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.

In June 2003, a special workshop was held to conclude the consultation process, develop a synthesis report, and launch an action plan. The CGIAR was well-represented, including four Directors General (ICARDA, IFPRI, IITA, and ILRI), their deputies, and science program leaders.

In opening remarks, Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman, set the stage by highlighting the changing development environment, focusing on the Millennium Development Goals, shifting toward a programmatic approach, and the resulting opportunities for partnership.

Participants agreed that there was a range of areas for enhancing and strengthening the World Bank/CGIAR partnership.

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 value crops)
• 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 drafted and will be submitted to the World Bank after being cleared by the Center Directors Committee (CDC).

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