Chocolate meltdown: feeling the heat

by Georgina Smith | Apr 4, 2016

That melt-in-your-mouth chocolate egg you savored this Easter might face a different kind of meltdown in future, researchers warn in a new study.  Temperatures in West Africa’s cocoa belt – supplying 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, the raw ingredient in...

Identifying water sources for smallholder farmers with AGRI

by Fredy Monserrate | Mar 31, 2016

CIAT and The Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School, in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Honduras, began in March the validation and dissemination process of the geographic information system (GIS) tool AGRI (Water...

Transforming Rwanda’s missing climate data into information for farmers

by CIAT Comunicaciones | Mar 23, 2016

Launched today, World Meteorological Day, the four-year Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture is an initiative by the Rwandan government and partners to provide nearly a million farmers with timely access to essential climate information services in order to manage...

Over 70% of essential crop wild relative species in urgent need of collection, says new research

by CIAT Comunicaciones | Mar 21, 2016

First of its kind global mapping project reveals gaps in wild crop genetic diversity for agriculture to adapt to future climate change Many of the wild plants that will be the building blocks for future global food supply are missing from the world’s genebanks,...

Filming for change: When farmers get BEHIND the camera

by Juliet Braslow | Mar 16, 2016

Filming for change When farmers get BEHIND the camera How do you give a voice to those who often are not heard? Handing over a video camera and equipment may not be your first thought, but it is a fascinating possibility that leads to learning on many levels. We...

Climate-triggered pest and disease invaders threaten US$5 billion cassava industry in Asia

by Georgina Smith | Mar 16, 2016

More intense dry spells and rain are favoring the spread of pests and diseases that could threaten Southeast Asia’s multi-billion dollar cassava industry and food security, according to a new study published in Pest Management Science. The third largest source of...