Contribution to the SDGs

Contribution to the SDGs

High-level impact cases

CGIAR’s three System-level Outcomes (SLOs) — reduced poverty, improved food and nutrition security for health, and improved natural resources and ecosystems services — are matched to specific United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Examples of at-scale contributions to the SLOs in 2020 are presented below.

GLOBAL
CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT)

SDGs

12 17

SLO target

2.1 Improve the rate of yield increase for major food staples from the current <1% to 1.2-1.5% per year

WHEAT research revealed a continuous upward trend in the breeding progress of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)/CGIAR wheat breeding program in a range of environments and management conditions. Grain yield progress over 50 years of spring wheat breeding at CIMMYT was determined in field trials conducted in 2013-17. Trials included 30 varieties (24 bread wheat and six durum wheat varieties) released between 1965-2014 and sown under managed optimum, drought, and heat stress conditions. Grain yield improvements per year for bread wheat ranged from 24.7 to 35.3  kilograms per hectare (kg/ha), in optimum conditions with different irrigation. In drought and heat stress environments, bread wheat grain yield progress was estimated at between 17.7 kg/ha, and 25.6 kg/ha per year. There were similar results for durum wheat. The 2020 study found that drip irrigation systems make judicious use of water resources, while increasing yield potential.

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT)

SDGs

12 17

SLO target

2.1 Improve the rate of yield increase for major food staples from the current <1% to 1.2-1.5% per year

The effects of climate change, together with projected future demand, represent a huge challenge for wheat production systems worldwide. Wheat breeding can contribute to global food security through the creation of genotypes exhibiting stress tolerance and higher yield potential. A study by WHEAT estimated the genetic gains of high rainfall trials (2006-2017) grown by NARS partners worldwide. In high-rainfall environments, annual genetic gains per season were 3.8%, and compared with local checks, 1.17%, which equates to an additional yield of 160 and 65.1 kilograms per hectare per year (kg/ha/yr), respectively. In the low-rainfall environment, genetic gains were 0.93% and 0.73% (40.0 and 33.1 kg/ha/yr), respectively. Several of the five best performing lines were common in both environments. The results indicate genetic gain ranging from 0.5-1% per annum, which on average represents 46.6 kg/ha/year. Of the 215 million hectares of global wheat area, these genetic gains impact approximately 61 million hectares on which farmers grow CGIAR-derived varieties.

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Livestock (LIVESTOCK)

SDGs

1 2 12 14 17

SLO target

1.1 100 million more farm households have adopted improved varieties, breeds, trees, and/or management practices

Livestock productivity depends on forage availability and quality. LIVESTOCK partner, the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture’s (CIAT) existing Urochloa hybrids, which are important forage for livestock, were scaled on approximately 100,000 additional hectares in 2020, reaching a total of at least 1,100,000 hectares in more than 30 countries. The highest areas planted were in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela), Asia (China, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam), and Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda).

REGIONAL
CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE)

Geographic scope

South Asia, East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa

SDGs

1 2 12 14 17

SLO target

1.1 100 million more farm households have adopted improved varieties, breeds, trees, and/or management practices

A 2020 MAIZE study on the impacts of CGIAR maize improvements analyzed the adoption and impacts of CGIAR-related maize varieties in 18 major maize-producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa for 1995-2015, including drought-tolerant, pest- and disease-resistant, and more nutritious (Vitamin A and Quality Protein Maize) varieties. Of 1,345 maize varieties released in the study countries, approximately 60% had a known or reported CGIAR parentage. In 2015, about 34% of total maize area in those countries (9.5 million hectares) was cultivated with CGIAR-related maize varieties released between 1995-2015. Another 13% of the total maize area was cultivated with CGIAR-related maize varieties released before 1995. In 2015, aggregate yearly economic benefits of using newer CGIAR-related maize varieties (released after 1994) were estimated to be between US$0.66 to US$1.05 billion, while global investment in CGIAR maize improvement was modest — about US$30 million per annum. The additional potential economic impacts of CGIAR investment on risk reduction (for example, losses avoided) and nutritional enhancement in maize are not accounted for.

