Robert S. McNamara Seminar Highlights Critical Role of Agriculture“Over the next fifty years food demand will double as a result of populationincreases and changes in dietary habits. This demand, combined with decreas-ing soil fertility and falling water tables will create a major crisis. We mustincrease our focus on agriculture and increase agricultural productivity if we areto have any hope of meeting these challenges” said Mr. Robert S. McNamaraspeaking at a seminar named in his honor.

Mr. Robert S. McNamara, a founding father of the CGIAR and former Presidentof the World Bank was speaking at the 2nd Robert S. McNamara seminar host-ed by the Japanese Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, ForeignAffairs, and Finance and CGIAR with support from the World Bank TokyoOffice. Over 200 participants came to hear Mr. McNamara’s remarks and thekeynote speech presented by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, as wellas to engage in a panel discussion with CGIAR Directors General.

Mr. Yoshio Yatsu, former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries andMember of the House of Representatives and Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairmanand World Bank Vice President for Environmentally and Socially SustainableDevelopment, opened the meeting and welcomed participants. Mr. Yatsu was adriving force in ensuring the second seminar reached new levels.

A panel discussion featured three Directors General — Adel El Beltagy of ICARDA, Joachim von Braun of IFPRI, and David Kaimowitz of CIFOR — andwas moderated by Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR Director.

Continued on page 15

cgiarNewsJ u l y 2 0 0 3w w w . c g i a r . o r g

C O N S U L T A T I V E G R O U P O N I N T E R N A T I O N A L A G R I C U L T U R A L R E S E A R C H

CGIAR

Nourishing the future through scientif ic excel lence

In this Issue

Robert S. McNamara Seminar 1Message from the Chairman

and Director 2Announcements 3ICARDA entrusted with “Blackbox

of Biodiversity” 3News and Views from CBC/CDC 4G–8 Communiqué 4Agriculture is Back, but Science Must

be Mobilized for Development 5AGM 2003 Program Highlights 5Cassava Brown Streak Virus 6Improving Knowledge Sharing

in the CGIAR 7Genetic Resources: Interim Material

Transfer Agreement Approved 7Seeds of Life Cast a Golden Hue 8Forest Conference: Balancing

Development and Conservation 10Biofortification Challenge Program

Meeting held in Cali 11World Bank/CGIAR Collaboration

Gains Momentum 11Ensuring Women Farmers Get

the Water They Need 12Ending the Cycle of Hunger

and Poverty in Ethiopia 12Mekong Delta: Building fisheries

research capacity 13CGIAR Science Awards 13New Study Assesses CGIAR

Priorities and Strategies 14

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:17 PM Page 1

CGIAR ChairmanIan Johnson

CGIAR DirectorFrancisco Reifschneider

CGIAR MembersAfrican Development BankArab Fund for Economic and Social DevelopmentAsian Development BankAustraliaAustriaBangladeshBelgiumBrazilCanadaChinaColombiaCommission of the European CommunityCôte d’IvoireDenmarkArab Republic of EgyptFinlandFood and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsFord FoundationFranceGermanyIndiaIndonesiaInter-American Development BankInternational Development Research CentreInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentIslamic Republic of IranIrelandIsraelItalyJapanKellogg FoundationKenyaRepublic of KoreaLuxembourgMalaysiaMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNew ZealandNigeriaNorwayOPEC Fund for International DevelopmentPakistanPeruPhilippinesPortugalRockefeller FoundationRomaniaRussian FederationSouth AfricaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandSyngenta Foundation for Sustainable AgricultureSyrian Arab RepublicThailandUgandaUnited KingdomUnited Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited States of AmericaWorld Bank

Message from the Chairmanand Director

2 cgiarNews

Dear Colleague:

We are pleased to present you with “CGIAR News,” the summer edition. Foryour convenience, an e-version is also available at www.cgiar.org

This issue provides a snapshot of events (past and upcoming), reports onresearch successes at the Centers, and progress on Systemwide activitiesand partnerships.

Foremost among the upcoming events is the 2003 Annual General Meeting(AGM03), plans for which are moving well. The customary booklet containinginformation and registration material is enclosed with this mailing. If you areplanning to attend AGM03, the CGIAR website (www.cgiar.org) will be theprincipal source of updated information.

This issue seeks to provide readers with a flavor of the discussions and progressbeing made in returning agriculture to the front and center of the internationaldevelopment agenda. We are pleased that interest in the CGIAR remains high,and is being matched by increased investments from key donors. The entireCGIAR family can feel proud that the Group of Eight’s Evian Communiqué gavespecial recognition to genetic resources, science and technology for sustainabledevelopment, and CGIAR’s role in these important themes (see excerpt on p. 4).

Looking ahead, by the AGM03 we expect to announce the new Science Council. The range and pace of activities between AGMs has increased since theinitial phase of reform was launched, an indication that the first phase of reformis helping give the System an even stronger sense of purpose and direction.

We hope you have a restful summer and we look forward to being in touch with you before AGM’03. Comments are welcome and may be sent to cgiar@cgiar.org

Cordially,

Ian JohnsonCGIAR Chairman

Francisco ReifschneiderCGIAR Director

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:00 PM Page 2

July 2003 3

AnnouncementsEvents25th Anniversary Celebrations and AgroforestryScience Forum, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi,November 1–5, 2003 (for details, click onwww.worldagroforestrycentre.org)

Challenge Program on Water and Food — BaselineConference, led by IWMI, November 2–6, 2003 (for details, www.cgiar.org/iwmi)

Welcome to New Board ChairsICARDA Margaret Catley-Carlson has beenappointed Chairman of ICARDA’s Board of Trustees,succeeding Robert Havener.

Honor RollCGIAR Dr. Keiji Kainuma, formerly with TechnicalAdvisory Committee (TAC) was awarded Japan’snational decoration (Shiju-ho-syou) by the Emperorfor excellent scientific achievements.

Vangimalla Reddy, Research Leader at the USDA-ARSAlternate Crops and Systems Laboratory, BeltsvilleAgricultural Research Center, USDA, recently onassignment with CGIAR Secretariat, was selected asFellow, Crop Science Society of America.

