HQ Legal Counsel
About the job
- A master’s degree/LL.M. is required.
- At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience as in-house legal counsel in a similar position, preferably supporting multijurisdictional or regional operations.
- Experience providing legal support to institutional matters, cross-functional initiatives, and strategic organizational priorities while collaborating with multiple departments and stakeholders.
- Knowledge of international legal frameworks and the ability to navigate complex, multijurisdictional legal environments.
- Ability to provide timely, practical, and effective legal and business advice across organizational levels, balancing legal risks with operational needs.
- A proven track record of managing complex legal matters and multiple priorities simultaneously, working under pressure, prioritizing competing demands, and consistently meeting deadlines.
- Organizational, writing, and communication skills, including the ability to explain legal concepts plainly to non-legal stakeholders.
- Computer skills including Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, and willingness to learn other programs and software as needed.
- High ethical standards and commitment to confidentiality and discretion.
- Attention to detail, urgency, proactive follow-up, and ability to deliver accurate results.
- Oral and written communication skills to communicate precisely and professionally with internal and external contacts.
- Proficiency in English and Spanish; English will be assessed, and candidates should score at least C2 on the CEFR.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion.
- Competencies in time management, flexibility and adaptability, customer orientation, proactivity, teamwork, achievement orientation, problem-solving, and multicultural awareness and sensitivity.
- Foreign national candidates must have legal documents to work in Mexico.
- Execute and coordinate end-to-end Contract Life Cycle Management, including development, drafting, review, negotiation, amendment, quality control, and archiving, for grants, subgrants, research collaboration agreements, consultancy and procurement contracts, leases, nondisclosure agreements, Host Country Agreements, and other legal instruments with national and international partners and service providers, supporting Headquarters functions and global operations.
- Provide timely, practical, business-oriented legal advice across the jurisdictions where CIMMYT operates, including corporate, regulatory, labor, tax, administrative, criminal, and litigation-related matters, with particular focus on institutional matters and Headquarters-supported operations.
- Provide proactive legal support and day-to-day advisory services to Headquarters departments, institutional functions, and operational units, including Research, Finance, HR, Procurement, and Operations, to help achieve institutional objectives in a compliant, risk-aware, and operationally efficient manner.
- Act as a legal focal point for Headquarters functions, programs, and departments, collaborating with Regional Legal Counsel to promote consistent interpretation and application of institutional policies, procedures, and legal frameworks across CIMMYT operations.
- Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements applicable to Headquarters functions and global operations, including providing legal support and expert advice on privacy and data protection, research, occupational health and safety, environmental regulations, and other relevant legal frameworks.
- Research and analyze treaties, laws, regulations, policies, and procedures across legal areas and jurisdictions applicable to CIMMYT operations; provide compliance advice and draft legal opinions, notes, letters, memoranda, and other legal documents on corporate, regulatory, labor, tax, administrative, and litigation matters.
- Provide legal support and expert advice on privacy and data protection, research, occupational health and safety, phytosanitary standards, and environmental regulations relevant to Headquarters functions and global operations.
- Monitor and follow up on assigned legal requests and department services using dashboards and KPI tools, prepare timely stakeholder updates, and ensure timely completion of legal service requests.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and chapters to develop and implement policies and procedures that ensure regulatory compliance and ethical practices in research and operational activities, and advise CIMMYT on potential impacts and compliance strategies.
- Identify and assess legal risks associated with institutional activities and operations, and develop practical risk-management strategies to mitigate liabilities and safeguard CIMMYT’s interests.
- Provide strategic, pragmatic, and collaborative daily legal advice to support business objectives in a compliant and ethical manner, and advise and support the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel on complex, cross-functional, and high-impact legal matters.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of legal workflows, guidelines, templates, and tools and ensure effective, timely legal service delivery across CIMMYT.
- Support Headquarters corporate governance, including issuance and management of powers of attorney, drafting and formalization of minutes, and other statutory obligations.
- Represent the Legal Department and CIMMYT before government authorities, external forums, partners, and stakeholders as required.
- Prepare educational materials for staff and stakeholders on institutional research policies and procedures; support drafting, review, implementation, communication, and updating of legal templates, policies, and procedures; and prepare guides and training materials and deliver training on Contract Life Cycle and Legal Department tools.
- Perform other related tasks within the job level as required by the supervisor.
