The CRP MAIZE was launched in 2011 as a global alliance to improve food security and livelihoods through maize. Its mission is to double maize productivity and increase incomes from more productive, resilient and sustainable maize systems. It focuses on low-income countries through 10 strategic initiatives addressing issues like abiotic and biotic stresses, post-harvest management, and unlocking genetic diversity. The CRP partners with over 340 institutions and aims to meet the growing global demand for maize through 2030 by increasing productivity 33% and supplying enough maize for 600 million more consumers. It uses competitive grants and impact-oriented research to achieve its goals.

1. What Is CRP MAIZE?
GCP General Research Meeting
Lisbon 27 September,2013

2. Alliance of ~350 Partners launched by
CGIAR on July 6, 2011
MAIZE CRP:
Global Alliance for Improving Food Security and
Livelihoods of the Resource-Poor in the Developing World
Products
(novel tools
technologies,
ideas,
knowledge,
methodologies,
policies
Partners
(CG centers,
NARES, ARIs,
private
sector, SROs,
NGOs, CBOs
Strategic
Initiatives
(science
based action)

3. Mission
To double the [crop] productivity, and
significantly increase the incomes and
livelihood opportunities from more productive,
resilient and sustainable maize-based farming
systems on essentially the same land area, and
as climates change and the costs of fertilizer,
water, and labor increase.
Sustainably increase the productivity
of maize and wheat systems to
ensure global food security and
reduce poverty
CIMMYT CRP

4. How was MAIZE developed?
• Day-to-day feed-back from collaboration with > 220 / 340 institutions
• 1:1 Consultations with major maize producing/consuming countries
• Group consultations and collaborative planning in a large number of
recent bilateral projects
• Updated food demand, production and price predictions provided by
IFPRI (March, 2010)
• Maize systems analysis: focus is on areas in low and lower middle
income countries not targeted by the private sector or alternative
suppliers
• Dissemination of draft strategies to >350 organizations from the public
and private sector

5. Mission
CRPs
SIs
Projects
Conceptualization of MAIZE

6. The Menu Card:
MAIZE Strategic Initiatives (SIs) and Targeting: 10 point agenda
Focus
1.Technology and market-limited farmers in
stress prone areas
2.Technology-limited smallholder farmers
with capacity to strongly increase maize
productivity
1. Socioeconomics and policies for
maize futures
2. Sustainable intensification and
income opportunities for the poor
3. Smallholder precision agriculture
4. Stress tolerant maize for the poorest
5. Towards doubling maize productivity
6. Integrated postharvest management
7. Nutritious maize (with CRP4)
8. Seeds of discovery – unlocking the
black box of genetic diversity
9. New tools and methods for NARS
and SMEs
1-9. Strengthening local capacities

7. SI 1: Socioeconomics, technology targeting, systems
research, connecting farmers to markets
Lead: CIMMYT-SEP

8. SI 2: Maize-based cropping systems
Lead: CIMMYT-GCAP & SEP
Projects: SIMLESA, SIMLEZA, MasAgro, CSISA
Target: SSA; LA; S Asia

9. SI 3: Precision agriculture, especially for smallholders -
Decision guides, Mechanization, Processing, Energy practices
to conserve resources
Lead: CIMMYT-GCAP

10. SI 4 (Abiotic): Drought, heat, water logging, acidity, cold,
nutrient deficiencies
Lead: CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: DTMA-III, WEMA, IMAS, USAID-Heat, NSIMA-III, AAA,
AMDROUT, ATMA, HTMA, DBT-GEO, Fenalce
Target: SSA, Asia, LA

11. SI 4 (Biotic): leaf blights, MSV, GLS, DM, BLSB, PFSR,
rust, insect pests
Lead: CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: IRMA-III, ISMA, HMRP

12. SI 5: Doubling maize yields in tropical environments
Lead: CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: IMIC-LA, IMIC-Asia
Target: LA, Asia, SSA

13. SI 6: Integrated post-harvest management
Lead: IITA + CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: EGSP-II, IRMA-III
Target: SSA

14. SI 7: Nutritious maize, bio-fortified maize varieties
Lead: CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: NuME, H+ Maize
Target: SSA, LA

15. SI 8: Unlocking the genetic diversity in maize genetic resources
Lead: CIMMYT-GRP
Project: SeeD (Seeds of Discovery)
Target: Global

16. SI 9: Precision phenotyping, DH, GS, Bioinformatics
Lead: CIMMYT-GMP
Projects: GS Project, DH-Africa, Limagrain-DH
Target: Global

17. Funding for MAIZE CRP
Window 1
• Least restricted
• Fund Council sets overall priorities and allocates resources to
specific CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs), to achieve the CGIAR
mission
Window 2
• Designated by Fund Donors to one or more specific CRPs.
• Donors may allocate funds for each CRP. Funds for a given CRP,
flow to the Lead Implementing Center.
Window 3
• Most restricted
• Fund Donors allocate money to specific Centers. Neither the
Consortium nor the Fund Council makes decisions about the use of
Window 3 funds.