CIMMYT Bent Skovmand, Head, Wheat GeneticResources Program, was awarded the Knight’s Crossof the Order of Dannebrog by Princess Benedikte ofDenmark for lifelong achievements in wheatresearch and the conservation of wheat geneticresources.

CIP Luis Salazar, CIP, received the 2003 ATSE-Crawford Fund Derek Tribe Award for his work onpotato and sweet potato pathogens.

ICRISAT William Dar was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Science by the Mariano Marcos StateUniversity (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.In a related development, he was elected Chairmanof the Future Harvest Foundation.

IRRI V. Balasubramanian, Agronomist, received the2003 International Award from the InternationalFertilizer Association for developing a leaf colorchart (LCC) that helps rice farmers apply nitrogenfertilizers more efficiently.

David Dawe, Economist, was named one of 20Asian heroes by TIME magazine’s Asian Web site.

Peter Fredenburg, Editor, Rice Today, won the GoldAward of ACE (Agricultural Communicators inEducation) for his feature, “Lost Horizons Restored.”

Kong Luen Hoeng, Scientist, won the prestigiousCharles A. Black Award from CAST (Council ofAgricultural Science and Technology), for expandingunderstanding of rice ecology and making it usefulto farmers.

Juan Lazaro and Gene Hettel won the Silver Awardof ACE for the cover graphic design of the 3rd edition of the Rice Almanac.

Hei Leung, Plant Pathologist, was selected as aFellow of American Phytopathological Society.

Tom Mew, Head of the Entomology and PlantPathology, was given the Achievement Award fromPhilippine Phytopathological Society.

ICARDA entrusted with“Blackbox of Biodiversity”

In 1996, Iraqi agricultural researchers wantingto safeguard Iraq’s plant genetic resourcesentrusted ICARDA with a “Black Box,” a kindof genetic time capsule to safeguard biodiver-sity. The box has never been opened, and itscontents — 200 accessions of 28 differentcrops grown in Iraq — is stored at -10ºCelsius, and maintained in viable form.

Seen in the backdrop of the war and giventhe uncertainty that surrounds the fate ofIraq’s national genebank, Abu Ghraib, theseactions were prescient.

Even if the genebank survived, it is likely thatits holdings were destroyed or looted.Fortunately, in addition to the “Black Box,”

ICARDA scientists have collected more than 1,000 accessions of cultivatedand wild species of Iraq’s most important crops during the 1980s and1990s for safekeeping. These accessions will play an important role in reha-bilitating Iraqi agriculture.

ICARDA’s partnership with Iraq goes back more than 20 years, an effort thatsaw the introduction of modern crop varieties and improved water and live-stock management practices. “What we hope to do in the near future is bringto bear the expertise of the CGIAR system on Iraqi agriculture,” says Adel El-Beltagy, Director General, ICARDA. The priority will be to offer Iraq a pack-age of services and technology that includes policy reforms, land and watersystems, and assistance in rebuilding the national agricultural research system.”

Dr. Kamil Shideed, one of Iraq’s key agricultural scientists is working withICARDA to develop a reconstruction plan for Iraq’s agricultural research sys-tem. Nearly 350 Iraqi scientists have been trained in plant breeding and cropand animal management at ICARDA since 1977.

War, successive droughts, and economic sanctions have adversely affectedagriculture in Iraq. The country is in urgent need of substantial humanitari-an, rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance. Agriculture must be revivedto regain food security.

“The Black Box literally contains Iraq’s agricultural heritage,” says WilliamErskine, Assistant Director General for Research, ICARDA. “These are theseeds of plants that Iraqi experts decided were their most important hold-ings that needed to be safeguarded at all costs. The Black Box belongs tothe Iraqi people, and will be treated as such until it can be repatriated.”

For more information, visit www.icarda.org

Iraqi researchers and Dr. KamilShideed (standing third fromright) participated in an ICARDA-IFPRI workshop on policyand property rights in 2000.

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:01 PM Page 3

4 cgiarNews

The Committees of Board Chairs (CBC) and Center Directors (CDC) metat ISNAR in May to discuss issues arising from restructuring of the CGIARSystem, including ways in which to better coordinate and harmonizeCenters’ efforts in areas ranging from the System Office to improvedCenter collaboration through the Challenge Programs.

A joint statement from the two Committees was produced, tabled andshared with the CGIAR Executive Council in Paris (to view statement,click on http://www.cgiar.org/exco/Final_Joint_CBC-CDC_Statement.pdf).The main points included:

� During its meeting in February, the CDC drafted a Code of Conductfor the CDC and the Challenge Programs to help clarify roles and opti-mize synergy between the Centers.

� In an effort to streamline work in a more cooperative and collaborativefashion, the Centers agreed to pursue further the idea of a CentersAlliance, to provide the necessary oversight and coordination of Centerprograms, including the joint work underway within the System Office,as part of the reform program.

� The Committees stressed the importance of a strong and independentScience Council that could speak to the scientific and programmatic workof the Centers, and emphasized the need for a strong selection process.

� Discussion also centered on the work of the Executive Council and itscommittees, particularly the role of the Program Committee and itseventual interaction with the Science Council. The Committees empha-sized that ExCo was not created to function as a decision-making body.

� The potential impact of the Challenge Programs on the work of theCenters (and a lack of new funding) was also discussed. Specificallythe potential impact of maintaining Centers’ mandates and reversingthe decline in funding levels for core activities was emphasized.

� The CGIAR Annual General Meeting (AGM) was discussed and a needidentified to enhance the dialogue between the membership and theCenters during future meetings. The Centers gave preliminary discus-sion to the establishment of a scientific symposium (held every one totwo years) that could be initiated to ensure maximum exposure to thework and activities of the Centers and its stakeholders.

� The review processes for the System were addressed on several levels —including preliminary discussion for codes of conduct for operation andmanagement issues, including the benefits of unified program andmanagement reviews. The recent restructuring report for ISNARreceived special attention.

� Public awareness efforts and resource mobilization was also discussed,in follow-up to the external review of the Future Harvest Foundation,with a new strategy for the System going forward to further comple-ment and align the work of the Centers by AGM ‘03.