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Rice (RICE)

Geographic scope

East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa

SDGs

1 2 5 8 10 17

SLO target

1.2 30 million people, of whom 50% are women, assisted to exit poverty

Iron toxicity is one of the most important constraints limiting rice production in lowland sub-Saharan Africa. To improve rice productivity in the affected areas in the context of climate change, new rice varieties with genetic resistance to iron toxicity were developed and released. A 2020 RICE study used a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of an iron toxicity-tolerant variety, ARICA6, on the rice production and income of smallholder farmers. Results showed that the use of the ARICA6 variety increased rice yield by 330 kilograms per hectare, and net income by US$120 per hectare. Average technical efficiency increased by 7%. The large-scale dissemination of ARICA6 could be a policy option to revive rice production and reduce food insecurity for rice producers, but additional measures, such as reducing the constraints due to unpredictable rainfall through improved water management, are needed to further increase the benefits.

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) and the CRP on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

Geographic scope

South Asia

SDGs

13 15 17

SLO target

3.2 Reduce agriculturally related greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (Gt CO2-e/yr) (5%) compared with business-as-usual scenario in 2022

A 2020 meta-analysis of 9,686 paired comparisons between conservation agricultural practice and existing farmers’ practice in South Asia showed that zero tillage and residue retention offer a 5.8% yield advantage and a 25.9% economic advantage, with 12% to 33% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to existing tillage-based practice. Similarly, as evidenced by comparisons in rice and wheat fields across the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India, Nutrient Expert-based fertilizer management lowered global warming potential by 12% to 20% in wheat, in addition to increasing crop yield and incomes. Bottom-up analyses in India and Bangladesh suggest that zero tillage and residue management, as well as precision nutrient management, could reduce country-level GHG emission by 17 and 17.5 million tons of CO2 per year in India and by 0.55 and 7.98 million tons of CO2 per year in Bangladesh.

NATIONAL AND MULTINATIONAL
CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE)

Geographic scope

Kenya, Rwanda

SDGs

12 17

SLO target

2.1 Improve the rate of yield increase for major food staples from the current <1% to 1.2-1.5% per year

Through an on-farm trial to study genetic gains under farmers’ conditions, scientists monitored the efficiency of varietal turnover and refinement of product development and deployment strategies. This was supported by adaptation of genomic technologies to deliver more value to African small holders per unit of investment (a cost reduction in first year breeding by 40%).Experience has shown that breeding programs can benefit from participatory approaches. New stress-tolerant maize hybrids were tested in four East African countries (12 early-to-intermediate and 13 intermediate-to-late maturing hybrids, including popular, farmer-selected commercial checks). They were evaluated by 2,025 farmers (55% women) at 27 sites in Kenya and Rwanda. New hybrids had 18% higher yields than commercial checks under farmers’ conditions (for example, stressed); yields were similar to those of commercial checks under optimal conditions. This participatory approach to breeding profile development should support greater farmer adoption of stress-resilient maize, beyond the achievements of the projects’ Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) and Sustainable Intensification of Maize-legume Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA).

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-food Systems (FISH)

Geographic scope

India

SDGs

2 5 12 17

SLO target

2.3 150 million more people, of which 50% are women, without deficiencies of one or more of the following essential micronutrients: iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin B12

Over 200,000 vulnerable women, men and children have increased fish consumption in India, thereby improving their nutrition and diets. FISH projects have resulted in 212,142 people consuming more fish through fish farming activities in Odisha, India. Also in Odisha, 11,865 people are consuming more fish thanks to carp-based polyculture.

CRP

CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA)

Geographic scope

Indonesia

SDGs

13 15 17

SLO target

3.4 2.5 million hectares of forest saved from deforestation

Research by FTA/the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and support to the Government of Indonesia, contributed to 166,700 hectares saved from deforestation between 2015 and 2019.

Impact overview

In 2020, CGIAR reported 92 contributions to the SLOs. Sixty-six percent of the 2020 contributions to the SLOs were linked to poverty reduction (SLO1), 18% to improved food and nutrition security (SLO2), and 15% to improved natural resources and ecosystem services (SLO3).

CGIAR’s SLO contributions also aligned with 13 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Significantly, 100% (92) of contributions were linked with SDG17 (partnerships for the goals), 87% (80) with SDG2 (zero hunger), 79% (73) with SDG1 (no poverty), and 70% (64) with SDG12 (responsible consumption and production).

 

Explore our SLO contributions for 2020.

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