In 2019, the CIMMYT-led CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) capitalized on advanced technology to deliver improved wheat varieties and support to wheat farmers worldwide.
Many of the world’s more than 2.5 billion wheat consumers are benefiting from added climate resilience and genetic diversity, thanks to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center’s (CIMMYT’s) breeding strategy incorporating traits from wild wheat relatives. Using the wheat genome map, this year WHEAT scientists and partners identified new chromosomal regions that will further speed progress.
State of the art tools — such as DNA fingerprinting and a mobile phone early warning system for wheat rust — are helping resource-poor farmers in their fields.
A team of experts confirmed the health benefits of whole grain and refined wheat products, and more than 12 biofortified high-zinc varieties have been released to date.
The CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) receives Windows 1 & 2 support from the governments of Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the World Bank.
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On September 24, 2013, the newly formed United Nations (UN) High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development held its first meeting. At the Rio+20 Conference, Member States also agreed to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were to build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were established in 2000 and expired in 2015.
Of the 17 individual goals, 10 relate directly to CGIAR activities and to CIMMYT’s mandate. The SDGs have set the pathway for the next 15 years of agricultural, social, and economic development. Likewise, CGIAR has transformed its approach to ensure that its work aligns with the ambitious goals.
CIMMYT, through its research for development activities, is working toward a world free of poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation. CIMMYT and CGIAR efforts help bring the world closer to reaching the goals, such as the empowerment of women, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and the improvement of health and nutrition for the world’s poorest people.
CIMMYT’s work contributes to the following SDGs:
CIMMYT — the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center — is the global leader in publicly-funded maize and wheat research and related farming systems. Headquartered near Mexico City, CIMMYT works with hundreds of partners throughout the developing world to sustainably increase the productivity of maize and wheat cropping systems, thus improving global food security and reducing poverty. CIMMYT is a member of the CGIAR System and leads the CGIAR Research Programs on Maize and Wheat and the Excellence in Breeding Platform. The Center receives support from national governments, foundations, development banks and other public and private agencies.
For more information, visit www.cimmyt.org.