John Vercoe, Chair, CBCAdel El-Beltagy, Chair, CDC

News & Views

From CBC/CDC G–8CommuniquéExcerpt from Science and Technology forSustainable Development — A G8 ActionPlan Section 3.1, “Agriculture and Biodiversity”Where the Heads of State of G8 Nations,meeting at Evian-les-Bains in the FrenchAlps, June 1–3, 2003 agreed to:

Promote the conservation and sustain-able use of genetic resources for foodand agriculture:“Support the International Treaty of PlantGenetic Resources for Food andAgriculture by concluding negotiationsover a standard material transfer agreement that facilitates access to plant genetic resources for agricultural research and development and equitablesharing of benefits arising from their use.”“Support efforts to ensure funding forgenetic resources conservation in theframework of the priorities set up by theFood and Agriculture OrganisationCommission on Genetic Resources.”

Help developing countries improvetheir agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner:“Support the Consultative Group forInternational Agricultural Research’s vitalrole in disseminating agricultural research,as well as the Global Forum forAgricultural Research and other regionaland national agronomic research organisa-tions and North-South and South-Southresearch partnerships.”

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:17 PM Page 4

July 2003 5

“Linking Research and Rural Innovation to SustainableDevelopment” was the principal theme of the Global Forumon Agricultural Research (GFAR) General Conference held inMay in Dakar, Senegal.

Over 400 participants attended the Dakar conference repre-senting major agricultural research stakeholder groups:regional and sub-regional fora of developing country nation-al agricultural research systems, the private sector, NGOs,farmers’ organisations, scientists from advanced researchinstitutes (ARIs), universities, CGIAR Centers, and donors.

The conference was opened by His Excellency AbdoulayeWade, President of Senegal. Presenting the keynote address,Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman and World Bank VicePresident spoke about the renewed focus on agriculturethanks to the United Nations summits held in Monterrey,Rome, and Johannesburg. Professor Wiseman Nkulhu,Chairman, Steering Committee, New Partnership for AfricanDevelopment (NEPAD) spoke about the emerging globalissues in sustainable development and NEPAD’s role andresponse in meeting the challenges.

“Scientific advances, particularly in the fields of naturalresources management, information and communication,and biotechnology must be mobilized for sustainable devel-opment,” said Mohammad Roozitalab, Chairman, GFAR andVice President, Association of Agricultural ResearchInstitutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA).“Our challenge is to ensure that these advances benefit allstakeholders in an equitable manner.”

GFAR was established in October 1996 to facilitateexchange of information, access to knowledge, coopera-tion, and research partnerships among a broad spectrum ofstakeholders involved in agricultural research and sustain-able development. A highlight of the conference was a civilsociety workshop in which 33 NGOs and 15 farmers’organizations participated to discuss and exchange infor-mation on important developments in the agriculturalresearch-for-development arena.

For more information, visit www.egfar.org

Agriculture is Back, but Science Must be Mobilized for Development

The Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya,will host the CGIAR’s 2003 AnnualGeneral Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

October 27: Members Day is anopportunity for meetings, discus-

sions, and dialogue between CGIAR Members and Centers;an official reception will be held in the evening.

October 28: Stakeholder field visits to farmers, communityprojects and research institutes.

October 29–30: CGIAR Stakeholder meeting commences atUnited Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON) Conference Center:

� IFPRI’s Biennial Report, State of the World’s Food� The Hon. Susan Whelan, Minister for Int’l Cooperation,

Canada presents Crawford Lecture� Innovation Marketplace.� Ministerial Roundtable and presentation by Jeffrey Sachs� CGIAR Science Awards� CGIAR Business Meeting (attendance by invitation only,

commences at 2 pm on Oct 30)

October 31: CGIAR Business Meeting continues (attendanceby invitation only).

For registration and program information, visit www.cgiar.org

Annual General Meeting 2003 Program Highlights

CGIARAnnual General Meeting 2003

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:17 PM Page 5

6 cgiarNews

Cassava is vital source of food and livelihoods for millions of people inSub-Saharan Africa. A staple crop, it tolerates drought and is able to thrivein marginal soils making it one of Africa’s most reliable food crops.

Cassava production is projected to grow at a steady 2.9 percent per year,due to area and yield expansion. Current African production is expected todouble by 2020, with major producers being the Democratic Republic ofCongo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.Direct consumption of cassava is expected to reach 85 million tons in theyear 2005. Use in animal feed is also expected to grow at an annual rateof 1.3 percent to the year 2005, largely due to the expansion of the live-stock sector.

But there is a flip side to this rosy picture. A devastating virus, responsiblefor causing the cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is gaining in severity,threatening food and livelihood securities for millions of farmers and cas-sava consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The virus belongs to the familyPotyviridae, genus Ipomovirus. CBSD causes a dry necrotic rot in the stor-age roots, decimating yields, or worse still, leading either to completespoilage or significant reductions in quality. Current estimates show thatCBSD causes economic losses in excess of $100 million annually.

Recognizing the severity of the threat, IITA is beginning a major, proactiveemergency program to combat the disease and stabilize production of thisimportant food crop. Activities will focus on developing diagnostic toolsfor the virus, using conventional and genetic transformation methods fordeveloping high-yielding, CBSD-resistant varieties of cassava, and develop-ing an array of integrated pest and crop management options suited forsmall-holder agriculture.

A campaign to obtain funding has been launched. IITA and its partners(including NGOs, community-based organizations and scientists in nationalagricultural systems and advanced research institutions) hope to mitigatethe pending disaster, and do it in a manner that contributes to the stabilityand growth of the food sector in a wide swath of countries in Sub-SaharanAfrica. While the impact of this poorly understood disease is most devastatingin the coastal areas of East Africa (including Kenya, Tanzania andMozambique) it is also a major problem in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia.

For more information, visit www.iita.org

Responding to a Persistent Villain: Cassava Brown StreakVirus set to play havoc in Sub-Saharan Africa

With cassava

production projected

to grow at a

steady 2.9 percent

per year,

controlling the

cassava brown

streak virus is critical

for ensuring food

and livelihood security

for millions in

Sub-Saharan Africa.

