CIATforward
Visions of a sustainable food future
2016 Highlights
Marcela Quintero – What Peru teaches us about paying nature its due
Marcela Quintero, Leader, Ecosystem Services “No other country in the region had gone so far in setting out the role of the public and private sectors in investing in ecosystem services” What Peru teaches us about paying nature its due Peru’s Cañete River Basin is a...
Peter Wenzl – Seeds, climate, and diets in the 21st century
Peter Wenzl, Program Leader, Genetic Resources “Genebanks are the raw material with which to reshape agriculture and improve diets for the 21st century” Seeds, climate, and diets in the 21st century We are what we eat, but what we eat may need to change. That’s...
Birthe Paul – Livestock: the untold story
Birthe Paul, Environmental Scientist “For millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, livestock are indispensable. They're not mass-produced on factory farms, but raised by family farmers in rural areas” Livestock: the untold story For me, there are two sides to every...
Mercy Lung’aho – Nutrition in Africa: time for “unusual business”
Mercy Lung’aho, Nutritionist @MercyLungaho “As a nutritionist, I cannot look the other way while women and children are dying of anemia and malnutrition on our watch” Nutrition in Africa: time for “unusual business” I’m passionate about working in nutrition. I do...
André Zandstra – Why diversity, disruption, and innovation in science matter
André Zandstra, Head of Partnerships and Communications @andrezed “We’ve heard many times that ‘business-as-usual’ is over. But we hear less about what will take its place. I think the world urgently needs disruptors” Why diversity, disruption, and innovation in...
Dindo Campilan – The changing face of agri-entrepreneurs in Asia
Dindo Campilan, Regional Director, Asia “In the not-too-distant future, agriculture will become synonymous with innovation, tech-savviness, profitability, and ‘green’ credentials” The changing face of agri-entrepreneurs in Asia We often hear and read about the...
Louis Verchot – Restoring land and livelihoods: a call for public and private sectors
Louis Verchot, Director, Soils and Landscapes for Sustainability Research Area “If the current trend continues, land degradation alone could reduce agricultural production by 12% and increase food prices by 30% in the next 25 years” Restoring land and...
Andy Jarvis – Why big data will shake up farming
[Photo: FAO-Giuseppe Carotenuto] Andy Jarvis, Director, Decision and Policy Analysis Research Area @ajarviscali “The notion of the smallholder farmer – hoe in hand, tilling the land – is living on borrowed time. Very soon they will have a smartphone in one hand and...
Jennifer Twyman – Creating more opportunities for women and men
Jennifer Twyman, Social Scientist “We can only begin to change gender norms if we are aware of them” Creating more opportunities for women and men On my first trip to Western Kenya in 2005, I visited a small orphanage where I was struck by how limited their future...
Ngonidzashe Chirinda – The future is full of green cows
Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Farming System Specialist @nchirinda1 “I’ve seen first-hand how animals can be raised sustainably and profitably. We don’t have to dream about it – it’s happening right now” The future is full of green cows For me it’s a travesty that livestock...
Clare Mukankusi – Beans without borders
Clare Mukankusi, Plant Breeder @CtMugisha “The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a free trade area for 20 countries, which has allowed us to significantly speed up the release of new beans” Beans without borders My dream has always been to...
Ana María Loboguerrero – Making climate-smart agriculture the norm
Ana María Loboguerrero, Latin America Regional Program leader, CCAFS @amloboguerrero “Climate-smart agriculture requires a carefully tailored package of interventions, developed in unison with farmers” Making climate-smart agriculture the norm It might have taken...
Stefan de Haan – Why healthy cities depend on vibrant countrysides
Stefan de Haan, Regional Program Management Officer (Vietnam) “A new food paradigm is emerging in Vietnam that is focused on quality rather than quantity, diversity rather than uniformity, and the importance of smallholder inclusion” Why healthy cities depend on...
Colin Khoury – The future of food: take a walk on the wild side
Colin Khoury, Crop Diversity Specialist @ColinKhoury “Crop wild relatives and ancient, barely domesticated crop varieties hold the secrets to breeding crops of the future” The future of food: take a walk on the wild side I think the future is going to be a lot wilder...
Carolina Navarrete – Latin America and the Caribbean: lessons in sustainability
Carolina Navarrete, Coordinator, Latin America and the Caribbean @CNavarreteFrias “Latin America and the Caribbean really can become the precedent for inclusive, agricultural development and sustainable food systems that can both inform and inspire the rest of the...
Debisi Araba – African agriculture: paving the way to prosperity
Debisi Araba, Regional Director, Africa @DebisiAraba “As Africa transforms, we want to ensure that farmers’ investments in agriculture become a conduit for better financial, social, and health outcomes” African agriculture: paving the way to prosperity My grandfather...
2016 Highlights
High-iron beans reduce iron deficiency in just a few months
Eating specially bred high-iron beans twice a day for just four and a half months reduced iron deficiency and anemia in young women in Rwanda, according to research published in 2016.
Ma village in Northern Vietnam: a living lab to test climate-smart agriculture
Confronted with dwindling yields as a result of prolonged droughts, bursts of heavy rain, and frequent cold snaps, farmers in Ma, a village in northern Vietnam, have been learning to use their precious resources so that nothing goes to waste. Hoāng Quōc Viet no longer...
Silvopastoral systems – an option for sustainable livestock in post-conflict Colombia
CIAT’s forages team has been trialing a climate-smart livestock system in Patía, in Colombia’s restive Cauca department. Long plagued by challenges, from sputtering armed conflict to frequent drought, Patía is a microcosm of Colombia’s livestock conundrum. With around...
A new “super-food” for Colombia
New high-iron beans were officially released in Colombia in June 2016. They contain as much as 60% more iron than normal beans, and are intended to address the problem of iron deficiency in diets. Affecting up to 2 billion people globally, iron deficiency can lead to...
Central America’s bean and coffee production threatened by climate change
Climate change could transform the agricultural landscape in Central America, with key crops such as beans and export-quality coffee losing suitability, and potentially dire impacts on farmers and rural livelihoods, according to a CIAT study. The findings add to the...
Threats on multiple fronts: pests and diseases spread in Southeast Asia’s cassava fields
More intense dry spells and rain are favoring the spread of pests and diseases that could threaten the multi-billion dollar cassava industry and food security in Southeast Asia, according to a CIAT-led study in Pest Management Science. In particular, they found that...
Drought-resilient grass could bring millions of dollars to East African dairy farmers
For millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, livestock are indispensable. Yet, they are often blamed for damaging the environment and contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. By switching what animals eat and improving management practices, farmers can...
“Magic beans” beat Malawi’s worst drought in 30 years
In 2016, Malawi suffered the worst drought in 30 years, attributed to a particularly severe El Niño weather cycle. It left the country’s central and southern maize-growing areas in ruin. But while the maize withered, some beans developed by CIAT and its partners were...
The Cassava Genome Hub: terabytes of data set to revolutionize breeding
The Cassava Genome Hub, an online platform that produces and stores more than 15 terabytes of genetic data on cassava, is pioneering a big data approach to crop improvement. “When it comes to cassava, we are in the midst of a genomic revolution that is producing...
Farmers in Uganda team up with scientists to find better beans
Sunny Mbeeta Abwooli knows how to whip up a delicious meal, especially when it involves one of her favorite ingredients: beans. “We have many varieties of beans in Uganda,” says Sunny, pointing to a basket of different kinds of beans. “They are different in color,...