- Provide guidance and support to assigned Legal Department staff, as applicable, coordinating legal activities, sharing knowledge, and ensuring timely delivery of assigned tasks.
- Experience in international nonprofit, development, research, or agricultural research organizations is an advantage.
- Experience supporting multijurisdictional or regional operations is preferred.
About the company
CIMMYT is the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center that conducts crop research and capacity building to improve maize and wheat yields and livelihoods. Its work spans germplasm and crop research (maize and wheat), socioeconomics, sustainable intensification, and capacity building, funded through CGIAR and partners. Its products include improved seed, data and research outputs, and capacity-building services, delivered via seed orders, data repositories, and knowledge platforms. The center differentiates itself through a global network focused on maize and wheat improvements, combining genetics, agronomy, and socioeconomic analysis to support smallholder farmers and food security. The goal is to advance science-based solutions to boost productivity, resilience, and nutrition across regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$750K
Headquarters
São Simão, Brazil
Founded
1966
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- OpenAI Foundation committed $60 million on September 14, 2026 for 100 million farmers.
- USDA awarded CIMMYT $40 million on February 20, 2026 for food-security research.
- Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, and IRRI partnerships expanded in 2026, broadening deployment channels and relevance.
What critics are saying
- CIMMYT still depends on donor awards like USDA’s $40 million and Gates funding.
- OpenAI Foundation funding ties success to fragile AI delivery, government adoption, and telecom reach.
- If national partners underdeliver on breeding, soil, or forecasting rollout, CIMMYT’s impact narrative collapses.
What makes CIMMYT unique
- CIMMYT’s 2026 breeding network with IRRI standardizes CGIAR pipelines across Southeast Asia.
- Its wheat and maize gene banks plus bioscience complex anchor global germplasm advantage.
- CIMMYT’s farmer-first science turns research into varieties, soil tools, and advisories.
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9%Sudan: rethinking agricultural advisory to improve food production. October 9, 2026 As conflict continues to disrupt livelihoods across Sudan, the Sustain Sudan Project is helping farmers rebuild food production by improving access to quality fertilisers, improved seeds, and agricultural services. The project supported the importation of 86% of the fertiliser used in Sudan during the 2025 winter season, reaching more than 100,000 farmers across 10 states. While access to essential agricultural inputs has improved significantly, many farmers still lack the technical guidance needed to use these resources effectively and maximise their harvests. To address gaps in Sudanese farmers' knowledge and skills on fertiliser use and soil fertility management, the Sustain Africa Initiative and CIMMYT organised an Agri-Advisory Content and Dissemination Development Workshop in Nairobi from 3-4 September 2026. The workshop brought together farmers, extension specialists, representatives across national, states and irrigation scheme levels, agrodealers, communication experts, and digital media influencers and content creators, Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), Universities, and experts from Sustain Africa and CIMMYT to identify information gaps and develop practical, evidence-based advice on good farming practices, focusing on improving fertiliser-use efficiency. "Farmers need more than seeds and fertiliser to succeed. They need access to reliable information and skills that help them make the best decisions for their farms," said Dr Kamaluddin Tijjani, CIMMYT's Cropping Systems Agronomist. "By strengthening agricultural advisory services, providing practical guidance on fertiliser use, and improving how information reaches farming communities, we can help farmers increase production, reduce losses, and improve their incomes," he elaborated. In New Halfa, the Sustain Africa Initiative and CIMMYT are helping farmers improve soil fertility and fertiliser use through hands-on demonstrations of sorghum and pigeon pea production. These learning sites allow farmers to test different practices, compare results, and make better farming decisions. "We thank Sustain African and CIMMYT for organising this important workshop, which enhanced our understanding of agricultural extension and the roles of different actors in the system," said Mr Mohamed Buami, Head of Agricultural Extension and Knowledge Transfer, Sudan Ministry of Agriculture. "This will help ensure extension services are more responsive to farmers' needs and better able to influence their decisions." Participants also explored how to share this information through channels such as print, SMS, radio, video, social media, and digital platforms. The workshop produced validated advisory content and a dissemination plan to help farmers access timely and relevant agricultural guidance. "At Alzeree Alsudani, we use digital tools, knowledge platforms, and AI-powered chatbots to make agricultural information more accessible to farmers. We also work with the General Administration for Technology Transfer and Agricultural Extension to strengthen extension officers' digital skills and help them reach more farmers through video and social media," said Mr El Amin Jaafer, founder of the Sudanese agricultural community Alzeree Alsudani (AZAS). Gaffer further added, "We believe digital transformation is not about replacing extension officers but empowering them to reach more farmers and deliver specialised agricultural knowledge in a practical and accessible way whenever it is needed." This effort builds on the achievements of the Sustain Sudan Project, which has played a vital role in supporting food production during Sudan's ongoing conflict. Through a market-based approach, the project has helped farmers access quality agricultural inputs essential for restoring local food production. "Farmers need more than inputs to succeed. They need reliable advice and practical skills to improve soil fertility and use fertilisers effectively. These