The study investigated the potential of five common tree species in West Africa to bioaccumulate heavy metals in their various plant components over the course of different growth phases and at varying contamination levels (control, double the permissible level and triple the permissible limit). Heavy metals in plant tissues were extracted and analyzed using standard wet chemistry procedures. The results showed metal concentrations in tree tissues to positively and significantly correlate with contamination level, growth stage, and plant component.

Cassava fresh root yield and dry matter content constitute major determinants of demand by end-users. Increased demand for the seeds of improved varieties will facilitate the development of a sustainable seed system. However, for wide acceptability, there is a need to continuously evaluate candidate varieties for stability across different agroecological zones. Participatory Demand Creation Trials (DCTs) were established to evaluate cassava varieties with farmers and processors utilizing the best agronomic practices.

Mitigadaptation, tree-based synergy between the global climate change mitigation and adaptation agendas, has been slowly emerging in the 30 years of climate science–policy interaction with its various ups and downs, false starts and ever-increasing urgency of bending the climate curve. The potential contribution of agroforestry to the climate change mitigation and adaptation agenda has been slow to be recognized and effectively supported, as agroforestry existed on farm and in landscapes, but not yet in the world of policy documents, government statistics and sectoral lobby groups.

Developing optimal strategies for nutrient management of soils and crops at a larger scale requires an understanding of nutrient limitations and imbalances. The availability of extensive data (n = 1,781) from 2-yr nutrient omission trials in the most suitable agroecological zone for maize (Zea mays L.) in Nigeria (i.e., the northern Guinea savanna) provides an opportunity to assess nutrient limitations and imbalances using the concept of multi-ratio compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND).

Nepal’s agrifood system remained economically stable during March of 2023. The year-on-year inflation in food and beverage prices has cooled down to 5.6% compared to 7.5% in Feb/March 2022. Field reports however suggest that this downward movement in prices have not yet translated to substantial changes in the cost of consumer and agricultural market goods. Inflation in food and beverage prices is marginally lower than the previous year: The cost of food and beverages increased by 5.6 percent from March 2022 to March 2023.

Between November 2022 and January 2023, the WP1 team in Honduras strategically consulted stakeholders of the coffee supply chain to obtain an overview and insights into bottlenecks and innovations at market linkages of the export coffee supply chain in Honduras. Simultaneously, a literature review on respective bottlenecks and innovations was conducted. The workshop engaged participants through plenary discussions, short online surveys that were accessible via QR-codes and through small-group discussions where participants self-selected based on interest.

This report is part of a collaboration between the Zamorano University (Honduras) and CIMMYT for the mechanization work related with Advances Research Institute (ARIs). The objective of this collaboration is to characterize the current state of agricultural mechanization in Honduras for the production of basic grains (maize, beans, sorghum) and to identify the challenges faced by producers in accessing and adopting mechanized technologies in the region. For this, a directory of actors that distribute, manufacture, or refurbish agricultural machinery was compiled.

In Ethiopia, a group of stakeholders, including representatives from local governments, research institutions, the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers' unions, the private sector, and NGOs, developed the planning framework that formed the basis for Ethiopia's Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP). The CSAIP outlines seven priority investments identified by stakeholders to meet the goals of productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. This Info Note briefly summarizes these prioritized investments, key considerations for success, and the monitoring and evaluation plan.

With only four years before the end date for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, the need to identify nutrition-sensitive and sustainable agricultural interventions that can address hunger and malnutrition cannot be more urgent. This paper assesses associations between sustainable intensification practices and dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Challenges of soil degradation and changing climate pose major threats to food security in many parts of the world, and new approaches are required to close yield and nutrition gaps through enhanced agronomic efficiency. Combined use of mineral fertilizers, organic inputs, improved germplasm and adaptation of these practices to local contexts through improved agronomy can promote efficiency whilst building stocks of soil organic matter (SOM).