CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods

05/05/2026

"I can harvest earlier or grow bigger fish. Either way, I earn more."

Amit Joarder is one of 300,000 farmers in Bangladesh who switched to an improved rohu strain in 2025. Profits up 25%. No extra land. No additional feed costs. A fish that simply grows 32% faster.

A decade of research at WorldFish made it possible and together we are developing the next generation, targeting 50% faster growth by 2028.

What does a 25% income increase change for a farming family?

👇 Full story in the first comment.

CGIAR Scaling for Impact CGIAR

25/04/2026

Today is .

Last year, women in Uganda's pig sector bought land with their earnings. Others built homes.

The turning point: ILRI, CGIAR and Ripple Effect gave them weigh-bands so they knew what their animals were worth before any buyer named a price. Certified animal health workers got lab coats and badges. Community radio challenged the norms.

👇 Full story in the first comment.

17/04/2026

We are proud to announce the three winners of the SAAF Innovation Challenge 2026.

The challenge asked early-career scientists across CGIAR to submit their boldest research ideas for animal and aquatic food systems. Three proposals stood out.

Christian Tiambo and his team from ILRI and WorldFish are using stem cell technology to turn a single biopsy from an African chicken or fish into a living genetic resource.

Edwin Oyieng' at ILRI is building an immune atlas to help breeders select sheep that resist parasites without drugs.

Rosa Jauregui at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is mapping the genes in tropical grasses that suppress methane emissions from livestock.

Each team receives up to USD 70,000 and nine months to test their idea. Follow us for updates as the research progresses.

Read the full story: https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/news/saaf-names-three-winners-its-2026-innovation-challenge

14/04/2026

A fishing family in Kampong Thom, Cambodia, was catching 170 kilograms of fish a year. Twelve months after a community fish refuge opened near their village, they were catching 250.

+47%. One year.

That result is now written into Cambodia's 2025–2030 Food Systems Roadmap. Fish supplies more than half the animal protein Cambodians eat. It took 12 years of WorldFish and CGIAR community-led science to get aquatic foods into national development planning for the first time.

Children in Kampong Thom and Prey Veng are eating school meals made with fish powder, produced by local cooperatives from the same waters.

What does it take for the people feeding a country to see their work written into national law?

👇 Full story in the first comment.

08/04/2026

Science has never been clearer: transforming food systems is essential to human, animal, and planetary health. 💡 Real solutions emerge when we rethink food systems holistically—from production to consumption.

According to scientists at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, crop pests and diseases already destroy 17–30% of global yields each year—and climate change will only make this worse.

While increasing pesticide use may seem like a quick fix, it ultimately weakens the long-term resilience of food systems and poses significant risks to both human health and ecosystems, as highlighted by the EAT-Lancet Commission and the Earth Commission. 🌾 Safeguarding biodiversity, adopting agroecological approaches, and improving livestock management must therefore serve as first lines of defense in sustainable food systems—core principles of a approach.

Evidence from the initiative—a collaborative effort between the Alliance and Cirad - La recherche agronomique pour le développement—shows that reducing pesticide use can not only lower risks, but also improve farmer incomes, protect communities, and restore biodiversity. 🔗 https://allbiociat.org/48iYJgl

Applying a One Health lens places plant protection at the heart of food systems transformation, with pesticide reduction sitting at the intersection of human health 🔬, environmental sustainability 🌍, equitable livelihoods 🌱, and trade 🌐— making it a powerful lever for systemic change.

This is why the in Lyon, as part of the French G7 Presidency, is so important—a global moment where the Alliance will exchange ideas, forge collaborations, and shape actionable strategies to strengthen resilience and health worldwide.

👉 Follow along as we share insights shaping this work: https://allbiociat.org/4tgqpKV

CGIAR | CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods | World Health Organization (WHO)

08/04/2026

06/04/2026

🔬 Science has never been clearer: transforming food systems is essential to human, animal, and planetary health. How we produce, distribute, and consume food today is generating disease risk across crops, animals, and people. 💡 But sustainable food systems are also where solutions lie.

Science must guide policy and practice, supported by international frameworks that embed principles into food systems governance.

This is why the happening today in Lyon, France, is so critical—a global moment to bring together governments, scientists, private sector leaders, and civil society to accelerate actionable solutions.

👉 Follow along for insights: https://oneplanetsummit.fr/en/events-16/one-health-summit-305

06/04/2026

CGIAR will take part in the in Lyon, contributing a food systems perspective to discussions on the links between human, animal and environmental health. CGIAR’s work on focuses on research and innovation that reduce shared risks, strengthen resilience and support healthier outcomes through sustainable food systems.

At the Summit, Dr Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI, will speak on the role of livestock and agrifood research in advancing One Health approaches, highlighting the importance of integrated, evidencebased solutions developed in close partnership with countries and communities.

🗓️ 5-7 April
📍 Lyon, France
📄 See the schedule 👉 https://on.cgiar.org/4sHGg5h

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods

04/04/2026

28/12/2025