By Mr. Aly Abousabaa, ICARDA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director CWANA. Climate scientists have long predicted increased intensity and frequency of weather extremes, yet this year’s record-breaking heatwaves, most notably across the United States, Southern Europe, and China, took even the most cautious observers by surprise. We need to adapt our food systems to what is fast becoming a
ICARDA, Terres Inovia, and three renowned crop breeders in France, have formed an exciting alliance to enhance the genetic diversity of French lentils and chickpeas, bolstering their resilience to climate challenges and improving their nutritional value. 5th September: The new alliance between ICARDA, Terres Novia, Agri-Obtentions SA, Pro’Pulse, and Semences de Provence, is part of the Cap Protéines program’s
International Youth Day is an annual opportunity to reflect on young professionals’ contributions to shaping a sustainable future. This year’s theme, “Green Skills for Youth,” highlights the critical role of technical knowledge, values, and attitudes in enabling environmentally conscious decisions. Supporting young scientists in their professional development is a key pillar of ICARDA’s strategy to bring in fresh ideas and
In the face of intensifying climate change and increasingly variable conditions, the future of agriculture in the global drylands is at stake. ICARDA is stepping up to the challenge by refreshing its current strategy to ensure it remains relevant and fit for purpose in a fast-changing world. With its current strategy set to expire in 2026, ICARDA will review, revise,
By Dr. Anna Backhaus, ICARDA Cereals Scientist and alumnus of JIC and the WIW training program The attendance of the ICARDA members at the workshop was possible through the support of the Rosalind Franklin Women in Wheat Champions program, which is funded by The Royal Society and BBSRC, with additional funding kindly provided by PhenomUK. Three ICARDA early-career scientists attended
A recent mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by a delegation from CGIAR led by Mr. Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA and CGIAR Regional Director for Central and West Asia and North Africa, underscored the importance of international collaboration at COP28 in tackling climate-smart transformation in food, land, and water systems for future global food security. The delegation’s visit explored pathways for
Climate change, water scarcity, and rapid population growth are major threats to the agricultural sector and food production across Central and West Asia, and North Africa (CWANA), one of the most water-scarce regions in the world. To increase food production and ensure food security, it is crucial that farmers can access agricultural innovations, including high-quality seeds of new, climate-smart crop
The vast rangelands of Tunisia and Senegal are critical for the livelihoods of pastoral communities, providing grazing land for their herds and other essential resources and ecosystem services. However, these fragile ecosystems face numerous threats, including climate change, land degradation, and encroachment from urban and economic activities. To develop better strategies to address these challenges, cross-country experts gathered in June