Meet the speaker - Dr Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT

Seeds of change: A systems-based approach to tackling world hunger 

A complex global picture 

Dr. Bram Govaerts is poised to make a return to the Oxford Farming Conference in 2025, revisiting nearly a decade after his seminal keynote in 2016. At that time, Govaerts, a leading figure in agricultural innovation, focused on the intersection of his research with the work of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), for which he is now Director General. His message back then was clear: to achieve the sustainable development goals, we need to complement advances in seed and crop development with the right agronomy practices - conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, and other sustainable methods. 

This philosophy was transformative, advocating for a holistic approach that extended beyond simply yield enhancements to include sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. Fast forward to 2025, Govaerts is set to elevate this message, emphasising the need for a systems-view approach that envelops the entire agri-food value chain, as well as reflects the complex global picture of escalating conflict, rising levels of poverty, and the climate crisis that is driving unprecedented levels of need. 

Calling for a system overhaul 

"We have realised that to make real progress, we don't just need to change the production systems, but require an entire agri-food system transformation,” explains Govaerts, signalling the importance of a comprehensive overhaul involving all stakeholders in the value chain. “To bolster food system resilience, we must ensure that all actors have a seat at the table and integrate these diverse perspectives, deliberately.” 

But despite the advancements already achieved, made possible via ongoing international collaboration and knowledge sharing, Govaerts recognises the critical challenge that is climate change, and its intensifying negative impact on agriculture. He explains, "We would be on a steady path to reduced hunger were it not for the drastic changes that climate change is presenting,” pointing to the emergence of new diseases, accelerated by climatic shifts, which pose severe threats to global food security. 

This “backdrop of a new conversation," as Govaerts describes it, highlights the need to reevaluate our approach to food systems in both a unified and intuitive manner.  

The case for investment 

“Increased investment in research and development is therefore imperative if we are to even keep up the pace” stresses Govaerts, “because new and emerging diseases are stagnating our progress and resulting in the status quo.” 

Pointing to ongoing projects from CIMMYT as an example, Govaerts says, “If we want to respond to climate change and generate sufficient nutrition, we must ensure that those opportunity or diversification crops such as sorghum, groundnuts, millets and chickpeas, are sufficiently bred for the right agronomic and nutrition characteristics – something which we are already looking at with the UK Government.” 

Addressing further requirements for a robust agri-food value chain, Govaerts points to the need for flexibility and dynamism, saying, “For too long, we have been channelling our efforts into overcoming setbacks in the food system, rather than doing more to prevent them in the first instance. With this new era, we must establish our systems with robust feedback mechanisms that facilitate timely adjustments, so that we can realign and course correct as soon as unintended effects are recognised.” 

Govaerts further explains, “We need to realise that what we do today is also going to have negative impacts, not because that is the desired outcome, but because anything you do has potential negative consequences.” The goal is to anticipate and mitigate these consequences as soon as possible, rather than waiting decades to address them.” 

CIMMYT has recently launched its 2030 strategy, taking the organisation’s legacy and tossing it forward to reflect the increasingly complex global scenario. A cornerstone of his OFC discourse, Govaerts will outline how the transition to a systems-based approach not only addresses agricultural productivity, but also considers broader factors such as nutrition, resilience, and climate adaptability.  

Tickets are now on sale for OFC25 which will take place from 8 to 10 January 2025. Find out more here.