Message from the Chairman and Director

Dear Colleague:

We are pleased to present the July edition of CGIAR News.

We are delighted that this edition reports on major scientific achievements by the CGIAR Centers and partners.

On June 10, Modadugu Gupta of India, former Assistant Director, International Relations and Partnerships, WorldFish Center was named winner of the prestigious 2005 World Food Prize. Dr. Gupta’s pioneering work is helping bring the “Blue Revolution” to poor people in some of the most populous parts of Asia. He is the eleventh CGIAR scientist to receive this honor, and the prize has garnered wide coverage in mainstream media across the world.

CGIAR scientists and partners featured prominently among the winners of the 2005 Development Marketplace, another indicator of the quality and effectiveness of science practiced in the CGIAR Centers. Three projects were among 31 innovative projects chosen in this global competition. At a time of growing recognition of the importance of agriculture in meeting the development challenges of the 21 st century including Millennium Development Goals, these successes spell hope for poor farming communities all over the world.

Looking ahead, plans are proceeding apace for the Annual General Meeting 2005 scheduled for December 5–8, 2005 in Marrakech. Morocco. We have an ambitious agenda in place, including a Science Forum on “Global Agricultural Science for Impact.” We applaud the commitment, energy, and enthusiasm of our Moroccan partners, including Hamid Narjisse and his colleagues at INRA.

Interest in agricultural research and the role of science and technology in development is at an all time high, including in major publications such as the United Nations’ report, In larger freedom. The Commission for Africa, the Millennium Task Force on Hunger, and the Inter-Academy Panel have all cited the importance of agriculture for achieving sustainable development. These developments bode well for the CGIAR.

Finally, thanks to the support of CGIAR Members, we are pleased that CGIAR financing was $453 million in 2004, the highest ever.

We wish you a restful summer. As always, we welcome comments at cgiar@cgiar.org

Cordially,

Ian Johnson CGIAR Chairman

Francisco Reifschneider CGIAR Director