‘Preemptive’ breeding: More than a step ahead of crop disease outbreaks

by Maria Eliza Villarino | Dec 13, 2017

 Bush bean trials at CIAT’s headquarters in Colombia. Photo by: Neil Palmer / CIAT Back in 2000, Francisco Morales, then virologist and now emeritus at CIAT, led a survey of plant viruses present in Colombia. He and his team discovered geminiviruses, or...

Could messiness be a good thing?

by Natalia Gutiérrez | Dec 11, 2017

Could messiness be a good thing? Adaptation strategies in response to rapid urban development and transformation of food systems in Hanoi ; Overlooking the new urban area of Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh By Aaron Vansintjan & Brice Even | Dec 11, 2017 We stood in one...

CIAT work on nutrition sensitive value chains in East Africa showcased at FAO in Rome

by Natalia Gutiérrez | Nov 24, 2017

As stated in the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) Framework for Action, food systems play a central role in promoting consumption of diverse, nutritious and safe food for all and fighting malnutrition in all its forms. In order to navigate the...

First Study Shows Eating High-Iron Beans Improves Memory and Attention Span in Female University Students in Rwanda

by Georgina Smith | Nov 22, 2017

Eating beans bred to contain higher iron can boost memory and attention span in female university students in Rwanda, the study shows. Policy makers could consider including iron-biofortified beans as part of national strategies to overhaul food systems on the...

DNA fingerprinting uncovers exactly who and why farmers use improved cassava

by Maria Eliza Villarino | Nov 21, 2017

Cassava production in Colombia’s southwestern Cauca department. Photo by: Neil Palmer / CIAT It was a eureka moment for geneticists at the CIAT gene bank. They found 60 new cassava varieties from samples brought into their lab from Colombia’s Cauca Department....

Opinion: How climate finance links forest conservation, peacebuilding, and sustainable food | Devex

by Augusto Castro | Nov 21, 2017

Augusto Castro-Nuñez, a researcher on sustainable food systems at CIAT. Photo by: Neil Palmer/CIAT   The below is an excerpt of Augusto Castro’s op-ed published on Devex: The scene remains vivid in my head. People packed the hall outside the plenary where...