Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:23:38 +0100https://www.cirad.fr/en/press-area/press-releases/2025/cirad-montpellier-muralThe first artists chosen for a residency in Bandjoun, graduates of the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Montpellier, Paul Rousseau and Pauline Pagès-Lloberas, were given a public commission for a mural at CIRAD. The resulting work was inspired by plants and by the world surrounding line 5, the latest in Montpellier public tram network. The artists used the pastel colours, designs and compositions they had worked on during their residency in Cameroon with Barthélémy Toguo.Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:23:38 +0100https://www.cirad.fr/en/press-area/press-releases/2025/chocolate-cocoa-sector-needs-to-adaptA timeless product and the highlight of shop shelves as Christmas approaches… chocolate has been popular for thousands of years, but the cocoa sector is now facing numerous challenges, including climate change, diseases, and insecurity for producers. The issue is not simply ensuring chocolate is under the Christmas tree, but above all supporting a sector that provides a livelihood for millions of people worldwide.Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:00:32 +0100https://www.cirad.fr/en/press-area/press-releases/2025/sustainable-rubber-growing-roadmapHevea is the main source of natural rubber, and is vital for a number of industrial sectors, notably the tyre industry, which uses 70% of total global output. CIRAD conducts substantial amounts of research on the value chain, and has released a roadmap containing four main ambitions for the coming decade. Rubber growing faces a range of social, economic and environmental challenges, and needs to accelerate its transition to greater sustainability.Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:47:47 +0100https://www.cirad.fr/en/press-area/press-releases/2025/pl-ntbert-artificial-intelligence-biodiversityA study by CIRAD, INRIA, the University of Montpellier and several French and European partners has demonstrated the merits of a language model applied to plants for understanding plant communities and mapping natural habitats in Europe. It was one of the first studies to use an artificial intelligence model to characterise plant communities on a large scale.Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:29:39 +0100https://www.cirad.fr/en/press-area/press-releases/2025/cop30-issues-agricultureCOP30 will be held from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, northern Brazil. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the international community has reached a crucial stage in terms of succeeding in fulfilling its commitments. This COP, in the heart of the Amazon, is a chance to focus the debate on the role of forests and their users (crop and animal farmers, etc). For CIRAD, transforming agrifood systems and forestry to ensure greater sustainability and social justice must be central to the talks.Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:22:50 +0100