Wheat for the world – global efforts delivering locally
February 12, 2026
Dr Velu Govindan, Principal Scientist and Wheat Breeder from CIMMYT, is in Australia to deliver the Crawford Fund for Food Security’s Derek Tribe Address.
Dr Govindan received the 2025 Derek Tribe Award in recognition of his work in plant breeding and genetics. His pioneering work on accelerating genetic gains in wheat has led to the release of over two dozen climate-resilient, zinc-enriched wheat varieties, significantly benefiting farmers across South Asia, Africa and Latin America, highlighting his influence on global food security.
As part of the award, Dr Govindan is in Australia visiting agricultural centres to enhance networking and linkages between CIMMYT and universities, industry organisations and researchers in Australia. His focus is on sharing updates about CIMMYT’s global wheat research and development strategy – particularly in relation to climate change, food security and the importance of global partnerships and new technologies in delivering impact.
Speaking at the University of Western Sydney, Dr Govindan said, “Accelerating genetic gains is essential for food security in a changing climate. Modern wheat breeding – combining global germplasm exchange, advanced phenotyping, and data-driven decision tools – is critical to sustainably closing yield gaps while managing rising climate and disease risks.”
Improving food and nutrition security is a key focus at CIMMYT, with Dr Govindan leading biofortification efforts targeting boosted zinc levels in grain in CIMMYT wheat breeding pipelines for varieties particularly targeted for South Asia and Africa. Wheat is a staple food for much of the global population and biofortification increases the concentration of zinc in wheat grains which in turn increases its nutritional value.
“Global partnerships deliver local impact. Long-standing collaborations between CIMMYT, Australia, and international partners have been instrumental in translating global genetic diversity into farmer-ready varieties, demonstrating the value of open science and shared learning,” he said.
“And finally, innovation and capacity building go hand in hand. The future of wheat improvement depends not only on new technologies – such as AI-enabled prediction and genomics – but also on strengthening human capacity and next-generation breeders worldwide,” said Dr Govindan.
“I am honoured to receive this esteemed award, and to join colleagues in Australia to promote further collaboration to improve food and nutrition security,” he concluded.
“The Crawford Fund congratulates Dr Govindan on his lasting impact on global food security and natural resource management. We are proud to be highlighting his work with the Derek Tribe Address, his visit, and to further raising awareness of the benefits to Australia and developing countries of agricultural research for food and nutrition security,” said Shaun Coffey, CEO, the Crawford Fund for Food Security.
“This award recognises the distinguished contributions of a citizen of a developing country to the application of research in agriculture or natural resource management in a developing country or countries. These people are often unsung heroes in their fields, with long and dedicated service that has incredible impact,” concluded Shaun.
