CIMMYT wins 2025 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development

By AI, Created 5:24 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Kuwait Fund for the Advancement of Sciences has named CIMMYT the 2025 Al-Sumait Prize recipient for its decades of work on food security and climate-resilient crops in Africa. The award spotlights research and seed systems that have reached more than 9.2 million households across the continent.

Why it matters: - The award recognizes science that has moved from research plots to farms, helping African farmers cope with droughts, floods and pest outbreaks. - CIMMYT’s work has reached more than 9.2 million households, giving the organization a large footprint in efforts to strengthen food security and agricultural resilience across Africa. - The recognition reinforces the case that climate-smart crop breeding and local seed systems are central to long-term humanitarian response, not just agricultural development.

What happened: - The Kuwait Fund for the Advancement of Sciences named CIMMYT the recipient of the 2025 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development. - The prize honors the legacy of the late humanitarian Dr. Abdurrahman Al-Sumait. - CIMMYT announced the award on May 12, 2026, from Texcoco, Mexico. - The formal award ceremony is scheduled for December 2026 in Kuwait.

The details: - CIMMYT has spent more than five decades turning agricultural science into practical tools for farmers. - The organization has developed and scaled stress-tolerant crop varieties, including drought-tolerant maize and climate-resilient wheat. - In 2025, CIMMYT supported tens of thousands of African farmers planting climate-resilient crops to help withstand El Niño conditions. - CIMMYT works in more than 20 African countries with national research systems, development partners and farming communities. - The organization’s climate-smart solutions have helped improve food production, strengthen seed systems and build local capacity for long-term resilience. - CIMMYT says its approach is designed to complement emergency humanitarian action by reducing vulnerability before crises hit. - The organization also works through local partners and national institutions to add durable, science-based capacity in fragile and food-insecure settings.

Between the lines: - The prize signals growing recognition that food security in Africa depends on both emergency aid and investments in agricultural systems that can absorb shocks. - CIMMYT’s award also underscores the value of local partnerships, since seed delivery, farmer adoption and resilience gains depend on national research and community networks. - Dr. Bram Govaerts, CIMMYT’s director general, said the prize belongs to the scientists, staff, farmers and partners who have worked to build food security in Africa.

What’s next: - CIMMYT will formally receive the prize at the December ceremony in Kuwait. - The award is likely to further elevate CIMMYT’s role as a partner to humanitarian and development organizations working in high-risk agricultural regions. - CIMMYT says the recognition strengthens its resolve to keep building long-term capacity so communities can move beyond survival and into stability.