How can we better connect science and innovation with countries’ priorities, investments and development ambitions? This question was at the heart of a strategic dialogue held in Cairo on 7 October under CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact program, Area of Work 4 (AoW4) on Scaling Partnerships and Investment. The dialogue brought together the Government of Egypt, CGIAR Centers, international financial institutions and development partners to explore how the CGIAR Innovation Clearinghouse can connect Egypt’s priorities with science, innovation and investment. The dialogue brought together complementary expertise from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), WorldFish, the Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), spanning water and irrigation, crops and seed systems, climate-resilient agriculture, aquatic food systems, sustainable production systems, food-system transformation, policy and investment analysis. A central message was clear: start with the country, not with the technology. CGIAR has no shortage of science, evidence and innovations. The challenge is moving proven solutions beyond individual projects and pilots into investments, institutions, markets and systems where they can deliver lasting impact at scale. Starting with Egypt’s priorities The...

Colombia’s zero-deforestation commitments faced a critical implementation gap. Voluntary agreements covered cocoa, coffee, beef, dairy, and oil palm, but the absence of a unified monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) framework made it difficult to demonstrate progress consistently. Fragmented verification approaches also complicated efforts to respond to international sustainability requirements. To address these barriers, the CGIAR Initiative on Low-Emission Food Systems, led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, brought together government agencies, producer associations, companies, and technical experts. Their collaboration supported the development and refinement of a national zero-deforestation MRV protocol, creating a common framework for assessing agricultural supply chains and strengthening transparency. Scaling the protocol required more than technical guidance. Institutions needed to coordinate responsibilities, companies required practical verification procedures, and producers needed accessible ways to collect and share farm-level information. Differences in connectivity, literacy, land tenure, and access to resources also risked excluding smallholders from emerging sustainability opportunities. The project worked with Colombia’s agriculture and environment ministries, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), and Visión Amazonía to refine MRV Protocol 2.0 and advance an interministerial resolution for formal national adoption. Existing platforms, including the Zero-Deforestation Agreements and the Expanded Cocoa Traceability Roundtable, provided spaces...

CGIAR Science and Partnership Week 2027 to Showcase India's Agricultural Transformation and Global Research Partnerships CGIAR and ICAR to b...

CGIAR centers, NARS, and partners have developed extensive expertise in cryopreservation across diverse biological materials, including clonal crops, seeds, aquatic resources, livestock germplasm, and...

Here are today's important PIB GoI updates: DRI Busts Major Synthetic Drug Lab in Uttar Pradesh; Seizes 1,100 kg of Narcotics and Chemicals Government Notifies National Social Security Board for Unorganized and Gig Workers under Labour Code India to Host ICIAR-CGIAR Science and Partnership Week 2027 in New Delhi (April 12-17, 2027) India-Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union's 19th Joint Economic Commission Session Held in Luxembourg…

Dutch partners rethink how agricultural innovation delivers impact. At World Food Day in The Hague, CGIAR and partners explored how to finance

Cover Image: Participants contribute to discussions during the first SSSN Masterclass, “From Soil Data to Decision.” From digital soil mapping and nutrient management to decision-support tools for farmers and policymakers, the focus of soil science is increasingly shifting from generating information to applying it. At the 50th Annual Conference of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN), IITA co-led that conversation. Through a keynote paper, a masterclass, and technical presentations—showcasing new research focusing on turning soil information into practical decisions. With one message: soil data matters only when it informs decisions, IITA scientists highlighted how turning soil data into actionable insights can drive more productive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural systems at the Golden Jubilee conference. The conference, themed “Innovations in soil science for climate resilience, nutritional security and national development,” brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners and private sector actors. It was declared open by the Honorable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi. SSSN President, Prof. Jibrin M. Jibrin, who also serves as an IITA consultant under the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel, welcomed delegates, and the keynote address was delivered by Dr Abdulhamid Umar, National...

