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Robert
S. McNamara Seminar
Mr. Robert S. McNamara, a founding father of the CGIAR
and former President of the World Bank was speaking at
the 2nd Robert S. McNamara seminar hosted by the Japanese
Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Foreign
Affairs, and Finance and CGIAR with support from the World
Bank Tokyo Office. Over 200 participants came to hear
Mr. McNamara’s remarks and the keynote speech presented
by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, as well as
to engage in a panel discussion with CGIAR Directors General. |
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ICARDA
entrusted with "Blackbox of Biodiversity"
In 1996, Iraqi agricultural researchers wanting to safeguard
Iraq’s plant genetic resources entrusted ICARDA with
a "Black Box," a kind of genetic time capsule
to safeguard biodiversity. The box has never been opened,
and its contents — 200 accessions of 28 different
crops grown in Iraq — is stored at -10º Celsius,
and maintained in viable form. |
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G–8
Communiqué
Excerpt from Science and Technology for Sustainable Development
— A G8 Action Plan Section 3.1, “Agriculture
and Biodiversity”
Where the Heads of State of G8 Nations, meeting at Evian-les-Bains
in the French Alps, June 1–3, 2003 agreed to: Promote
the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources
for food and agriculture: |
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Agriculture
is Back, but Science Must be Mobilized for Development
"Linking Research and Rural Innovation to Sustainable
Development" was the principal theme of the Global
Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) General Conference
held in May in Dakar, Senegal.
Over 400 participants attended the Dakar conference representing
major agricultural research stakeholder groups: regional
and sub-regional fora of developing country national agricultural
research systems, the private sector, NGOs, farmers’
organisations, scientists from advanced research institutes
(ARIs), universities, CGIAR Centers, and donors. |
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Improving
Knowledge Sharing in the CGIAR
Knowledge related to food, fisheries, forestry, livestock
and policies is increasingly recognized as a fundamental
element of the global public goods the CGIAR generates.
Harnessing the potential offered by the new advances in
information and communication technology (ICT) and knowledge
management (KM) practices and tools offers unparalleled
opportunities for maximizing development impact. A new
information and knowledge initiative of the CGIAR is set
to significantly improve the way the CGIAR centers share
their knowledge, link with partners and deliver their
public goods. |
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Seeds
of Life Cast a Golden Hue
The village women sit cross-legged, patiently shelling
corn; production-line workers filling woven baskets with
tumbling grain. Ordinarily there would be nothing to differentiate
this moment from countless others in the seasonal cycle
of life and work in the foothills outside Baucau on East
Timor’s central, north coast. |
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Forest
Conference: Balancing development and conservation
More than 300 forest experts from international organizations,
civil society, industry, government and the media from
over 40 countries met in May for CIFOR’s "International
Conference on Rural Livelihoods, Forests and Biodiversity"
held in Bonn. |
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Biofortification
Challenge Program meeting held in Cali
Seventy-five scientists and practitioners from five continents,
eight CGIAR Centers, and 40 partner and stakeholder organizations
across nine disciplines met at CIAT in June to strengthen
the alliance that constitutes the Biofortification Challenge
Program. |
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World
Bank—CGIAR Collaboration Gains Momentum
Fostering broad-based economic growth in rural areas is
a central element of the World Bank’s renewed Rural
Development Strategy, Reaching the Rural Poor. Over the
past year, the World Bank’s Agriculture and Rural
Development Department held strategy consultation workshops
at six CGIAR Centers (CIP, CIAT, ICARDA, IITA, ILRI, and
IRRI). The objective of these workshops was to better
define the role of CGIAR system in implementing the new
strategy and to articulate the contribution of international
agricultural research to rural development. A special
session was also held at IFPRI. |
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Ending
the Cycle of Hunger and Poverty in Ethiopia
A staggering 12.5 million Ethiopians, or one-fifth of
the population, currently face starvation. Yet, last year,
Ethiopian farmers had produced more grain than they could
sell locally, with a national surplus of more than half
a million tons. What happened? |
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Mekong
Delta: Building fisheries research capacity for the benefit
of people
International efforts to develop fisheries research capacity
in Cambodia received a boost with the founding of a new
research institute, the Inland Fisheries Research and
Development Institute (IFReDI) in Phnom Penh. The WorldFish
Center, in partnership with the Government of Cambodia,
Asian Development Bank and Danida helped set up the new
institution which is charged with developing a long-term
aquatic resource management strategy for the Mekong region. |
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CGIAR
Science Awards: Call for nominations
Call for 2003 CGIAR Science Awards Nominations. Each year,
the CGIAR recognizes the work of its scientists, support
teams, research partnerships and communicators, emphasizing
novelty, relevance, applicability and development impact.
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New
Study Assesses CGIAR Priorities and Strategies
CGIAR’s research priorities and strategies are anchored
in a common objective of improving food and livelihood
opportunities for poor farmers while sustaining the natural
environment. To ensure relevance and maximum development
impact, these must continually be revised to be in lockstep
with new knowledge and changing realities. |
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