Italy’s CREA and Mexico’s CIMMYT strike deal to develop climate-resilient wheat

Italy’s Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) and Mexico’s International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to collaborate on developing new wheat varieties better suited to warmer, drier climates.

The agreement, formalized in Rome on September 29, brings together two institutions with deep roots in agricultural innovation. It combines CIMMYT’s expertise in breeding wheat for arid environments with CREA’s experience in improving varieties adapted to the Mediterranean climate and meeting the quality standards of Italy’s pasta industry.

“This agreement allows us and our CIMMYT colleagues, heirs to the legacies of Strampelli and Borlaug, to join forces to make cereals more productive and resilient to climate change,” said Andrea Rocchi, president of CREA. He added that the partnership will build on recent advances in genetic research and sustainable farming practices.

Karim Ammar, who heads the durum wheat breeding program at CIMMYT, said the collaboration “represents an extraordinary opportunity to merge CIMMYT’s global experience with CREA’s long-standing tradition of excellence in wheat breeding.”

Under the deal, the organizations will cooperate in four main areas: developing new varieties, sharing technology and data, exchanging genetic materials, and conducting joint training programs. The initiative also provides for mutual access to advanced research methods, including genomic selection and marker-assisted breeding, and promotes sustainable agronomic practices such as conservation agriculture and efficient water use.

Founded in 1966 and part of the CGIAR network, CIMMYT maintains the world’s largest maize and wheat germplasm bank and has played a central role in global food security efforts. Many of the durum wheat varieties grown in Italy today trace their origins to CIMMYT’s breeding work in Mexico. CREA, through its Cereal Research Center in Foggia, continues a century-long Italian tradition of wheat improvement that began with agronomist Nazareno Strampelli, whose work laid the foundation for modern wheat breeding.

The memorandum establishes a framework for project-based cooperation, with each initiative governed by specific agreements detailing funding, governance, and data-sharing provisions. Research results will be made available as public goods, in line with CGIAR’s open-access policies.

Both institutions see the partnership as a way to strengthen the resilience of global wheat supply chains. By linking Mexico’s research expertise with Italy’s agricultural and industrial know-how, the CREA–CIMMYT alliance aims to deliver varieties that meet the twin demands of climate adaptation and food quality.