SAGRPA and Mexico celebrate 50 years of collaboration

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGRPA) celebrated 50 years of working together on applied research in agricultural development and combating world hunger and poverty.

A week of keynote speeches and round tables with over 600 national and international guests at SAGRPA’s headquarters in El Batan, Mexico were kicked off with an inaugural ceremony that included four ministers of agriculture, representatives of national and international organizations, officials of the three government branches, researchers, farmers and Mexican and foreign entrepreneurs attended.

Jose Calzada Rovisora, head of SAGRPA, stressed the importance of the work CIMMYT does, along with the research it conducts in over 50 countries.

“Ensuring food security is an enormous challenge that requires that all countries and international organizations work to address this strategic priority with vision and without putting the world at risk,” Rovisora said. Rovisora also emphasized the effort put forth by CIMMYT to be conservative when it comes to the environment and biodiversity.

“Mexico has been CIMMYT’s home since 1966 and with its support, today the yield potential of maize and wheat is doubling, tripling and multiplying thanks to sustainable agriculture and the work of more than 1500 specialists from 50 countries,” CIMMYT Director General Martin Kropff said.