article
Collaboration for the future of coffee and cocoa
Eliot Gee
A recent webinar brought together ambassadors, researchers, industry specialists, and a farmer to explore challenges and possibilities for two of the world’s favorite crops: coffee and cocoa.
Coffee and chocolate: where would we be without them? Besides occupying a special place in the average consumer…
article
Farmer knowledge is key to finding more resilient crops in climate crisis
A warming climate threatens crop diversity. The ‘Seeds for Needs’ approach combines farmers’ knowledge of resilient crops with ‘elite’ varieties identified by scientists.
In a review paper published in Frontiers in Plant Science, scientists urge the importance of combining the knowledge harbored by…
article
Environmental Finance gives award to Alliance-backed impact investment fund in Brazil
The Althelia Biodiversity Fund Brazil, which launched last year with a $15 million USD cornerstone investment from the Alliance, was recognized as an impact investment fund of the year by Environmental Finance. The award underscores the growing success of the Alliance’s private-public partnerships in Brazil…
article
Why we save seeds in Uganda
Gloria Otieno, Rosemary Nzuki
Scientist Gloria Otieno details the Alliance’s longstanding work supporting community seed banks in Uganda.
Saving seeds, safeguarding agro-biodiversity
Seed remains the most vital input in food production and consequently, access to seeds is crucial in ensuring farmers’ food security…
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The Government of Ucayali, Peru, adopts strategies to strengthen cocoa and palm oil value chains
Maria Claudia Tristán Febres
In order to strengthen regional competitiveness plans for cocoa and palm oil value chains, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, with the support of the Office for Economic Development of the Regional Government of Ucayali (RGU), has developed strategies that…
article
A Call to Action for world leaders preventing a global food security crisis while combating COVID-19
COVID-19 is posing unprecedented challenges for food systems around the world. The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), together with the Alliance, farmers’ groups, industry, non-governmental organisations, academia and major businesses, calls on world leaders to design COVID-19 response measures that minimise the risks of…
publication
Genetic diversity in Ethiopian Durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum var durum ) inferred from phenotypic variations
Bioversity International (Bioversity International)
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/79893
Abstract
The valorization of genetic diversities of major crops like wheat may help substantially to feed the world Population. Durum heat genotypes consisting of 265 farmers’ varieties (FVs), which have been cultivated for many centuries in Ethiopia, as well as 24 improved varieties (IMVs) have been recently evaluated…
article
Sharing a vision: youth, women and the future of fine flavor cacao
Claire Lubke
In Peru, inclusive dialogues inspire and provide resources for young people and women to pursue careers cultivating high-quality varieties of cacao.
In most cacao growing regions of Peru, cacao farming isn’t widely considered a viable option among young men and women. In fact, a…
article
Earth Day 2020: Climate Action for resilient food systems
Eliot Gee
To ensure food security following the COVID-19 pandemic, we must confront the climate crisis. The Alliance discusses the continued importance of Climate Action on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, with links to recent examples of publications and research updates.
Farmers…
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Reversing biodiversity loss requires swift action on conservation and food systems
Sean Mattson, Fabrice DeClerck
Land-use change to feed people is the leading driver of biodiversity loss. New research shows that changing this relationship is necessary (and possible) if we are to reverse trends on biodiversity loss by 2050.
Preserving terrestrial…
article
Due to pandemic, hunger and economic strife hit smallholder farmers in Lesotho
Eileen Bogweh Nchanji, Lilian Mokhantso Morahanye
A survey of farmers in the South African mountain kingdom showed that yield losses, job losses and reduced remittances from abroad contributed to a spike in hunger. The data will be used by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to formulate responses to the far-…
article
For Latin American coffee growers, climate change is now
EL DOVIO, Colombia – Alonso Carmona is running out of mountain. His coffee trees cover the highest reaches of his steeply sloping farm – but warming weather, bad prices and crop disease threaten to put that part of his farm out of business for good.
While other farmers across Latin America, which produces about half of…
article
Santiago de Cali: seleccionada para la hackatón virtual de la NASA
Entre el 2 y 4 de octubre se realizará el Space Apps Challenge (Desafío Internacional de Aplicaciones Espaciales) de la NASA, considerado uno de los más grandes hackatones del mundo. En esta oportunidad el encuentro de programadores se hará de manera virtual.
Santiago de Cali ha sido seleccionada para liderar…
article
200 jóvenes participaron en el primer programa virtual “Bio-Aprendiz”
Sylvia Pineda
En el mes de agosto se realizó el primer Programa virtual de Bio-Aprendiz “La biotecnología en el salón de clases” del área de Cultivos para la Salud y la Nutrición de la Alianza de Bioversity International y el CIAT.
Este evento fue una jornada de capacitación y aprendizaje,…
article
A sweet business in the Brazilian Amazon
Adriana Varón
Over 100 beekeeping households in the Brazilian Amazon produce honey, which they sell to the Peabiru Institute. In addition to receiving extra income to sustain their livelihoods, these communities are promoting the conservation of forests through the pollination of native vegetation, which in turn generates other ecosystem services. Peabiru is one of the…
