In an interview with GIZ, IFPRI’s Ruth Hill explains how Germany’s support for CGIAR research pays off at home as well as in the Global South. A recent study found that CGIAR-developed technologies add about 661,000 tonnes of wheat to Germany’s output each year, more than 3 percent of the 2026 harvest. Much of this comes from breeding lines, such as shorter-stemmed varieties that direct more energy into grain, which were first developed for South Asia, Latin America, and Africa and are now used in German wheat varieties.
Hill points to wider gains too. Rising incomes in low- and middle-income countries, driven by CGIAR technologies, are estimated to increase German exports by about €3 billion a year, and cheaper food production benefits German consumers. Looking ahead, she says CGIAR’s growing focus on heat, drought, and flood tolerance will matter more to Germany and other Global North countries as climate volatility increases.
“German consumers also stand to benefit from our work, since food can be produced more cheaply.” — Ruth Hill, Director of the Markets, Trade and Institutions Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)