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Message from the Chairman and
Director
Dear Colleague:
We are pleased to present you with a redesigned “CGIAR
News.” We hope you like the new look, and find
the contents to be informative and useful.
The CGIAR partnership is about actions at the local
level, mobilizing cutting-edge science in a partnership
that benefits people and promotes sustainable development.
This issue showcases the power of science being marshaled
for the common good.
Our work on plant genetic resources, developing higher
yielding food crops, and improving nutrition is illustrative
of the global reach and impact of our efforts. Genebanks,
the quintessential example of a public good, are a vital
resource for plant breeders working to develop new crop
varieties that can grow in harsh conditions and better
withstand nature’s assault of pests and pathogens.
The CGIAR holds more than half-a-million seed samples
in 11 genebanks all over the world. These collections—held
in public trust for the benefit of all—are a valuable
resource, and acknowledged as such by FAO and the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
As the stories from Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire,
Kenya, and Uzbekistan demonstrate, saving seeds brings
economic, environmental, and social benefits. These
range from jumpstarting growth by restarting agriculture
in conflict-ravaged countries, to better characterizing
and conserving nature’s crop diversity. They show
that research-for-development partnerships can and are
making a difference in people’s lives.
We are delighted that the new Government of the Republic
of Kenya has invited the CGIAR to host its 2003 Annual
General Meeting at the United Nations Conference Center
in Nairobi during October 29–31. The meeting will
bring together the world’s leading scientists,
policy makers, and representatives from the private
sector and civil society to set research priorities
and accelerate development solutions for agriculture,
poverty reduction, and conserving the environment.
Thank you for your interest in and support for the CGIAR.
Ian Johnson
CGIAR Chairman |
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Francisco Reifschneider
CGIAR Director |
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