The impact of CIMMYT's outreach programs is largely dependent upon the quality of information, materials, training and coordination emanating from its core program in Mexico and from the highly effective cooperative network of national programs in countries with which it collaborates. The quality of this vast cooperative effort is mainly dependent upon the effectiveness of specific scientists, either nationals of a country or expatriate scientists employed by CIMMYT or by other organizations interested in increasing food production, especially in developing countries. CIMMYT believes that the effectiveness of these scientists can be further enhanced by bringing them together periodically to get better acquainted with each other, with the various programs and, above all, with the major problems that can best be solved locally, regionally or globally. Also, CIMMYT believes there is much to be gained from seeing the research and training activities underway in the core program. So, CIMMYT invited key maize and wheat scientists, working toward a greater efficiency in maize and wheat production in several areas of the world, to Mexico to participate in a workshop with the specific purposes of: 1. Reviewing the present research and training activities underway in the core program; 2. Promoting a better understanding among participants of work in progress and the common problems and limitations to maize and wheat production in the areas or regions in which they are working; 3. Discussing CIMMYT's role and how can this role be made more useful; 4. Planning ahead, regionally and globally; and 5. Discussing plans for a detailed symposium on each crop. The papers presented at the Maize workshop by participants from around the world are presented here. All the papers were edited for consistency of style, most were condensed, and some were revised and restructured. During the translation and editing, efforts were made to maintain the authors' emphases and philosophies.