CGIAR

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:02 PM Page 6

July 2003 7

The International Treaty on PlantGenetic Resources for Food andAgriculture promises to revitalize inter-national germplasm exchange by estab-lishing internationally agreed standards.

But given the contentious nature ofthe debate surrounding sharing ofgenetic resources, the process hasbeen difficult and protracted. “Manysteps have already been completed,but there are still many more to go,”says Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton,Head, Genetic Resources Center, IRRI.

“The latest step is the implementationof the interim Material TransferAgreement (MTA) for the distributionof in-trust germplasm.”

When the Treaty was adopted in 2001,it was agreed that a new standardMTA should be developed by thefuture governing body of the Treaty.However, progress has been slow. Itwas therefore agreed that the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO)Commission on Genetic Resources forFood and Agriculture should revise the

old MTA to produce a more acceptableMTA in the short-term, to be used untilthe new standard MTA is ready. Theinterim MTA is the result.

In 2002, IRRI’s Board of Trusteesapproved the use of the interim MTA.Subsequently, all CGIAR genebankshave started to use it beginning May 1,2003. IRRI has taken the proactive stepof informing their national partners,including the Council for Partnershipson Rice Research in Asia (CORRA),about this new development.

Genetic Resources: Interim Material Transfer Agreement Approved

Improving Knowledge Sharing in the CGIAR:An investment plan for shared platforms, tools and systems Knowledge related to food, fisheries, forestry, livestock andpolicies is increasingly recognized as a fundamental elementof the global public goods the CGIAR generates. Harnessingthe potential offered by the new advances in information andcommunication technology (ICT) and knowledge manage-ment (KM) practices and tools offers unparalleled opportuni-ties for maximizing development impact. A new informationand knowledge initiative of the CGIAR is set to significantlyimprove the way the CGIAR centers share their knowledge,link with partners and deliver their public goods.

The three-year strategy and work plan, adopted by theCenter Directors Committee, proposes investments in a newseries of information networks and knowledge tools. Thegoal is to change the way the CGIAR works by creating aCGIAR without boundaries, giving all researchers access tohigh performance computing and communication, and bettermanaging the CGIAR’s global public goods to make themeasily accessible to partners and users worldwide.

“This is a unique approach for the system,” says EnricaPorcari, CGIAR Chief Information Officer. “By developing thestrategy through our communities, we encourage more inte-gration and reduce competition between the centers in this

key area where there has been much duplication of effort inthe past. The end result will be a series of CGIAR-wide infor-mation tools, knowledge platforms and practices.”

The strategy was developed by the CGIAR ICT-KM AdvisoryGroup which brings together representatives of the key pro-fessional communities in the system: research, marketing,library and information management, information and com-munication technologies, training and education specialists,deputy directors and directors general.

The strategy presents a number of priority areas for invest-ment, identified by the communities as critical areas forinvestment in ICT and KM. The science community organizedan internal call for proposals, with all research groups (notCenters) in the system encouraged to respond.

The strategy is organized around three main thrust areas: ICTfor Tomorrow’s Science, Content for Development, andCGIAR Without Boundaries.

The ICT-KM strategy and program are being finalized. AtAGM 2003, projects will be proposed for adoption with ainvestment plan kick-off scheduled for early 2004.

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:18 PM Page 7

8 cgiarNews

The village women sit cross-legged,patiently shelling corn; production-lineworkers filling woven baskets withtumbling grain. Ordinarily there wouldbe nothing to differentiate thismoment from countless others in theseasonal cycle of life and work in thefoothills outside Baucau on EastTimor’s central, north coast.

The crop has been harvested, thewomen, young and old, are nowdoing what they have always done —yet the whole scene depicts a farmingrevolution. The grain, being prized offthe cobs by a blur of callused thumbsis yellow. Plus there’s a lot more of it.

This new, high-yielding yellow maize isone of the more visible changesbeginning to pervade a way of lifethat has effectively been unchanged inEast Timor’s rural areas for hundredsof years.

Independence has opened the door tomodern agriculture — something thatis going to be crucial for food securityand for the country’s long-term aspira-tions for sustainable agriculture.

The new yellow maize is being grownon a farm run by an Italian priest,Father Locatelli. The farm, atFatumaca, near Baucau, is attached toan agricultural high school run by theSilesian missionary order. It has provedthe ideal site for crop trials beingundertaken by a former CSIROresearcher, Dr Brian Palmer. Already hisyellow maize, provided by CIMMYT, isyielding up to six tonnes a hectare of‘corn’ compared with the indigenouswhite maize’s average 1.5 tonnes.

If these high yields can be replicatedacross the country for staple crops likemaize it will free up land for more com-

mercial ventures such as vanilla, soy-bean, peanuts and candle nut (for oil).

Significantly, much of the terrain issimilar to Australia’s far north-westand prone to erosion so higher yieldswill also reduce the need to farmunsuitable land.

This is one of the crucial elementsbehind Palmer’s work as project leaderfor the $1.2 million ‘Seeds of Life’program set up by the AustralianCentre for International Agriculturalresearch (ACIAR).

He is determined to help EastTimorese farmers avoid causing long-term environmental damage as theyrespond to the urgent need to notonly increase basic food production,but exportable surpluses.

“Getting more produce from the land,through the new varieties introducedunder the program, will also createspace for diversification into agro-forestry and livestock,” says Palmer.

The new high-yielding crops includebeans and cassava from CIAT, sweet-potato from CIP, rice from IRRI, maizefrom CIMMYT, and groundnut fromICRISAT.

Palmer says his main focus has beento take the germplasm provided bythe research centres and improve theselection for East Timor’s four main‘agro-ecological’ zones.

“Once we feel we have the lines thatare well adapted to East Timor wethen have to determine if they areacceptable to the farmers. For examplethe new high-yielding maize is yellow,which has a different taste and textureto the traditional white maize.”

