The world’s food system is facing increasing challenges. Farmers worldwide are dealing with depleted soils, evolving crop diseases, and unpredictable weather patterns exacerbated by climate change. However, public investment in agricultural research, crucial for stable harvests, has declined in many high-income countries.
As global food demand rises, farming systems are under pressure to produce more with fewer resources. Climate-related factors like heat waves, droughts, and pests are affecting crop and livestock systems. The scientific work needed to adapt agriculture to these challenges often goes unnoticed and takes time to show results.
One institution making a significant impact in agricultural research is CIMMYT. Founded over 80 years ago in Mexico, CIMMYT focuses on improving crop varieties globally and providing open, accessible scientific knowledge for farmers. Their work includes breeding crops resistant to drought, heat, and disease, maintaining a vast seed bank, and running early-warning systems for emerging pests.
CIMMYT’s work is long-term and incremental, with significant impacts on global food security. Their drought-tolerant maize varieties have benefited over a billion people, stabilizing harvests and improving food security across generations. Although CIMMYT’s research is global, its benefits extend beyond the countries where it operates, including supporting wheat varieties in the United States.
Today, CIMMYT faces financial challenges like other agricultural research institutions, as public funding becomes less predictable. The organization is adapting by streamlining operations and seeking diverse funding sources to protect its core scientific assets.
As climate change intensifies and food demand grows, the importance of shared, long-term agricultural science remains critical. CIMMYT’s mission is to advance science for farmers’ adaptation, strengthen food systems, and ensure food security for future generations worldwide.
