September 2008
THEMATIC FOCUS: GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY

Targeting New Investment in Research
A new study predicts major gains in food security, poverty reduction and environmental protection from increased support for selected “best-bet” research initiatives.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Word to the Wise
Policy research and the recommendations it generates inform and influence the public debate on the causes of high food prices and how best to respond to the crisis.

Roots of the Rice Crisis
The dramatic surge in the price of rice in 2008 was foreshadowed by a rising trend over the past several years, as demand growth outpaced productivity gains.

Best Friends Offer Best Bets
A long-running research partnership responds to the food price crisis with an initiative that rolls out seven technologies to make agriculture more efficient and resilient.

Famine and Fortune
Cassava is traditionally grown as a hedge against famine and all but ignored by crop scientists, but high prices for other staples are helping this hardy root crop find its place in the sun.
Iron Age for Millet and Bean
Progress in breeding some staple crops with high iron content advances the fight against micronutrient malnutrition in tropical Africa and Asia.
Consider the Cost
Farmers in the drylands need to fine-tune their techniques to squeeze more food, fuel and fodder out of their crops with minimal application of expensive inputs.
New Options with Animals
The crisis in world food prices is an opportunity to explore new avenues of innovation and integration to make livestock rearing part of the solution.
Balanced Strategies and Diets
Community-based fishery management and integrated aquaculture and agriculture exemplify sustainable and energy-efficient approaches to food and nutrition security.
Guided by Knowledge Sharing
The CGIAR is identifying and testing ways to improve the effectiveness and impact of its research through better knowledge sharing.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Maintaining the Momentum of Media Interest in Agriculture
Continued media outreach is focusing on the relevance of work supported by the CGIAR to the challenge of containing global food price inflation.

INSIDE THE CGIAR

Report on ExCo14
Facing tough choices and thorny issues, ExCo examined recent reviews of Center and program performance and reflected on institutional change in the CGIAR.

Update on Change Management and the Independent Review
Two parallel processes aimed at advancing CGIAR reform come to fruition, with an emerging consensus on the way forward.