CIMMYT is a part of the global movement to sustainably intensify agriculture. Smallholder farming systems are diverse and complex. In practice, sustainable intensification involves such conservation agriculture practices that simultaneously maintain and boost yields, increase profits, and protect the environment. It contributes to improved soil function and quality, which can improve resilience to climate variability.

Amongst other pressing global issues such as fossil fuel dependence, soil and atmospheric deterioration, spread of disease and pests, and climate change, agriculture is also a major contributor to global environmental degradation. Though CIMMYT has historically sought to address the pressing need to enhance global food production, and we are integrating sustainability science into all areas of research.

Hybrid maize is produced by cross-pollinating two inbred lines, normally from unrelated parent populations. This typically results in plants of high uniformity, vigor, and yields. First developed in the USA in the early 20th Century, hybrids were quickly adopted by farmers and are now the only type of maize grown in industrialized countries and are also widely-sown in many developing countries. To get the full advantages of hybrid maize, farmers normally need to buy fresh seed each crop cycle.

Genetically modified maize plants have had a specific gene inserted into their genome and activated. Typically, the genes come from organisms — other plants species or microbes — with which maize would not be able to cross-pollinate.
An open-pollinated (OPV) or a hybrid maize variety may be genetically modified or not.

Open-pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) are populations of maize whose traits—grain color and type, height, growth cycle, etc.—have been somewhat standardized through selection, either by farmers or breeders, but which are still genetically very diverse. Farmers can save OPV seed and re-sow it the following crop season without losing much yield or other valuable traits that the variety may have.

In the case of wheat, no genetically modified (GM) or hybrid varieties have yet been made available to farmers. All commercialized GM maize varieties worldwide are hybrids.

The overarching incentive for CIMMYT’s work was defined by the late CIMMYT wheat breeder and Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, who famously said: “I cannot sit idly by in the midst of abject poverty and hunger and human misery.” Almost one billion people in the world go hungry, and agriculture plays a significant role in establishing food security. Market forces, foreign policy, political will, and climate instability also have a profound impact on food security and can neutralize CIMMYT’s efforts.