skills help increase incomes, strengthen communities, and support sustainable farming for future generations," said Ms Basma Suliman, a leading woman farmer and entrepreneur from Sennar State. While addressing the closing ceremony of the Agri-Advisory Content and Dissemination Development Workshop, Sudan's Ambassador to Kenya, H.E Kamal Gubara, noted that Sudan appreciates Sustain Africa and CIMMYT support for agriculture in Sudan. "Sudan is one of the largest agricultural countries in the world, and we appreciate your efforts to equip and train farmers on modern cultivation technologies," he noted. During the first phase of implementation, the project facilitated the importation of 48,500 metric tons of fertiliser and 5,200 metric tons of certified seed potato, reaching more than 100,000 farmers across 10 states. Project-supported fertilizer accounted for approximately 86% of Sudan's total fertilizer imports, helping farmers continue producing food despite the severe challenges created by the conflict. While access to quality inputs is critical, farmers also need the knowledge to use them effectively. By strengthening agricultural advisory services and expanding access to practical, evidence-based information, CIMMYT can help farmers improve productivity, enhance soil health, and contribute to Sudan's long-term food security and resilience.
Science-based farming practices improve wheat productivity and resource efficiency in Mexico's Yaqui Valley. Results from wheat fields in the Yaqui Valley show that combining conservation agriculture, soil-informed fertilization and more efficient water management can increase yields while reducing resource use. Through their collaboration, Grupo Trimex and CIMMYT are generating evidence to help wheat farmers navigate increasingly challenging production conditions in northern Mexico. October 9, 2026 Sonora, Mexico, 2026. Producing more wheat is no longer the only challenge farmers are facing in the Yaqui Valley. The amount of water, fuel and fertilizer required to produce each ton of grain has become a critical factor in a region where water scarcity, soil degradation and rising production costs are putting increasing pressure on farmers' margins. In response, Grupo Trimex and CIMMYT are working with farmers in Sonora to bring science-based solutions into the field, adapting them to local knowledge and production conditions. Results from the 2025-2026 fall-winter growing season provide early evidence of the approach's potential. Across the innovation modules evaluated, improved farming practices reduced average fuel consumption by 42% and water use per unit of grain produced by 26%. Nitrogen use per ton of wheat declined by 34%, while yields reached 4 tons per hectare, compared with 3 tons under conventional management, representing a 27% increase. These results are not the product of a one-size-fits-all approach. Throughout the growing season, farmers and technicians worked with a portfolio of six broad innovations and 18 specific practices that can be adapted to the economic and agronomic conditions of individual fields. The options being evaluated include conservation agriculture, permanent raised beds, crop residue management, soil testing, fertilizer applications tailored to crop needs and growth stages, pest monitoring, land leveling and improved irrigation management. Decisions about which practices to implement are made following an assessment of each field. Field assessments help document the results of the practices implemented and generate evidence of their performance under real farming conditions. This approach marks an important shift for an agricultural system that has relied on intensive production methods to achieve high yields for decades. For Grupo Trimex, whose relationships with farmers are part of a value chain connecting agricultural production with the milling industry, the challenge is also to create the conditions for proven practices to reach a growing number of wheat producers. Roberto Miramontes, Head of Wheat Procurement at Grupo Trimex, explains that concerns over declining soil organic matter, water scarcity and production costs prompted the company to explore ways to expand the use of practices that some farmers had already begun adopting. "Working with science-based evidence allows us to rely on objective information, focus on what has been proven to work and demonstrate the results to farmers," he says. The initiative began during the 2024-2025 growing season with 17 farmers, covering 527 hectares. By the following season, participation had grown to 22 farmers and 1,078 hectares. Across the two growing seasons, the initiative reached a cumulative 1,605 hectares, with three demonstration modules and 11 extension areas. Conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient management are among the practices with the highest adoption rates. Improving nitrogen use efficiency is particularly important. The results show that nitrogen use per ton of wheat can be reduced by 34% without compromising yields. The next phase will focus on strengthening soil testing and mapping to provide more precise nutrient recommendations, addressing an input that offers considerable opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The initiative examines water, fertilizer and fuel use, alongside soil management, to identify approaches that can help sustain productivity. The findings also highlight the limits of what agronomic improvements alone can achieve. Despite gains in productivity and resource-use efficiency, farm profitability remains under pressure from wheat prices and production costs, underscoring the need to continue improving how inputs are used. Against this backdrop, producing each ton of wheat with fewer resources is becoming increasingly important. In Sonora, the collaboration among Grupo Trimex, CIMMYT and local farmers is helping connect scientific research with the decisions made in the field each growing season and the needs of a wheat value chain adapting to changing conditions. The evidence generated is helping refine farming practices while laying the groundwork for successful approaches to reach more producers over time. Although the results from this growing season do not eliminate the pressures facing wheat production, they offer an early indication of how farming systems can evolve to meet these challenges.