18. MAIZE Partners
• 342 partners (179
funded/with formal
agreements)
• NARS: 130 (70)
• Universities: 75 (38)
• ROs and IOs: 18 (6)
• ARIs: 21 (4)
• Private sector: 46 (22)
• NGOs and CBOs: 42 (4)
• CG host countries: 11
(11)
MAIZE is contracted by the
Consortium Board to CIMMYT as
the Lead Center.
MAIZE MC Member Institutions:
CIMMYT, IITA, KARI, SAGARPA, SFSA
Criteria for MAIZE MC member
institutions:
Selected institutions which through
their mission, skills, and resources
provide major research
contributions to MAIZE, dedicate
significant staff and resources to the
objectives of MAIZE, and contribute
to the evolution of the MAIZE
strategy.

19. Targeting
Focus
1. Technology and market-limited
farmers in stress prone areas
2. Technology-limited smallholder
farmers with leverage to strongly
increase maize productivity
Areas not targeted by the private sector
Estimated reach
Based on Hyman et al (2008)
64% of the maize area in low and middle
income countries
660-830 million (>90%) maize-dependent
poor
62 million (1/3 of all) stunted children

20. • Uncontrolled area expansion
threatens forests and hill slopes
• FAO: 20% arable land expansion
possible
• Maize area grows at 2.2% annually
• Need for sustainable intensification
Specific challenges to MAIZE

21. Annual yield fluctuations FAOSTAT (2010)
• >80% is grown under rainfed
conditions
• Farmers have very good reasons why
they grow maize and why they grow
it rainfed - productivity, labor,
economics, multi-use.
• Large annual yield fluctuation => Risk
of price hikes, food insecurity
Year
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Grainyield(tha
-1
)
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
Maize
Rice
Wheat
USD 1-2 billion food aid annually
Specific challenges to MAIZE

22. Projected Temperature Increases
Up to 23% of South Asia’s maize crop could will be lost due to higher
temperatures by 2050.

23. Demand for maize in the
developing world will double by
2050
Population growth
Livestock revolution: meat & dairy
Use of maize for biofuel
Maize imports for developing
country will increase 24% by
2050 – equalling USD 30 billion
World Market export prices for
maize are expected to almost
double over the next 20 years
http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/rr-
exploring-food-price-scenarios-010611-en.pdf
Demand for Maize

24. Grand Challenge to MAIZE
“In the next 50 years we will need to produce as much food as
has been consumed over our entire human history.”
Megan Clark, CEO of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO), Australia

25. MAIZE EXPECTED OUTCOMES
1. Maize productivity growth of 33%
by 2030.
2. Enough maize for 600 million more
maize consumers by 2030.
3. More productive, resilient and
sustainable farming systems.
Source: MAIZE proposal, and excerpt from ‘Update on CGIAR Research & Results’,
F. Rijsberman, 2 November 2012

26. Opportunity for Maize
Researches and Partners

27. Competitive Grants Initiative
(MAIZE Partnership Strategy)
-extend its current partnerships to capture a wider range of innovative ideas, increase
the quality of the research, and integrate the skills of the most able and well-connected
members towards the Vision of Success.
-allow scientists world-wide to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building
activities that will make a significant contribution to the vision of success of MAIZE.
Real money is flowing-2.5M/yr.
Year 1: Competitive Grants Initiative  37 partners
Year 2: Competitive Grants Initiative  19 topics (on going review
of Concept Notes.)

28. Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN)
Male parent severely affected
Female parent stunted
& premature drying
Farmer’s field in Tanzania
Farmer’s field in Bomet  Pathogen diagnosis jointly
undertaken by CIMMYT-KARI-
Ohio State University team as
MLN (MCMV + SCMV)

29. MLN-resistant inbred lines

30.  Impact-oriented strategic and applied research
 Prioritization of activities (Resources, Scope and Time)
 Interacting and responding to our stakeholders much more
than before
 Interdisciplinary interaction to deliver defined outputs in the
various SIs
Jointly creating a path to success

31. Thank You!
Contact:
www.maize.org