on current breeding investments? Video-based product concept testing (VPCT) is a novel approach for gathering insights from farmers about their varietal preferences to inform future market segmentation. This brief explains the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of VPCT. We present an application of the tool in hybrid maize. Seven new product concepts (representing potential future market segments) were identified based on discussions with breeders, seed companies and farmers, which we labelled: home use, intercropping, drought avoidance, nutritious, feed (yellow), green maize and food and fodder. These future concepts, together with the resilient benchmark product concept (the current breeding target), were evaluated through triadic comparisons with 2400 farmers in Kenya and Uganda. In Uganda, the drought avoidance concept ranked high, while in Kenya the intercropping concept stood out. Concept testing provides a strong case for new investments to integrate agronomic practices and preferences of farmers into breeding, on-farm testing and seed systems. Future work will estimate the implications of increased availability (and uptake) of these future segments on the current segmentation.
Diverse and healthy cropping systems trial protocol
(Brief, 2022-12-31) Kumar, Sunil; Choudhary, Kajod Mal; Gathala, Mahesh Kumar; Mohanty, Samarendu; Kakraliya, Suresh Kumar; Rout, Bidhyadhar; Kishore, Avinash; Gupta, Manavi; Patwardhan, Sharvari; Neupane, Sumanta P.; Sinha, Pooja; Jat, Raj Kumar
On-Farm Research Trials are part of TAFSSA’s Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm-and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers’ profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia we explore field-and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socioeconomic gradients of rice and maize-based farming systems. Nalanda district of Bihar in eastern India has been selected as a learning site based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses and climate challenges as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems that offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA’s outcomes.
Linking farm diversification, markets, and nutrition: TAFSSA’s Participatory Socio-Agronomic Research
(Brief, 2022-12-31) Cheesman, Stephanie; Islam, Saiful; Alanuzzaman Kurishi, A.S.M.; Kamal, Mustafa; Hossain, Shakhawat; Mahjabin, Tasnima; Parvin, Aklima; Parupalli, V.L.B.; Krupnik, Timothy J.
TAFSSA's Work Package 2 (WP2) emphasizes farm- and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers' profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Research summaries currently suggest that linkages between farm production and farming household nutrition are not well understood; integrated approaches considering household food production, nutritious diets alongside market systems development are needed. Besides TAFSSA's research platform and on-farm agricultural trials (WP2, Research Protocol 1 and 2), which generate an evidence base for sustainable diversification approaches and are learning sites for the farmer communities involved, this activity explores the influence of other factors (e.g. the access to knowledge on nutrition and/or to marketing strategies, for example the Small Farmer Large Field (SFLF) approach) on the potential for functional and profitable cropping systems diversification.
Diverse and healthy cropping systems trial protocol
(Brief, 2022-12-31) Singh, Love Kumar; Jat, Hanuman Sahay; Bijarniya, Deepak; Mukhopadhyay, Raj; Choudhary, Madhu; Kumar, Manish; Cheesman, Stephanie; Gathala, Mahesh Kumar; Jat, Mangi Lal; Sharma, Parbodh Chander; Krupnik, Timothy J.
On-Farm Research Trials are part of TAFSSA’s Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm-and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers’ profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia, we explore field-and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socioeconomic gradients of rice and maize-based farming systems. ICAR-CSSRI (Central Soil Salinity Research Institute) Karnal of Haryana in the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plains of India has been selected as basic research and learning site based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses, air pollution due to residue burning, groundwater exploitation and climate challenges as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems that offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA’s outcomes.
TAFSSA on-farm research trials Bangladesh: Protocol for field implementation
(Brief, 2022-12-31) Cheesman, Stephanie; Islam, Saiful; Alanuzzaman Kurishi, A.S.M.; Hossain, Shakhawat; Ferdous, Zannatul; Huda, Md. Shamsul; Gathala, Mahesh Kumar; Krupnik, Timothy J.
On-farm research trials are part of TAFSSA's Work Package 2 (WP2) activities. WP2 emphasizes farm- and landscape-level interdisciplinary research to identify strategies to increase farmers' profits and nutritional yields, conserve resources, and maintain or enhance ecological services, while also mitigating greenhouse gas (GHC) emissions from farms and agricultural landscapes. Going beyond typical agriculture-nutrition programs in South Asia, we explore field- and landscape-scale crop and animal farm diversification options supporting multiple benefits, including potential nutritional yield, across environmental and socio-economic gradients of rice-based farming systems. Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions in the north of Bangladesh have been selected as learning sites based on key information on food and nutrition security gaps, environmental stresses and climate challenges, as well as the prevalence of commodities and farming systems which offer the greatest potential to achieve TAFSSA's outcomes.
How to build a pandemic resilient agrifood system? A review of policy lessons from COVID-19 in Bangladesh
(Brief, 2022-12-31) Amjath-Babu, Tharayil Shereef; Timsina, Jagadish; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Bhandari, Humnath
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted most of the Bangladesh population and almost all sectors of its economy, including the agriculture and food systems. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and development partners took measures to prevent the spread of the virus and keep the agriculture and food systems running, and farmers and communities adopted local techniques as resilience measures to adapt to and lessen the effect of the virus. This review attempts to synthesize the knowledge on impacts of COVID-19 on Bangladesh agriculture and food systems, and document government's and development partners' policy responses and measures to COVID-19 to mitigate the impacts and farmers' coping strategies as effective resilience measures. The aim here is to provide a comprehensive picture of impacts and policy lessons to the Bangladesh government and development partners to effectively manage any future pandemics such as COVID-19 in the country and in developing countries of Asia. The core lesson is that agriculture needs a transformation to technology intensive (both digital and non-digital), efficient supply chains (i.e., shorter value chains), mechanization, farmer organizations led, and consumer connected (e.g., online platforms and direct marketing channels) with various kinds of resilience measures, including information sharing systems, financial mechanisms and social safety nets. A diversified approach is required for perishable and non-perishable commodities. There is also need of international effort to minimize trade and supply disruption and prevention of export ban and similar policies to reduce the impact on food system and associated livelihoods.

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