Pros
When you work with CIMMYT, your work contributes to building the foundation of food system development on a world scale. A wonderful intercultural staff and work experience.....if that is what you are looking for and where you function well. This work affords you a great sense of purpose and significance in your day to day activities.
Cons
HUGE pay and benefits gap between national and international employees. This reality creates tension and an almost colonial feel to the institutional hierarchy. CIMMYT struggles to play well with local national/host country institutions. There is often an impression (mostly unfair) of CIMMYT as elitist and somewhat of an ivory tower. CIMMYT often lacks the institutional ability to navigate local politics, institutional relations, etc. because it is an agricultural scientific organization run by agricultural scientists. This results, often, in good science not making it to the field or to the intended recipients.