Seeds of Life Cast a Golden Hue

“Getting more

produce from

the land, through

the new varieties

introduced under

the program,

will also create

space for

diversification into

agroforestry

and livestock.”

Yellow corn at Fatumaca

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:02 PM Page 8

He believes the key to farmers adopt-ing new varieties and farming methodsis ‘participatory planning’.

“To me this means offering them (thefarmers) technically sound optionsfrom which they can choose. Some aidorganisations simply want me to givefarmers what they ask for. Well untilthey’ve been exposed to a range ofviable alternatives that’s not givingthem the options to move forward.”

He particularly rankles at outside pres-sure being put on East Timor farmersto go ‘organic’ and not to use thechemical fertilisers that he advocates.

Palmer says the nature of the land-scape and soil profiles makes fertiliseressential if higher yields are going tobe sustained.

At his trial sites he applies a smalldressing of nitrogen, phosphorous andpotassium: “At the end of the day itdoesn’t really matter whether farmersuse chemical or organic fertiliser. Theissue is which is the most economic.

“The amount of fertiliser we’re usingequates to the cost of two or threepackets of cigarettes or a bet at acockfight — in other words a cost ofabout A $3.38 per 100 square metres— so it’s an accessible choice. It stillmight be too much for some farmers,but it has to be weighed up againstthe time and labour needed to produce the volume of equivalentcompost.”

Contrary to the pessimism that someobservers have expressed about EastTimor’s economic progress, Palmer isconfident the country will achieve foodself-sufficiency and in the longer-termestablish a sustainable agricultural

economy — regarded by the govern-ment as crucial to its future.

“The progress we have already madeand the willingness of the internation-al agricultural science community tobe involved makes me pretty opti-mistic,” he says.

The Seeds of Life program, overseen byan Australian agronomist Dr ColinPiggin, is now changing from a human-itarian operation in 1999 to an agricul-tural extension program focussed onsustainable production and the devel-opment of commercial crops.

The program’s genesis was in theunrest after East Timorese voted forIndependence in September 1999.Much of the seed for the next harvestwas either burned or stolen. The ACIARcontacted the world’s five leading cropresearch centres for suitable seed and

by December the first crops were beingsown, averting a potential famine.

Brian Palmer was in the first wave ofhelpers to go to East Timor and hasbeen there ever since: “I had spent 20years as a research scientist. Now was achance to put it to real use,” heexplained, showing off to a group ofadmiring farmers a plump bunch ofgroundnuts.

By Brad Collis

CGIAR News thanks the author for contributing this feature article.

July 2003 9

Brian Palmer and local farmer atFatumaca, East Timor

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:03 PM Page 9

Forest Conference:Balancing developmentand conservation More than 300 forest experts from international organiza-tions, civil society, industry, government and the mediafrom over 40 countries met in May for CIFOR’s“International Conference on Rural Livelihoods, Forests andBiodiversity” held in Bonn.

Opened by Erich Stather, State Secretary of the FederalMinistry of Economic Cooperation and Development(BMZ), the conference analyzed the role of forest researchin reducing poverty and protecting biodiversity. Mr. Stathersaid the German Government placed considerable emphasis on helping to ensure tropical forests remain avital source of both livelihoods and biodiversity, with support for the Bonn conference being just one exampleof that commitment.

In his keynote speech, Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman andWorld Bank Vice President for Environmentally and SociallySustainable Development, said the Bonn conference wouldultimately contribute to the well-being of hundreds of mil-lions of people who depend in varying degrees on forestresources by guiding “a new generation of public policiesthat can better reconcile the needs of people with forestconservation.” He highlighted the need to move beyond theideological divide separating those supporting forest pro-duction and those supporting forest protection.

These sentiments were echoed in the closing address byDavid Kaimowitz, Director General, CIFOR, who noted thesimple rationale for organizing the conference: “Peopleworking on poverty tend not to appreciate biological limitsand global biodiversity concerns. Likewise, most biodiversityspecialists do not fully understand or appreciate livelihoodissues,” Kaimowitz said.

A panel discussion chaired by leading German TV environ-mental presenter, Ranga Yogeshwar was a highlight of theconference. Panelists included Achim Steiner of WorldConservation Union (IUCN), Sunita Narain of India’s Centrefor Science and the Environment, Claude Martin of WWF,Juan Mayr, former Environment Minister of Colombia, andEl Hadji Sene, Director of Forest Resources, FAO.

The conference was a successful model of cooperationamong CGIAR Centers and key CGIAR members such asGermany. CIFOR and World Agroforestry Centre workedclosely with InWEnt, the German Federal Ministry ofEconomic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and theGerman Agency for Technical Cooperation (DeutscheGesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)) to pro-duce one of the leading forestry events for 2003.

Other featured speakers at the conference included HenriDjombo, the Republic of Congo’s Minister of Forestry, UlrichPopp, Director, InWEnt (Capacity Building International-Germany), Pekka Patosaari, Head of the U.N. Forum onForests, Phrang Roy, Assistant President, IFAD, Dennis Garrity,Director General, World Agroforestry Centre, and AlbertoChinchilla who represented grassroots forestry associations inLatin America.

Forest researchers presented 50 technical papers, and thetechnical sessions focused on key themes such as forests assafety nets; non-timber forest products and rural livelihoods;the contribution of plantations and agroforestry to rurallivelihoods; improving livelihoods and protecting biodiversity;forest certification and rural livelihoods; international dimen-sions of forestry and rural livelihoods; and communityforestry and rural livelihoods.

The outcomes of the conference will be presented to theUnited Nations Forum on Forests to be held in 2004. Inwrap-up remarks David Kaimowitz noted that the confer-ence was successful in bringing together disparate views onforest use and conservation, and helped develop a pro-poorpolicy agenda for sustainable management of the world’sdwindling forest resources.

For more information, visit www.cifor.org

10 cgiarNews

Participants at the panel discussion (from left to right) ClaudeMartin (WWF), Sunita Narain (CSE), Ranga Yogeshwar (moderator),Achim Steiner (IUCN), El Hadji Sene (FAO) and Juan Mayr(Colombia). Picture by Eric Lichtenscheidt.

