International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) "grew out of a pilot program in Mexico in 1943, sponsored by the Government of Mexico and the Rockefeller Foundation...

"The project developed into an innovative, sustained collaboration with Mexican and international researchers. It established international networks to test experimental varieties. One of its researchers, Norman Borlaug, developed shorter wheat varieties that put more energy into grain production and responded better to fertilizer than older varieties. By the late 1950s, Mexico was self-sufficient in wheat production. Mexico’s success inspired project researchers to become fierce and effective advocates for the Mexican innovation model in other countries. In 1966, having survived one poor harvest but facing another, India took the extraordinary step of importing 18,000 tons of wheat seed from Mexico. The first evidence of success was the Indian wheat harvest of 16.5 million tons in 1968, compared with 11.3 million tons in 1967. Pakistan also began importing Mexican wheats. These two countries doubled wheat production between 1966 and 1971. The Green Revolution—which had by now extended to rice—had begun.

"The social and economic achievements of the Green Revolution were recognized worldwide when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Norman Borlaug in 1970. The following year, a small cadre of development organizations, national sponsors, and private foundations organized the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to spread the impact of research to more crops and nations. CIMMYT was one of the first international research centers to be supported through the CGIAR...

"CIMMYT achieves its mission with about 100 specialized research staff and 500 support staff from about 40 countries. The Center is funded by international and regional development agencies, national governments, private foundations, and the private sector. Major recent supporters include the World Bank, the USA, Switzerland, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Japan. Considerable resources are also provided by the governments of Mexico and other countries that host CIMMYT staff. We are especially grateful for unrestricted and long-term funding, which encourages flexibility and innovation in research."

Trustees (October 2007)
Accessed April 2008:


 * L. Lange (Chair)
 * Julio Berdegue (Vice Chair)
 * P. Brajcich (Vice Chair)
 * H. Azuma
 * U. Barwale-Zehr
 * S. Boettiger
 * I. Cakmak
 * T. Colijn-Hooymans
 * E. Cornish
 * S. Fernandez-Rivera
 * M. Iwanaga
 * R. Kiome

Contact

 * Web: http://www.cimmyt.org

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Walter Phillip Falcon
 * Cary Fowler
 * Mangala Rai