New initiative secures $60M from OpenAI Foundation to scale AI-powered forecasting to 100 million smallholder farmers. Sep. 14, 2026 The University of Chicago and UC Berkeley, CIMMYT, Precision Development, Digital Green, and AIM for Scale (through the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs) announced that they are receiving $60 million in funding from the OpenAI Foundation to expand access to AI-powered weather and crop disease forecasting tools for 100 million smallholder farmers across South and Southeast Asia and East Africa over the next three years. Smallholder farmers grow a third of the world's food and are central to ensuring food security across low- and middle-income countries. However, they often have limited access to the timely, localized information they need to make decisions about planting, harvesting, and protecting crops. Dry spells, storms, and disease outbreaks can wipe out a season's crops, and climate change is making these risks harder to predict. Better access to weather and crop disease information can help farmers anticipate these threats and take action to protect their crops and livelihoods. Advances in AI have the power to make this solvable at scale. AI weather models can now match the accuracy of traditional weather forecasts using tens of thousands of times less computing resources, lowering the cost of generating reliable and localized forecasts. AI can also help deliver forecasts and specific advice via text messages, calls, and chatbots across languages and regions, reaching farmers where they are. The partners will work with national meteorological agencies, governments, civil society organizations, and farmers to put these advances into practice. "Achieving food security in Indonesia requires a transformation of our agri-food systems based on our eco-region toward one that is more healthy, resilient, sustainable, and supported by technology and innovation," said Dr. Jarot Indarto, Director of Food and Agriculture at the National Development Planning Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas). "With most farmers in Indonesia being smallholders holding less than 0.5 hectares, localized weather forecasts can help them take preventive measures, reducing production risks, and improving productivity. This initiative represents an important step toward ensuring that technological innovation delivers tangible benefits for policymakers and farmers, and strengthens the resilience of Indonesia's agri-food systems." "Bringing together AI innovation and rigorous evidence from impact evaluations can turn a promising technology into a practical tool that reaches farmers when they need it most," noted Michael Kremer, 2019 Economics Nobel laureate and the Faculty Director of the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago. "What makes this initiative catalytic is that governments are leading the delivery. We think this effort truly has the potential to benefit hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers around the world." "Smallholder farmers have some of the most to gain from better weather and crop disease forecasts, and often the least room for error when those threats hit," said Anna Makanju, Head of AI for Civil Society & Philanthropy at OpenAI Foundation. "AI can put better, more localized information in farmers' hands earlier, giving them more time to make decisions that protect their crops and livelihoods. We're investing in partners with the expertise and local relationships to make that possible for millions of farmers." Civil Society & Philanthropy is a new OpenAI Foundation team dedicated to putting advanced AI to work on challenges facing people and communities globally. As part of this effort, The University of Chicago's Development Innovation Lab and UC Berkeley will support national meteorological agencies to tailor and operationalize AI weather models to deliver forecasts that are relevant to farmers. CIMMYT will invest in its wheat pathogen forecasting capabilities, using AI and NASA's Earth-observation data to surface outbreaks earlier. Alongside this, Precision Development will work with governments and civil society organizations to deliver forecasts and actionable advice, while Digital Green will integrate improved forecasts into FarmerChat, its AI agriculture advisory app used by over 2.1 million farmers, and feed farmer response back to the forecast teams. AIM for Scale will assist governments and multilateral development banks in linking successful pilots to large-scale financing, ensuring farmers have sustainable access to digital agriculture services at national scale. Together, these efforts will help bring AI-powered weather and disease forecasting and advisory services to 100 million farmers over the next three years.
