For lots of people, 2011 will be remembered as the year famine re-emerged. In the Horn of Africa, 13 million persons—many of whom lived from farming and herding—had their lives irrevocably changed by the worst drought in more than 60 years. For resource-poor farmers, producing suffi cient food has always been a challenge. Besides weather-related and other natural disasters, they now face dire new diseases and pests, as well as rising prices for ferƟ lizer, seed, and fuel. All of the above means that CIMMYT’s mission—to sustainably increase the producƟ vity of maize and wheat systems and thus ensure global food security and reduce poverty—is more pertinent than ever before.