CG R

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:03 PM Page 10

July 2003 11

Seventy-five scientists and practitionersfrom five continents, eight CGIARCenters, and 40 partner and stakehold-er organizations across nine disciplinesmet at CIAT in June to strengthen thealliance that constitutes theBiofortification Challenge Program.

“Breeding staple foods to reduce malnutrition is not a challenge any single discipline or institution canaddress on its own,” said HowarthBouis, Biofortification Program Director.“Shifting the paradigm from more foodto better food, linking agriculture andnutrition, takes partnerships anduncommon commitment…a commitment to the overall vision, acommitment to respecting the per-

spectives and contributions of partnerswith different skills and responsibilities,and a commitment to communicateacross disciplinary and institutionalboundaries.”

The agenda for this first planning meet-ing was designed to capture synergiesand further develop the challenge pro-gram’s management framework, reacha common understanding on programagreements and principles, ensure thatprogram obligations dovetail with theinstitutional objectives of the variouscollaborators, plan outreach strategies,and to design optimum communicationtools and strategies. The meeting pro-vided an opportunity for partners tolearn from one another to make the

breeding and dissemination of nutrient-dense staple foods a reality.

“We are engaging in an effort that isboth monumental and historic,” saidJoachim Voss, Director General, CIAT.“We have succeeded in assembling theingredients to make biofortificationhappen in a way that will improve thediets and livelihoods of the poor.”

This initial program-wide meeting setthe stage for individual crop team meetings to be held in September andOctober that will involve a wider groupof collaborators and stakeholders. Inanticipation of full start up of the chal-lenge program in January 2004, detailedwork plans are being developed.

From More Food to Better Food: BiofortificationChallenge Program meeting held in Cali

Fostering broad-based economic growth in rural areas is acentral element of the World Bank’s renewed RuralDevelopment Strategy, Reaching the Rural Poor. Over the pastyear, the World Bank’s Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentDepartment held strategy consultation workshops at sixCGIAR Centers (CIP, CIAT, ICARDA, IITA, ILRI, and IRRI). Theobjective of these workshops was to better define the role ofCGIAR system in implementing the new strategy and to artic-ulate the contribution of international agricultural research torural development. A special session was also held at IFPRI.

In June 2003, a special workshop was held to conclude theconsultation process, develop a synthesis report, and launchan action plan. The CGIAR was well-represented, includingfour Directors General (ICARDA, IFPRI, IITA, and ILRI), theirdeputies, and science program leaders.

In opening remarks, Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman, set thestage by highlighting the changing development environ-ment, focusing on the Millennium Development Goals, shift-ing toward a programmatic approach, and the resultingopportunities for partnership.

Participants agreed that there was a range of areas forenhancing and strengthening the World Bank/CGIAR part-nership. Specific areas include:

� Knowledge management� Common advocacy platform (e.g. Global Platform for

Rural Development)� Staff exchange� Partnerships to fill gaps in areas outside CGIAR’s mandate

(e.g. linking farmers to markets, support to high valuecrops)

� New research agendas (e.g. linking health and agriculture)� Intellectual property rights� Farmers as environment managers (e.g. through carbon

farming)

A Framework Document and Action Plan has been draftedand will be submitted to the World Bank after being clearedby the Center Directors Committee (CDC).

For more information, visit www.worldbank.org/rural

World Bank—CGIAR Collaboration Gains Momentum

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:18 PM Page 11

12 cgiarNews

Irrigation agencies often operate on thepremise that all farmers are men, leav-ing women farmers with unequalaccess to water and no recourse foraddressing the resulting imbalance.

This old problem is being addressed bya new tool. IWMI and partners havedeveloped the “Gender PerformanceIndicator for Irrigation (GPII)” that canhelp reduce gender imbalances in irri-gation management decisions.Developed with support from theSwedish International DevelopmentAgency (Sida), Ford Foundation and theGovernment of the Netherlands.

Ensuring women farmers have accessto resources and to decision-makingforums such as Water UsersOrganizations, is increasingly being rec-ognized as vital not only for women’slivelihoods but also for the viability ofmany irrigation schemes.

“There is still a big gap between goodintentions and effective action,” said

Barbara van Koppen, a gender andwater expert at IWMI. “Policy makersand change agents need new tools tohelp diagnose gender issues in irriga-tion schemes and design appropriateinterventions.”

GPII measures inclusion/exclusion atthree different levels:

� Women’s and men’s access to waterand irrigated land at farm level

� Inclusion in irrigator’s network inwhich rules for infrastructure con-struction, operation and mainte-nance are set and enforced

� Eligibility and election for leadershippositions and women’s capacity tofunction well in these roles

To successfully address exclusion ofwomen, irrigation interventions needto take into account the role womenalready play in agriculture. In somewell-intentioned cases, attempts toimprove the situation have done soby forcing blanket gender-inclusive-

ness onto farming systems wherewomen do not traditionally partici-pate, except in specific tasks such asweeding or harvesting.

“Blanket measures seldom achieve any-thing beyond window dressing,” assertsvan Koppen. “Trying to ensure allwomen participating in farming getequal access to irrigation water, withoutregard to the type or level of participa-tion, is unrealistic and in the end fails toreach even those women whose liveli-hoods depend on having equal access.”

GPII addresses such situations by distin-guishing between women who are farmdecision-makers and women who par-ticipate only in specific farming tasks.This difference is often overlooked inthe formulation of ‘gender-sensitive’projects and interventions, with the endresult that these fail to address the trueneeds of women farmers.

For more information, visit

www.iwmi.cgiar.org

A staggering 12.5 million Ethiopians, or one-fifth of the pop-ulation, currently face starvation. Yet, last year, Ethiopianfarmers had produced more grain than they could sell locally,with a national surplus of more than half a million tons.What happened?

After two years of bumper crops, the rains failed in 2002,leading to a substantial drop in agricultural production. Butthe roots of the food crisis run much deeper. Millions of sub-sistence farmers are almost entirely dependent on theweather. Poverty is extreme and widespread, land and soilsare severely degraded, markets don’t function, and thecountry’s communications and transportation infrastructureare among the least developed in the world.

