Community Forest Management in the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR; Petén, Guatemala) has been recognized internationally for yielding forest conservation and socioeconomic benefits. However, the effect of current timber harvesting practices on the genetic diversity of timber species populations has not previously been documented. This study assessed the effects of timber harvesting on the genetic diversity and viability of regeneration of the most commercially important timber species in the MBR: big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King).

Ethiopian agricultural production and productivity are strongly affected by weather and climate. Varying climatic conditions bring disparities in food demand and supply, which constitute a challenge for the integration of climate-smart agriculture in the agriculture mix.

The African Union Commission (AUC) launched the inaugural strategic Climate Action Innovation Hub (the Innovation Hub) at the Africa Climate Summit (ACS). The Innovation Hub, hosted at the African Union House between the 4th – 6th September, was a unique event to profile Africa’s young people and women engaged in climate action through innovation.

Peru is the eighth largest producer of cacao beans globally, but high cadmium contents are constraining access to international markets which have set upper thresholds for permitted concentrations in chocolate and derivatives. Preliminary data have suggested that high cadmium concentrations in cacao beans are restricted to specific regions in the country, but to date no reliable maps exist of expected cadmium concentrations in soils and cacao beans.

Mali is a landlocked, Sahelian country of West Africa. The Climate Change Vulnerability Index produced by ND-GAIN in 2016 ranked Mali as the 166th out of 181 most at climate change affected-risk countries in the world. It is the 9th most vulnerable country and the 43rd least ready country to address climate change effects. Mali is home to the inner delta of the Niger River that runs through nine countries in the region.

Credit allows borrowers to access funds required to make an investment before returns materialize. For smallholder farmers, who must invest in agricultural inputs (i.e., seeds, chemicals, equipment, land, and labor) during the planting season before earning income from the sale of agricultural produce after harvest, credit helps alleviate liquidity constraints and promotes the ability of local agricultural production to support nutrition and food security. In rural Nigeria, access to credit—especially formal credit from financial institutions—is limited.

Presentation on CGIAR Initiative on Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa (F2R-CWANA) approach to science for impact, for the Resilient AgriFood Systems (RAFS) Regional Integrated Initiatives (RIIs) Retreat, 1 March 2023, Nairobi.