The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Cimmyt) has launched a programme “Sustainable intensifi cation of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in eastern and southern Africa” (SIMLESA), Cimmyt reports in April 2010. The programme aims to increase household and regional food security and incomes, as well as economic development, in eastern and southern Africa, through improved productivity from more resilient and sustainable maize-legume farming systems.

The overall objective is to sustainably increase the productivity of selected maize-legume systems in eastern and southern Africa by 30 percent from the 2009 average for each target country by the year 2020 and at the same time reduce seasonal down-side risks by 30 percent. The programme started in January 2010. Work is being funded with 20 million US dollars from the  Australian Government, and forms part of the Government’s new, four-year Food Security through Rural Development initiative.

(Cimmyt/ib)