Global biodiversity hotspots are areas containing high levels of species richness, endemism
and threat. Similarly, regions of agriculturally relevant diversity have been identified where many
domesticated plants and animals originated, and co-occurred with their wild ancestors and…
Seed systems for vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) are frequently governed by a regulatory blueprint designed for major cereal crops. This approach tends to disregard the distinct biological characteristics of VPCs, in turn limiting farmers’ access to high-quality planting material and…
Some of the largest impacts of climate change are expected in the environmentally heterogeneous and species rich high mountain ecosystems. Among those, the Neotropical alpine grassland above the tree line (c. 2,800 m), known as Páramo, is the fastest evolving biodiversity hotspot on earth, and…
To advance the goals of the Resilient Central America (ResCA) program, we have achieved the following results in the October 2019 to March 2020 semester reporting period. Regarding climate change adaptation, this semester we trained a total of 711
people; 380 men (53.4%) and 331 women (46.…
One of the main problems for Ethiopian smallholder farmers is a general lack of reliable weather and climate forecasts. The lack of climate forecasting information becomes more and more challenging for smallholder farmers as the variability in weather increases, which results in an unpredictable…
Climate Services for Resilient Development (CSRD) is a global partnership that connects climate science, data streams, decision support tools, and training to decision-makers in developing countries. CSRD addresses the climate challenges faced by smallholder farmers in South Asia. The…
Understanding drought tolerance mechanisms of cassava is a pre-requisite to improve the performance of the crop in water-scarce regions. Several hypotheses have been formulated to suggest how cassava can withstand a prolonged period of drought. We performed field trials under drought conditions…
CTA developed the programme VALUE4HER, with the aim of increasing value for women in agribusinesses through improved market access and business linkages; improved knowledge, skills, and capacities; and digitally enabled socio and business networking. Adopting three mutually reinforcing…
Overlooked in national reports and in conservation programs, wild food plants (WFPs)
have been a vital component of food and nutrition security for centuries. Recently, several countries have reported on the widespread and regular consumption of WFPs, particularly by rural and indigenous…
In response to major shocks, governments and international humanitarian agencies often use direct seed distribution as a first level response to help communities stabilize or restart their farming systems. In contrast, CRS uses Seed and Voucher Fairs (S&VFs). After many years of…
Increased adoption of improved agricultural technologies is considered an essential step to address global poverty and hunger, and agronomic trials suggest intensification in developing countries could result in large yield gains. Yet the promise of new technologies does not always carry over…
The degradation of tropical pastures sown with introduced grasses (e.g., Urochloa spp.) has
dramatic environmental and economic consequences in Latin America. Nitrogen (N) limitation to
plant growth contributes to pasture degradation. The introduction of legumes in association with…