Mexico is a laboratory where I know generate solutions for the global food challenges. Leaders from other latitudes and continents visit the national territory to learn about the hub methodology either nodes of technological innovation developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
“This country that gave us corn now also gives to the world solutions which have great impact on global food security”said Mandla Nkomo, director of the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy initiative, on his visit to Mexico.
The specialist from Zimbabwecame to know the methodology of technological innovation hubs or nodesthis is spaces for the meeting and knowledge exchange and how it facilitates the results of the scientific investigation reach the farmers.
“We know what CIMMYT does in Mexico in the hubs. We try to understand how this methodology works, what happens in the research platforms And in the plots In relation to these spaces, the technological menus and how they are delivered to farmers”.
This is how he expressed it in turn, Emmanuel Ekomfrom Nigeria, from the Ernst and Young team, an organization that within the framework of Excellence in Agronomy, a CGIAR initiative, studies how to scale innovation in agriculture.
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“We understand that in Mexico, CIMMYT created a innovation approach is left over priority to the farmer. I came from Nigeria with my team and we delved into that approach to cunderstand how it works and how to replicate these brilliant ideas in several global south countries around the world,” he said.
For its part, Mandla NkomoDirector of Growth of the Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) initiative, which brings together more than 10 CGIAR Centersthis is from Advisory Group about International Agricultural Researchwhose task is to create solutions to the problems faced by farmers around the world, commented:
“I’m here because I wanted to learn a little more about the hubs and projects based on this methodology that he CIMMYT and his collaborators developed in national territory. “One of the things we consider at EiA is how we transition individual use cases to solutions within a network of partners.”
During his visit to the Research Platform of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan already innovation modulesextension areas, seed house, post-harvest modules and machinery points in different municipalities of that area of OaxacaMandla Nkomo and other EiA visitors, had the opportunity to learn about the operation of the CIMMYT South Pacific Hub.
Furthermore, they witnessed how this methodology of innovation management is social and culturally relevant to each of the most diverse regions of the country.
“Mexico is a diverse country, with different agroecologies. This approach can be transferred to any other location in the world. That’s why I’m very excited about what we’ve seen.”
And because the country that gave us corn, now also gives the world solutions that will have a great impact on global food security.
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After visiting many hubs throughout Mexico, Emmanuel Ekomfrom Nigeria, said that one of the mayors was trained in the CIMMYTwhich made him understand “conservation agriculture and contributed to spreading that knowledge to the entire town.”
Likewise, he highlighted the inclusion of public institutions, private and academic in the hub operation.
“I could see the faces of the farmersespecially women when they talked about how much time they saved by using technologies developed by CIMMYT and his collaborators,” he said.
“This methodology not only drives the increase in women’s income but also helps them make their lives easier and save more time to dedicate it to other situations that they have to face.”
“I was able to see how the gender approach works in what CIMMYT does. And I found that very, very shocking,” she expressed.
“Firsthand, I was able to see how the work the hubs do directly impacts farmers. And where it’s really interesting is that the managers have very good relationships with the farmers.”
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Every time we went to a plot, we initially planned only for one farmer, but sometimes we find like ten or fifteen and the hub manager has such a great relationship with them, he said.
“I think that’s really amazing,” said the Nigerian researcher.