Blogs

EiB Product Manager Tawanda Mashonganyika unites crop breeders and market experts for more impactful varieties

The low rate at which farmers adopt improved varieties is one of the biggest obstacles to overcoming food insecurity. The average maize variety grown by farmers in sub-Saharan Africa is 15 years old, even though maize breeders have been releasing more than 50 new varieties every year.

Groundnut breeders in Malawi learn how to link product profiles and genotyping for faster variety turnover

A rich source of protein, oils and other nutrients that requires few inputs to produce, groundnut is considered both an important contributor to household nutrition and a cash crop. To accelerate the development and adoption of improved varieties, a workshop on the use of product profiles low-cost genotyping was held for groundnut breeders in Malawi. 

Applying stage-gates to better manage public breeding programs

Video: George Kotch, EiB product design and management lead, explains stage gates in five minutes.

 

High-performing breeding programs not only have a strong idea of customer needs, they also exercise full control of the breeding pipeline to ensure that the right products are delivered and adopted.

Product profiles are a blueprint for breeding with impact

The impact of breeding on poverty alleviation in the developing world has been limited by low rates of adoption in farmers’ fields. With the number of people going hungry in the world again on the rise we must recommit to science for impact.

Product Profiles were designed by breeders for breeders as a means to focus their activities on the development of products that will replace established varieties on the market, taking into account market knowledge and other considerations such as gender.

Breeders find strength in diversity at EiB contributor meeting

Around 115 members of the CGIAR breeding community, plus others representing national programs, universities, funders and the private sector, met for a three-day discussion of how to co-develop the next generation of advanced breeding programs that will improve the rate at which resource-poor farmers are able to adopt improved varieties that meet their needs.

Photo: Attendees at the meeting (Sam Storr/CIMMYT)