Mexico
May 2, 2026
In a context of climate pressure, water scarcity, and challenges in science funding, PIEAES's support sets a precedent and underscores the urgency of strengthening investment in agricultural research.
Wheat production in northern Mexico today faces an unprecedented combination of challenges: water scarcity, climate variability, and increasingly complex market conditions. Added to this is a global environment of more limited funding for agricultural research, which puts the continuity of strategic programs at risk.
Faced with this scenario, CIMMYT’s working model in Sonora, based on collaboration between farmers, scientists, and institutions, takes on central importance for sustaining innovation and responding to the sector’s challenges.
Wheat harvest at the Norman E. Borlaug Experimental Field (CENEB), in southern Sonora, where CIMMYT research is validated directly in the field alongside farmers under real production conditions (Photo: CIMMYT).
During his visit to Ciudad Obregón, CIMMYT Director General Dr. Bram Govaerts met with farmers, researchers, and strategic partners through the Patronato para la Investigación y Experimentación Agrícola del Estado de Sonora (PIEAES), as well as with representatives from INIFAP, the state government, and stakeholders from the productive sector.
The agenda combined strategic dialogue with fieldwork, including tours of experimental plots, agronomic trials, and direct exchange sessions with farmers, where the wheat harvest was also witnessed alongside the scientists responsible for the research.
One of the central moments was the formal recognition of Sonora’s farmers, represented by PIEAES, for their extraordinary support of research at a critical time.
PIEAES’s backing proved decisive: at a moment when CIMMYT faced the possible closure of its durum wheat program, Sonora’s farmers stepped in immediately to prevent its interruption. However, the challenge persists. The continuity of this research still depends on a broader mobilization of resources, which has led to the development of new initiatives aimed at engaging the agro-industry, the private sector, and other stakeholders in an active role.
This support goes beyond the farmers’ historical contribution, which includes providing land and operational support at CENEB. It represents an uncommon model in which farmers themselves invest directly in the generation of knowledge.
What makes this decision even more significant is the context in which it was made. Despite facing adverse economic conditions resulting from recent cycles marked by drought, PIEAES was the only actor that committed immediate resources to sustain this line of research.
The visit also reaffirmed the relevance of the alliance between PIEAES, INIFAP, and CIMMYT, a key collaborative model for sustaining and scaling the impact of wheat research. This articulation between science, farmers, and public institutions has been fundamental to developing solutions that respond to real conditions in the field.
Wheat harvest at the Norman E. Borlaug Experimental Field (CENEB), in southern Sonora, where CIMMYT research is validated directly in the field alongside farmers under real production conditions (Photo: CIMMYT).
During his meeting with the team in Ciudad Obregón, Dr. Bram Govaerts highlighted the importance of maintaining focus on execution, collaboration, and generating impact in a context of financial pressure. He emphasized that the work carried out in Sonora is fundamental to sustaining innovation, and that it is the farmers themselves who, through their support, allow this research to continue.
Looking ahead, CIMMYT called on other actors in the value chain, including agro-industry, exporters, and governments, to join this effort. The value generated by wheat innovation extends beyond primary production, and its sustainability requires broader shared responsibility.
In particular, agro-industry and the private sector have a key role to play. The Sonora experience demonstrates that it is possible to build models in which investment in science aligns with benefits throughout the value chain, strengthening both production and the quality and competitiveness of the grain.
At the same time, a challenge was put forward to farmers: to lead the transition toward more sustainable, regenerative, and cost-efficient wheat production systems, grounded in decades of research developed in the region. This transformation depends on collaboration between farmers, research institutions such as CIMMYT and INIFAP, and key organizations such as PIEAES, AOASS, and other players in the agri-food chain in the region.
The Sonora experience shows that the sustainable transformation of agri-food systems in Mexico is built through collaboration between science, farmers, and public policy, aligning capabilities to respond to increasingly urgent challenges. This model not only makes it possible to face current conditions in the field, but also contributes to the stability of food production and food security at a global level.
Dr. Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT Director General, with wheat physiologist Carolina Rivera and research associate Ana Rosa García López, during a visit to experimental plots in Sonora where solutions to the sector’s challenges are developed and validated (Photo: CIMMYT).
In a context where climate pressure, resource scarcity, and funding limitations continue to intensify, the resilience of the agri-food system will depend on the ability to strengthen these partnerships and broaden the participation of all stakeholders. What is happening in Sonora makes it clear that moving in this direction is not optional. It is a necessity for the future of the sector.
Topics
Species