For a cocoa farmer, planting a shade tree is a wager on the future. The shade tree offers benefits that may take years to materialise, while the farmer has to find suitable seedlings and decide whether the investment makes sense on land they may be uncertain they will continue to farm on. And planting is only part of the calculation. The cocoa still has to be sold, payments have to arrive when they are needed, and increasingly, buyers need to know where the beans came from. Two new CGIAR reports on cocoa value chains in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea examine this wider set of conditions. Both see scope for more agroforestry and deforestation-free production. But they also show why technical support, on its own, will not get farmers very far. The choices made on a cocoa farm are shaped not only by the technical support a farmer receives but also by what is available beyond farm boundaries, from planting material and finance to the people who buy and transport the crop. Why farmers may hesitate to invest in shade trees Cocoa is woven deeply into the Côte d’Ivoire’s rural economy, yet many of the farmers producing it are contending with...

The next time you unwrap a chocolate bar, there is a good chance its story began on a small family farm in West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire alone produces about 44% of the world’s cocoa, while neighboring Guinea is an emerging producer. But for decades, expanding cocoa production has also put pressure on forests. In June 2026, our team at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT brought together more than 70 stakeholders in Abidjan and Conakry to explore how cocoa can grow alongside trees rather than at their expense. Cocoa is central to Côte d’Ivoire’s economy, supporting millions of smallholder farmers and contributing significantly to export earnings. Yet the country has lost much of its forest cover since the 1950s, and cocoa production has contributed to forest clearing, including inside protected areas. In Guinea, cocoa production is concentrated largely in the Forest Guinea region, where farmers face challenges including low yields, ageing plantations, limited infrastructure, access to finance and agricultural advice. Climate change is adding another layer of pressure. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall, droughts and floods threaten both cocoa production and household incomes. At the same time, the European Union Deforestation Regulation is increasing the importance of traceability and demonstrating...

MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM — What if rice farmers could apply precisely the nutrients their crops need, when and where they need them, while reducing fertilizer costs and environmental impacts? This is the promise of Precision Nutrient Management (PNM), a science-based approach supporting Vietnam's ambition to transform one million hectares of rice production in the Mekong Delta by 2030. With fertilizer accounting for approximately 29–32% of regional rice production costs, improving nutrient-use efficiency offers opportunities to increase profitability and reduce emissions. To help scale PNM, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with the Vietnam Rice Sector Association (VIETRISA) and provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment, conducted six Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops between 9 September and 1 October 2026. Held across Can Tho, Ca Mau, An Giang, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, and Vinh Long, the workshops reached nearly 750 participants, including farmers, extension officials at provincial and commune levels, and board members of selected cooperatives, from 284 communes, representing localities with approximately 860,000 hectares registered under Vietnam's One Million Hectare High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice (1Mha) Program. Implemented under CGIAR's Scaling for Impact (S4I) Program, the workshops addressed complementary aspects of sustainable rice production, emphasizing PNM, digital tools, and local scaling...

Country: Kenya Sources: CGIAR, International Water Management Institute Please refer to the attached file. Abstract/ Description Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) face compounding pressures from land degradation, erratic rainfall, and recurrent drought. Water bunds, simple semi-circular earthen structures dug along contour lines to capture rainwater, reduce runoff, and regenerate vegetation, offer a proven nature-based response. The policy challenge is no longer whether water bunds work, but how to scale adoption efficiently and equitably across Kenya’s diverse tenure contexts and governance settings. The Scaling Water bunds for climate Resilience Management in Kenyan rainfed agri-food systems (SWaRM) project addresses this through a four-year bilateral research program funded by the Netherlands-CGIAR Water-Food Nexus Research Program (NWO). Led by IWMI in consortium with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Tegemeo Institute, and Justdiggit, SWaRM combines economic analysis of adoption determinants, impact evaluation of co-designed scaling tools, and multi-stakeholder platform facilitation for evidence-to-policy translation. Findings are expected to inform Kenya’s Land Reclamation Policy and generate transferable lessons for scaling nature-based water retention solutions across sub-Saharan Africa’s drylands.