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CIMMYT has developed such partnerships, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with
Monsanto and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), to deliver transgenic maize
hybrids with improved drought tolerance (under the ongoing project Water‐Efficient Maize for Africa—
WEMA), and with Pioneer Hi‐Bred (under the ongoing Improved Maize for African Soils—IMAS), to
deliver hybrids with improved yield under conditions of extremely low nitrogen fertility. These projects
can serve as models for MAIZE transgene development efforts. They use humanitarian support to move
events destined for commercial markets into African‐adapted germplasm. Work on gene introgression,
variety development, and testing is shared among the companies, CIMMYT and NARSs. Products are
made available to poor smallholders through humanitarian licensing arrangements, wherein private
partners forgo royalties or technology fees in target countries. These examples show that private
partners are eager to participate in such projects so that their proprietary technologies can benefit poor
smallholders—increasing their productivity, incomes and eventually their ability to profitably purchase
hybrid seed and other inputs.
The comparative advantages and roles of CIMMYT, IITA, and public and private sector MAIZE partners in
transgenic variety development and deployment currently comprise the identification of relevant
problems requiring transgenic solutions, testing of events under appropriate conditions, sourcing of elite
germplasm for transgene introgression, and the development of broad scientific and development
partnerships required for successful transgene deployment in target countries. MAIZE will only engage
in public‐private partnerships (PPPs) supporting transgenic variety development after careful needs
assessment, determination of availability of relevant solutions that will likely meet a high level of
acceptance, and a rigorous cost‐benefit analysis.
Communications strategy and knowledge management
MAIZE will rely on effective bi‐directional interaction with stakeholders, including clients (researchers,
information and technology providers, policy makers, leaders, and other development partners), target
beneficiaries (farmers, consumers, the public) and investors.
In addition to employing well‐established mechanisms—socioeconomic and client surveys, trial data,
workshops, site visits—MAIZE will use active and passive input to Web platforms and cell phone
technology to expand the range of opportunities for obtaining systematic feedback from clients and
beneficiaries on the quality and relevance of its products. An example of implementing new feedback
mechanisms in the current agenda is the use of ICT tools, as described in SI 3 and SI 5. Process
evaluation and socioeconomic surveys will contribute to adjusting feedback approaches and capturing
most relevant mechanisms as part of KPIs.
One of the major emphases of MAIZE will be to communicate, educate, and increase the awareness of
development partners about products and their availability—using the Web, publications, policy papers,
trial summaries, germplasm information, e‐based learning modules and meetings (all of which are
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