Increasing selection differential and decreasing cycle time, the rate of genetic improvement can be accelerated. Creating and capturing higher genetic with higher accuracy within the shortest possible time is the prerequisite for enhancing genetic gain for any trait. Comprehensive yield testing at multi-locations at early generations together with the shortest line fixation time can expedite the rapid recycling of parents in the breeding program through recurrent selection.

The workshop was organized by the CGIAR Research Initiative on Low-Emission Food Systems (MITIGATE+), which is implemented by a large consortium of partners. The Initiative aims to reduce annual global food systems emissions by working closely with key actors in target countries to co-create knowledge that enables them to make evidence-based decisions and address challenges in food systems discourse, policy development, and implementation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Numerous approaches have been developed by researchers for measuring intra-household decision making. Most use quantitative surveys that often rely on a standard set of questions that inquire about who contributes to key household decisions or women’s abilities to participate in these decisions. Such questions have been criticized for focusing too much on the identity of the decision maker and less on understanding why and how decisions get made within the household and on the multiple facets of women’s roles in decision-making processes1.

Introduction: Previous research has shown increased productivity amongst sown grass pastures compared to native savanna pastures by year-round grazing for fattening of adult and young Brahman (Bos indicus)-bred cattle in the well-drained native savanna ecosystem of the Colombian Orinoquía. But there is limited information on the carbon footprint (CF) of commercial young-Brahman heifers and steers reared throughout life on well-managed Brachiaria decumbens Stapf pastures.

In 2003, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada published “Seed that give. Participatory plant breeding,” synthesizing the achievements and lessons learned of the first 10 (pioneering) years of participatory plant breeding (PPB), a concept first tabled at an international workshop in Wageningen, the Netherlands, in 1994. IDRC was one of the early and most fervent supporters of PPB. See: https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.648982/publication.html

This presentation summarizes the Disruptive Seeds approach to transformative change and briefly explains how it is applied in the context of ClimBeR’s Policy Pathways research (Work Package 3) in Guatemala. It also describes the progress of the project thus far, the planning for 2023, and highlights a few promising seed initiatives (i.e., sustainable, bottom-up initiatives that can contribute to transformative change).

The Thar Desert, Sindh, Pakistan is characterized by low productivity. Besides, economy is based on agriculture, livestock and mining, nevertheless, livestock graze freely on public and private land. The aim of this research was to determine biomass production and to evaluate the effects of continuous and seasonal grazing on protected and unprotected plots. A 45 ha protected rangeland area of Hurrabad in the Umerkot Thar desert was selected and divided into three blocks of 15 ha each. Blocks of the same size were also established in unprotected area.

Scientific evidence is crucial for the transition towards sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. However, sustainability transitions research has been so far north-biased and overlooked the Global South. This paper analyses the scholarly literature on sustainability transitions in West African agriculture and food systems. In particular, it investigates the bibliometrics and geographical coverage of the research field and explores whether and how it addresses topics such as transition frameworks, niches, food security and sustainability.

The water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus is a cross-sectoral concept offering a holistic perspective of the interconnections among agriculture, energy production, water resources, and ecosystem health. However, most emerging nexus approaches have been narrowly focused on resource efficiency and technocratic ‘fixes’ that don’t adequately consider the impacts of resource use and development on diverse groups of resource users and managers.

To assess the efficiency of genetic improvement programs, it is essential to assess the genetic trend in long-term data. The present study estimates the genetic trends for grain yield of rice varieties released between 1970 and 2020 by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. The yield of the varieties was assessed from 2001–2002 to 2020–2021 in multi-locations trials. In such a series of trials, yield may increase over time due to (i) genetic improvement (genetic trend) and (ii) improved management or favorable climate change (agronomic/non-genetic trend).

Labor migration is a complex phenomenon, yet while much attention has been paid to understanding the drivers of migration, there is a huge knowledge and policy gap regarding the effects of migration on people and communities left behind. We sought to explore the impacts of rural outmigration on migrant-sending communities in Ethiopia. This remains an understudied topic when it comes to research on migration in Ethiopia. Our investigation is based on a critical review of the migration literature pertaining to Ethiopia and, more broadly.

Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g. heat, drought, salt stress, flooding, disease outbreaks) and engineering efficient carbon-capturing and carbon-sequestering plants. Here, we present examples of research being conducted in these areas and discuss challenges and open questions as a call to action for the plant science community.