Agricultural researchers should spend more time improving local seeds and less time developing hybrids from "outside", farmers in West Africa have said.

And research should broaden from narrow concerns such as improving a single crop to wider studies that take into account the environment in which farmers operate, they said.

The 50 farmers and fishermen were delivering their verdict on the future of food and agricultural research during one of two citizens’ juries — decision-making tools that seek the opinions of members of the public on key issues — in Sélingué, Mali, earlier this month (11–17 January). Read more