Dryland Congress 2026 concludes with Delhi Declaration on drylands. ANI 13 Sep 2026, 11:00 GMT+ New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): The three-day Dryland Congress 2026 concluded in New Delhi with a call for greater South-South and triangular cooperation to accelerate solutions for dryland agriculture and the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D), the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said on Sunday. The declaration sets out a shared agenda for transforming dryland agriculture through collaboration, knowledge exchange, innovation and collective action across the Global South. It was endorsed at the closing plenary by participating governments, institutions, partners and delegates of the Dryland Congress 2026, the ministry said. Addressing the concluding session, ML Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, emphasised the need to bring foresight to the centre of efforts on dryland agriculture. He called for a strong institutional mechanism and said ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAP) should be mandated to lead foresight work on dryland agriculture. Jat also stressed the need for robust data and information systems for dryland agri-food systems, as well as common innovation grounds or living laboratories that connect research with practice and policy. Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, underlined the strategic importance of drylands for global food security and called for the deliberations of the past three days to be translated into concrete action. He emphasised the need to distil the deliberations and prioritise them into short- and long-term actions, moving from ideas to concepts and from concepts to concrete action and implementation by bringing together expertise, knowledge and camaraderie. The valedictory session also highlighted new partnerships and collaborations emerging from the Congress. New agreements and Memoranda of Understanding were announced with the Global Crop Diversity Trust. ICRISAT also exchanged MoUs with Avior Life Sciences, NIFTEM, Wipro Limited, and the Angul and Rayagada District Administrations of Odisha, further strengthening partnerships supporting innovation and action in dryland agriculture. The Co-Chairs of the Congress, Dr DK Yadava, DDG (Crop Science), ICAR, and Dr Stanford Blade, DDG (Research & Innovation), ICRISAT, presented a summary of the three-day deliberations and highlighted key outcomes and recommendations emerging from the conference. Earlier, the day opened with a commemoration ceremony for the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, featuring messages from the UN Secretary-General, the FAO Director-General and UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib. Pathak shared the vision of the International Solidarity for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) and highlighted the importance of strengthening partnerships across the Global South. Representatives of ICRISAT, ICAR, CGIAR, RIS, NABARD and the CGIAR Capacity Sharing Accelerator reaffirmed their commitment to advancing South-South cooperation for greater impact. This was followed by the session "Knowledge Without Borders: Advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation," convened with CGIAR. Two panel discussions examined approaches to making South-South and triangular cooperation effective and taking successful models to scale. Speakers from national agricultural research systems in Ethiopia, Senegal, Brazil, China and India, along with representatives from CGIAR, FARA and APAARI, shared experiences and perspectives. The Congress also witnessed the presentation of the ISSCA Global Awards 2026, an annual flagship initiative recognising proven agricultural innovations from institutions across the Global South with strong potential for scale and cross-country adaptation. The inaugural edition received 170 nominations from 34 countries across Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The ISSCA Global Award for Transformative Excellence (Mega Award) was presented to ICARDA, Lebanon, for TAAT Wheat Compact Technologies: Heat-Tolerant Wheat Varieties; CIMMYT, Mexico, for e-Agrology 360; and Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Government of Odisha, India, for Women-Led Sustainable Farming for Nutrition and Rural Resilience. The Crop Improvement & Production Technologies awards went to Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh, for BARI Chinabadam-9; University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India, for GPBD 4; and Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), Myanmar, for climate-smart, early-maturing chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties. The Natural Resource Management & Climate Resilience awards recognised the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture for Krishi Bhagya; NECTAR, India, for integrated banana pseudo-stem processing; Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, for rejuvenating Aahar-Pyne landscapes; and Sustainable Farming Solutions, Malawi, for digital land-restoration stewardship. The Agribusiness & Market Systems awards recognised BIID Foundation, Bangladesh, for e-Krishok; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for the TNAU-FPO Linkage Programme; and Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute for its Parabolic-Shaped Solar Dryer. The Digital Agriculture awards went to the Department of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, for the APMIP Digital Ecosystem and the Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation Department, Government of Gujarat, for Krushi Pragati. The Livestock Improvement & Production Technologies awards recognised WorldFish, Bangladesh, for its improved carp seed system and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya, for the Participatory Indigenous Chicken Breed Improvement Program (PIC-BIP). In addition, 16 Best Poster Awards were presented to students and research scholars, recognising promising research and emerging scientific talent in dryland agriculture. Held under the theme "Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation," the Congress concluded with a renewed commitment to translate scientific knowledge into action, scale proven innovations and strengthen partnerships for resilient and sustainable dryland agriculture across the Global South. (ANI)
