Director General of CIMMYT visits CFC to explore collaborations
01 April 2025, Amsterdam. Dr. Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo), paid a visit to the CFC Secretariat today, where he was cordially received by Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Managing Director of the CFC. He was accompanied by Ms. Liesbet Vannyvel, Strategic Advisor Development and Engagement. Ambassador Belal was assisted by Mr. Nicolaus Cromme, Chief Operations Officer, and Ms. Julie Muraco, Consultant Praeditis Group.
The meeting focused on exploring avenues for potential collaboration between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). CIMMYT, a non-profit research-for-development organization, is dedicated to enhancing food security by developing improved wheat and maize varieties, promoting innovative agricultural practices to increase productivity, combat crop diseases, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The missions of CIMMYT and the CFC exhibit notable synergies and are mutually complementary.
During the discussions, Ambassador Belal presented CFC’s vision of humanizing the value chain to CIMMYT, emphasizing its potential to bring greater income to farmers. Dr. Govaerts acknowledged this as an excellent approach, even for staple commodities like maize and wheat, given its potential to enhance farmer profitability and sustainability. Ambassador Belal also highlighted CFC’s strong commitment to the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), an initiative that CIMMYT is actively advancing. Given CFC’s extensive experience and focus on regenerative agriculture, both institutions resolved to collaborate on implementing dedicated investment ideas under the VACS framework to drive impactful change.
Following an exchange of courtesies, Ambassador Belal provided Dr. Govaerts with a comprehensive overview of the CFC’s ongoing and forthcoming initiatives. In light of the prevailing global challenges, Ambassador Belal underscored the imperative for enhanced partnerships and international cooperation to generate tangible, sustainable impact. He emphasized the CFC’s concrete contributions to sustainable development and poverty alleviation, particularly during times of crisis, and reiterated the importance of collective action and strategic alliances in advancing these shared objectives.
In his remarks, Dr. Govaerts conveyed his deep appreciation for the impactful work undertaken by the CFC. He also outlined recent developments within CIMMYT and identified prospective areas for collaboration between the two organizations.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to remain in close contact and to pursue strengthened cooperation in promoting sustainable development through commodity-focused initiatives, particularly in advancing VACS and humanizing agricultural value chains for the benefit of smallholder farmers worldwide.
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[CFC Media Relations Team]
[Email: managing.director@common-fund.org]
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