Despite these problems, IFPRI research on the environment,production technology, and markets suggests that futurefood crises can be avoided.

In the highlands of northern Ethiopia, studies show thatinvestments in roads, technical assistance, credit, educationand other services are improving conditions. Increasing peo-ple’s incomes is also crucial. This can be accomplished in partby investing in research and extension to assist farmers inproducing a diversity of crops and livestock, including high-value products.

“To be effective, development investments must be tailoredto local conditions,” says John Pender, Senior Research

Ensuring Women Farmers Get the Water They Need

Ending the Cycle of Hunger and Poverty in Ethiopia

Continued on page 15

18741_P01_16 8/5/03 6:19 PM Page 12

July 2003 13

International efforts to develop fisheries research capacity in Cambodia received aboost with the founding of a new research institute, the Inland Fisheries Researchand Development Institute (IFReDI) in Phnom Penh. The WorldFish Center, in part-nership with the Government of Cambodia, Asian Development Bank and Danidahelped set up the new institution which is charged with developing a long-termaquatic resource management strategy for the Mekong region.

“IFReDI is born in both exciting and challenging times,” said Meryl J. Williams,Director General, The WorldFish Center. “We are honored to be involved in help-ing make the Cambodian vision for a fisheries institute a reality.” In June, TheWorldFish Center opened an office in Phnom Penh to set up and develop theresearch program of IFReDI.

The Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake create a vast freshwater system covering 1.8million hectares — the world’s fourth largest inland fishery. Every year during therainy season, floods in Cambodia submerge vast areas of forests and paddy fields.Three-quarters of the freshwater species in the Lower Mekong Basin migrate tothese flooded areas to spawn, feed, and grow.

Fisheries play a key role in the lives and livelihoods of poor people who live in theregion. Cambodia’s inland fisheries produce an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 tonsof fish annually, with a value of up to $500 million. Yet for many landless familiesin Cambodia, the average daily income from fishing is only about $1.80 and evenless from the sale of aquatic plants ($ 0.97).

The new research institution has a key role to play. Its mission is to compile andanalyze information, including data for the management of Cambodia’s inlandfishery resources. In addition, IFReDI aims to provide socio-economic and institu-tional support for the sustainable development of living aquatic resources.Research leading to a better understanding of the value of aquatic resources to thelivelihoods of the poor is essential and helps policy-makers design and chooseappropriate strategies for sustainable management of fisheries.

For more information, visit www.worldfishcenter.org

Mekong Delta: Building fisheriesresearch capacity for the benefitof people

Every year during the rainy season, floods in Cambodia submergevast areas of forests and paddy fields. Three-quarters of thefreshwater species in the Lower Mekong Basinmigrate to these floodedareas to spawn, feed and grow. Fisheriesresearch is key to achieving balanced development.

Call for 2003 CGIAR Science Awards Nominations. Each year, the CGIAR recognizes the work of its scientists, supportteams, research partnerships and communicators, emphasizing novelty, relevance, applicability and development impact.Nominations for outstanding performance in the categories of Scientist, Promising Young Scientist, Scientific SupportTeam, Partnership, Scientific Article, Journalism, and Communications are requested through August 31, 2003.

For more information, visit www.cgiar.org

CGIAR Science Awards: Call for nominations

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:04 PM Page 13

14 cgiarNews

New Study Assesses CGIAR Priorities and StrategiesCGIAR’s research priorities and strategies are anchored in acommon objective of improving food and livelihood oppor-tunities for poor farmers while sustaining the natural envi-ronment. To ensure relevance and maximum developmentimpact, these must continually be revised to be in lockstepwith new knowledge and changing realities.

In a first step toward designing a priorities and strategiesframework that will guide the formulation of future CGIARresearch programs including Challenge Programs (CPs), theInterim Science Council (iSC) has launched a broad-based e-consultation to seek the views of CGIAR stakeholders. TheiSC undertook this task in response to a request from theGroup at AGM02. The iSC’s Standing Committee onPriorities and Strategies (SCOPAS), chaired by Alain deJanvry, backstopped by Amir Kassam of the iSC Secretariat,are managing the exercise.

Their starting point was the new CGIAR vision and strategy,and the stated CGIAR goals. The panels were asked to iden-tify and prioritize critical issues that require attention by theCGIAR and its partners in a bid to reduce poverty andhunger, and to enhance sustainability of resource use inagriculture, forestry and fisheries. Stakeholder views weretapped through five panels (Global, Sub-Saharan Africa,Asia, CWANA for Central and West Asia and North Africa,and Latin America) established by iSC, and selected in con-sultation with the CGIAR CDC/CBC and GFAR. Each panelconsisted of some 20 members drawn from national agricul-tural research institutes, government ministries, Centers,NGOs, farmers and producers organizations, the private sec-tor, regional organizations, regional development banks,foundations, and donors.

Panelists drew on an updated and expanded database ofinformation, including regional priorities established by

the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) andregional organizations, Millennium Development andWorld Food Summit Goals, and international Conventionsand Agreements. They also benefited from 35 positionpapers commissioned by the iSC and written by expertson core issues such as poverty, science, natural resources,and public policies.

The initial results are illuminating.

Stakeholders support holistic approaches for developingsolutions to complex poverty and agro-ecological problems,have called for an increased emphasis on upstreamresearch, and better coordination of research effortsbetween CGIAR and its partners.

In an excellent example of using modern communication tech-nology, the consultations were conducted in virtual mode, andmanaged by Julio Berdegué of RIMISP, a Chilean NGO.

The panels’ assessments were then made the subject of abroad electronic discussion in which more than 10,000 stake-holders were invited to rank the lists of issues prepared by thepanels and make additional suggestions on priority themesthrough a dedicated website www.rimisp.org/cgiar-ps.

A synthesis of views that emerged from the discussion willfeed into Step 2, in which scientists, from both the CGIARand the broader scientific community, will translate the Step1 outputs into research and capacity-building projects forthe CGIAR and its partners that have the greatest chancesof success. The initial results were presented at the triennialmeeting of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research(GFAR) held in Senegal in May 2003.

