| Abstract |
New varieties of maize and wheat are still important, as they are the easiest way for poor farmers to adopt new technology. The more improvements we can put into that new grain—enhanced nutrient content and A Message from the Director General disease resistance, greater drought and heat tolerance—the more new technologies the poor farmer can adopt just by changing varieties. However, our research paradigm at CIMMYT in the 21st century is now G x E x M x P (germplasm x environment x management x people). The new challenge is to get the best varieties incorporated into sustainable farming systems (M) focusing on the participation and livelihoods of people (P). “P” can also emphasize the importance of sound policies in the relief of human suffering. This “plots to plate” approach has seen our research portfolio shift from a program-focused agenda to a project-focused agenda that brings together a broader mix of skills, disciplines, and partners to ensure continuing impact in farmers’ fields. More often than not, today’s multifaceted problems require a multifaceted approach to produce appropriate solutions. Our integrated projects facilitate and support these interactions. Perhaps one of the greatest changes that CIMMYT has embraced, however, is in the nature of our partnerships. Traditional friends and partners in the national agricultural research systems remain our anchor point, but we have sought to widen our efforts for the resource-poor through the participation of a broader and more diverse range of partners. These now include more targeted and strategic alliances with advanced research institutes, both public and private. Good examples of this include the Apomixis Consortium and the Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) Project. In addition, the changes in (and, in many cases, the demise of) national extension organizations have caused the comparative advantage in evaluating, refining, and delivering new technologies to farmers to shift to non-governmental organizations (large and small), seed dealers, rural schools, and farmer groups. Our best examples of this approach include the Southern African Drought and Low Soil Fertility (SADLF) Project and our program in Bangladesh. It is essential that we deliver new and better technologies faster into farmers’ hands. |
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