All Stories
Fernando Correa passes the baton to María Fernanda Álvarez
After four years at CIAT as the leader of the Rice Program, Fernando Correa passes the baton to María Fernanda Álvarez, the new leader, as of August 12. Here is a piece of his story…
What do you mean the hamburger isn’t all that American?
Scientists and graphic designers are joining forces to strengthen the communication power of research through attractive, informative, and even surprising visuals.
Lizette Díaz: a charcoal that could open a ‘black box’
Lizette had been with CIAT for more than a decade finally crystallized, and she joined the Sustainable Food Systems Program to coordinate the development of three sectoral strategies and their respective research agendas, aimed at healing the technological gaps in the hillside Hass avocado, pineapple, and blackberry value chains, in the department of Valle del Cauca.
Partnering with the seed industry to redefine the Latin American forages market
Meat and dairy products are central to the Latin American diet, and livestock is a source of income for over 600 million people living on less than US $1 per day around the world. Historically, a lack of quality forage crops has restricted production and increased the environmental impact of livestock farming, with poor-quality grazing areas being created through deforestation.
Convention on Biological Diversity adopts indicator to track conservation of useful plants
Developed by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the Crop Trust, the indicator provides an official marker for thousands of economically and culturally important plants. It shows conservation goals set for 2020 will be hard to attain
CIAT to hold a workshop on flash drying for starch and cassava flour
Within the framework of the project on scaling flash drying technology, financed by CGIAR’s research program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB), CIAT through the cassava program will hold the workshop “Low-cost flash dryer for starch and cassava flour at small scale” from August 8 to 13 at its headquarters in Palmira, Colombia.
Linking local and global food systems for more healthy and sustainable communities
Three new areas of investigation related to diets, nutrition and sustainability, starting with short-term projects led by visiting student researchers Sandra Aronson, Lisa Gerbal and Anna Whitton.
CIAT regrets the passing of doctor Michael Thung
It is with deep regret that we have learned of the passing of CIAT emeritus Dr. Michael D.J. Thung, an Indonesian national who worked as a post-doctoral scientist at CIAT’s cassava and bean programs in 1975. In 1978, he joined full time the bean program, where he started evaluating advanced breeding lines for tolerance of aluminum and adaptation to low phosphorus levels.
Could these crops save Peruvian forests?
As noted in a previous blog, a study conducted by CIAT confirms that cacao production is not a main cause of forest loss in Colombia, unlike in several countries in Africa and Asia. Instead, cacao cultivation forms part of strategies to reduce conflict and save forests in the Latin American country.
Atlas of Climate Change Impact on cocoa production in Central America and the Caribbean
What could be the impact of climate change on cocoa in the Central America and Caribbean region? In the atlas “Climate Change Impact on Cocoa Production in Central America and the Caribbean,” developed by CIAT in collaboration with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and Rikolto, we answer this question by using “machine learning” models such as Random Forests.