The panels’ allocations of scores out of 100 per theme is illustrated below:

Themes Latin Africa CWANA Asia Global SystemAmerica

Germplasm conservation 36 47 25 37 31 35and improvement

Production systems and 29 26 61 24 40 36natural resources

Policy and institutions 35 26 15 39 30 29

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:04 PM Page 14

July 2003 15

Fellow, IFPRI. “Ethiopia is comprised of18 distinct agro-ecological zones, andno one-size-fits-all strategy will work inall areas. In drought-prone regions, forexample, it makes more sense to investin water and soil conservation measuresthan fertilizer.”

But even in areas where excellent har-vests can be achieved using high-yieldingseeds and fertilizers, farmers cannot sus-tain a livelihood if they are unable to gettheir grain to market. In the 2001–2002season, some farmers recorded bumpermaize crops. But with poor roads, lack ofmarket information, and no access tocredit, traders were sorely challenged tobuy food from farmers and sell it whereit was needed. A glut of grain concen-

trated in small areas caused prices toplunge by as much as 80 percent, evenas other parts of the country experiencedsevere food shortages.

This tragic outcome was caused byEthiopia’s weak marketing system. AnIFPRI study shows that most graintraders operate small-scale businesseswith very few assets, and trade onlywith people they know, over very shortdistances. According to Eleni Gabre-Madhin, IFPRI research fellow, two-thirds of Ethiopian traders cannot getbank loans, only 6 percent own a vehi-cle, and less than half have a telephoneor permanent storage facilities. When prices collapsed, traders did nothave the financing to buy and store

grain in large quantities. Lacking buyers,some farmers simply abandoned grainin the fields. Everybody lost, from bank-rupt farmers to starving consumers.

To make markets work, IFPRI researchindicates that the Ethiopian govern-ment and its donors should support theprivate sector, invest in roads andtelecommunications, and create institu-tions to deliver financing, information,and legal enforcement.

With appropriate policies and wiseinvestments that address both the sup-ply and demand side of food security,Ethiopia can end its cycle of hungerand poverty.

The overarching theme — How can agriculture and agricul-tural research be given priority in the design of public poli-cies for generating growth in post-disaster situations? —was addressed by the panelists.

Participants were briefed about ICARDA’s experiences inCentral and West Asia, including ongoing efforts to rehabilitateagriculture in Afghanistan. Citing the example of conflicts overforest resources, David Kaimowitz noted that Asia was hometo 56 percent of the world’s population and only 15 percent ofits forests. Small farmers with access to land and markets arewell-positioned to meet growing demand for charcoal, medici-nal plants, pulpwood, poles, and construction wood. Policiesthat give communities and small farmers rights over forests anddegraded land can help them take advantage of these oppor-tunities. Joachim von Braun cautioned that worldwide, agricul-tural growth fell from an annual average of 2.5 percent in the1980s to 1.4 percent in the 1990s, and in low-income coun-tries the decline was from 3 to 2.5 percent. The consensusemerging from the meeting was that agriculture is critical forgrowth, and for communities devastated by conflicts and natural disasters rebuilding agriculture is a first step both forrecovery and for laying the foundations of durable peace.

In conjunction with the seminar, Yukio Yoshimura, World BankVice President and Special Representative to Japan, chaired ahigh-level meeting to support coordinated dissemination ofNew Rices for Africa (NERICAs). Kanayo Nwanze, DirectorGeneral, The Africa Rice Center, addressed the meeting

Participants from the World Bank, Japanese Ministries ofFinance, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, theJapan International Cooperation Agency and JapanInternational Research Center for Agriculture Sciences (JIRCAS)and UNDP agreed on next steps for coordination of this spe-cial effort. A follow-up meeting is planned for September 12prior to the opening of Tokyo International Conference onAfrican Development (TICAD–3). The Government of Japanhas a long tradition of supporting rice research.

A well-attended breakfast meeting with JapaneseParliamentarians and successful “Friends of the CGIAR”lunch ensured that the discussion of the importance of agri-culture and agricultural research reached the highest levels.

In a significant development, the Comprehensive AfricaAgricultural Development Program of the New Partnership forAfrica’s Development (NEPAD) has identified NERICAs as anexample of “best practice” in science-for-development efforts.“NEPAD sees the large body of knowledge and technologiesavailable from Japan as a source of Africa’s hope for thefuture” said Richard Mkandawire, Agriculture Advisor, NEPAD.

The McNamara Seminar, originally planned as a solo event,has grown both in stature and scope. It is an opportunity toincrease focus and generate dialogue and reach out to manylevels of Japanese society.

For more information on CGIAR, visit www.cgiar.org

Robert S. McNamara Seminar continued

Ending the Cycle of Hunger continued

CGIAR

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:05 PM Page 15

16 cgiarNews

Editor Sarwat Hussaine s.hussain@cgiar.orgPublished by the CGIAR SecretariatA Unit of the CGIAR System Officet 1 202 473 8951f 1 202 473 8110e cgiar@cgiar.org

International Center for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT)www.ciat.cgiar.org

Center for International Forestry Research(CIFOR)www.cifor.org

International Maize and WheatImprovement Center (CIMMYT)www.cimmyt.org

International Potato Center (CIP)www.cipotato.org

International Center for AgriculturalResearch in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)www.icarda.org

International Crops Research Institute forthe Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)www.icrisat.org

International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI)www.ifpri.org

International Institute of TropicalAgriculture (IITA)www.iita.org

International Livestock Research Institute(ILRI)www.cgiar.org/ilri

International Plant Genetic ResourcesInstitute (IPGRI)www.ipgri.org

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)www.irri.org

International Service for NationalAgricultural Research (ISNAR)www.isnar.cgiar.org

International Water Management Institute(IWMI)www.iwmi.cgiar.org

West Africa Rice Development Association–The Africa Rice Center (WARDA)www.warda.org

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)www.worldagroforestrycentre.org

WorldFish Center www.worldfishcenter.org

cgiarNews

CGIAR-supported Future Harvest Centers

18741_P01_16 8/4/03 1:48 PM Page 16