IRRI and CIMMYT strengthen collaboration to accelerate delivery of climate-resilient crop varieties. September 10, 2026 Los Baños, Philippines / Texcoco, Mexico (10 September 2026) - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and CIMMYT are strengthening their collaboration to advance CGIAR's vision of a more integrated, efficient and data-driven crop breeding system. Through a new collaboration, led by CIMMYT with funding support from the Gates Foundation, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will provide substantial technical and operational contributions. The investment aims to modernize breeding pipelines across a portfolio of high-priority crop-and-region combinations, sharpening product profiles, improving trial design and data quality, and strengthening ties with national research systems, so that CGIAR and national breeding programs can advance and release new varieties faster and more predictably. The initiative is part of a broader CGIAR effort to modernize crop breeding systems and strengthen food security in low- and middle-income countries through Breeding for Tomorrow, CGIAR Science Program bringing Centers together around a shared vision for modern crop breeding. The partnership will leverage the complementary expertise of both CGIAR Centers to enhance crop breeding efficiency through shared services, common tools, harmonized processes, regional collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across CGIAR breeding networks in Southeast Asia. IRRI will play a central role in delivering technical, operational, and coordination support across these breeding networks. Key areas of collaboration include strengthening shared genotyping services, expanding the adoption of CGIAR's digital breeding tools, streamlining breeding workflows and logistics, and enhancing analytics and bioinformatics capacity across the network. Through its Genotyping Services Laboratory and Digital Solutions teams, IRRI will help deliver these priorities by providing CGIAR and partner breeders with access to shared breeding services and supporting the adoption of the Breeding Analytics Pipeline, Bioflow, and the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS). Together, these tools will enable more efficient, data-driven breeding decisions. The collaboration will also promote compliance with global standards for data sharing, intellectual property, and open access, ensuring that research outputs are widely accessible and can be effectively shared and reused. The project will also support capacity development and business process management to standardize operations across breeding programs and build long-term institutional capability. These activities will be coordinated and align with the vision of the Breeding Resources Area of Work within CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow, which provides world-class shared breeding and research services to CGIAR and national partner breeding teams worldwide. "Our partnership with IRRI has repeatedly shown what's possible when two of the world's leading crop research institutions align their expertise and move with urgency", said Dr Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT Director General. "This project builds on that track record, putting shared breeding infrastructure and technical know-how directly into the hands of CGIAR and national breeding programs, to reach farmers faster. Every improved variety we deliver sooner translates directly into food security and livelihood gains." The project is expected to deliver measurable outcomes, including operational genotyping services, improved sample logistics systems, increased uptake of digital breeding tools, and strengthened analytical capabilities across breeding programs. "This agreement highlights the significance of strong partnerships in achieving widespread impact," said Dr. Yvonne Pinto, IRRI Director General. "By leveraging our expertise and aligning with CGIAR's shared vision, we are developing more efficient, collaborative, and responsive breeding systems that meet the evolving needs of farmers and food systems worldwide." IRRI and CIMMYT will continue to engage closely with partners across Asia and Africa to support the implementation of the project and lay the groundwork for expanded efforts in future phases. About CIMMYT CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. About IRRI IRRI is dedicated to abolishing poverty and hunger among people and populations that depend on rice-based agri-food systems. Through its work and partnerships, CIMMYT aim to improve the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; promote environmental sustainability in a world challenged by climate change; and support the empowerment of women and the youth in the rice industry. IRRI is a member of CGIAR, the world's largest agricultural research partnership dedicated to a food-secure future. Disclaimers: This work aligns with CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow, under its Breeding Resources Area of Work.